Background

Polls, Politics, and Public Opinion is an upper division course directed primarily at majors in political science and communication studies. Occasionally, some from journalism drift in. When I began teaching the course about thirty years ago, it was offered at the 200 level. Because the content was considered a bit much for college sophomores, it was raised to the 400 level, but later changed again, to where it is now. About fifteen years ago, it was cross-listed with communication studies which means students can take the course as either political science or communication studies. The move was a response to a new course proposal in communication studies covering some of the same content as Polls, Politics, and Public Opinion and a desire on the part of curriculum committees at various levels to limit duplication across the curriculum. Their solution: cross-listing, making Polls, Politics, and Public Opinion available to communication studies students for credit in the communication studies major. Cross-listing has presented some problems as students from the respective disciplines come to the course with widely different expectations and levels of preparation. In general, political science students expect a course in political science and this is what they get. Students in communication studies expect something different. The result is a somewhat lower level of student satisfaction. At the same time, the course content is important, and students should find it interesting. They should also find the written and analytical exercises helpful in developing skills useful in other courses as well as on the job once they graduate. Because of what I perceive to be limited success in reaching students, I continue to search for strategies, tactics, and approaches that might help in this regard.