Experiments in Political Science (313-0-20)

Instructors

Alexander Coppock
2001 Sheridan Road, 3154
Office Hours: By appointment only

Meeting Info

2001 Sheridan GPC 3111: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

Randomized experiments have become indispensable tools for businesses, nonprofits, and social scientists for assessing causal effects. Tech companies like Meta, Spotify, or Netflix subject nearly every element of their interfaces to intense testing via randomized experimentation to optimize engagement. Political organizations randomize the type and frequency of voter contacts to maximize their chances of electoral and legislative success. Social scientists use the results of randomized experiments to develop and test theories of human behavior. At the end of this course, all students will be able to design, execute, and analyze randomized experiments. The goal is to enable students to evaluate the impact of real-world interventions on well-defined political, economic, and social outcomes. We will cover field and survey experiments, though nearly all of the design and analysis principles extend to lab and so-called ``natural'' experiments as well. While some research methods classes (rightly) cover a wide variety of research tools, this course will focus narrowly on the strengths and weaknesses of a single method: randomized experimentation.

Class Materials (Required)

Field Experiments
Design, Analysis, and Interpretation
by Alan S Gerber Donald P Green

Class Attributes

Empirical and Deductive Reasoning Foundational Dis