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Syllabus
FALL SEMESTER, 2000
POLLS, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC OPINION
POLITICAL SCIENCE/SPEECH COMMUNICATION 334
INSTRUCTOR: JOHN COMER
OFFICE: 509 OLDFATHER
PHONE: 472-3222, HOURS: 12:30-1:30 MWF or by
appointment
E-Mail: jcomer1@unl.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Writers on democracy generally
place a great deal of importance on the political participation of the
individual citizen. However, few courses in political science pay much
attention to the individual citizen. Polls, Politics, and Public Opinion
is one that does. It treats the attitudes and behavior of citizens with
respect to politics, how these attitudes and behaviors are shaped, and
what influence they have on government. It is a survey course and covers
a number of topics. Although it is an upper division course, and therefore
the content is somewhat demanding, one need not have taken other courses
in political science or speech communication.
TEXTS:
How The News Media Fail by Dautrich and Hartley
Public Opinion by Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, and Shapiro
Public Opinion: Measuring the American Mind by
Bardes and Oldendick
Voter’s Guide to Election Polls, Traugott and Lavrakas
REQUIREMENTS:
Midterm and final examination. These can be short
answer, multiple choice, essay (takehome or inclass) or any combination.
Unannounced quizzes are also a possibility.
Research Paper. Five to ten page research paper
based on presidential election poll. Tentative due state, November 10
Other Assignments. Identified below.
Grade: Examinations = 60%, Papers = 25%, Other
assignments and activities = 15%.
Weekly Assignments:
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Aug. 21
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Course Introduction.
Activity: Distribute questionnaire to students. Collect
and process for later use.
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Aug. 23
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Topic for discussion:
What is public opinion? Public Opinion, pp. 14 -30, American
Mind, pp. 4-7. Activity: Brainstorm small groups.
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Aug. 25
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Topic for discussion:
What are the principle components of definitions in Public
Opinion on pp. 17-24 and which definition do you prefer? Why?
Activity: Brainstorm small group
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Aug. 28
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Topic of discussion: What
are the properties or characteristics of public opinion? Activity:
Graphically display each property. Graphically display various
distributional shapes or patterns of public opinion and discuss
their implications or importance. Public Opinion, pp. 26-28.
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Aug. 30
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Topic of discussion:
Discerning public opinion before public opinion polls? How was
it done? How are the measurement and expression of public opinion
tied together? Public Opinion, pp. 48-62. How does
polling impact public opinion?
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Sept. 1
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Topic of discussion:
Measuring public opinion: The use of surveys: survey questions.
Assignment : Develop a survey statement or question designed
to measure opinions toward public school vouchers. Public Opinion,
pp. 76-77; American Mind, pp. 52- 62; pp. 215-216; 218-220,
Voters Guide, Chapter 7.
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Sept. 4
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Labor Day Holiday
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Sept. 6
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Activity: Critique survey
questions on vouchers.
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Sept. 8
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No Class
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Sept. 11
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Topic of discussion:
Measuring public opinion: The use of surveys: sampling. Activity:
Drawing a random sample. Why random? American Mind,
pp. 47-52; Voters Guide, Chapter 5
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Sept. 13
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Topic of discussion: What
are election polls? Voters Guide, Chapter 2
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Sept. 15
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Topic of discussion:
Analyzing polling data, Voters Guide, Chapter 8.
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Sept. 18
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Topic of discussion:
Evaluating surveys and some recent technological developments
in polling, Voters Guide, Chapter 9, American Mind,
pp. 220-222.
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Sept. 20
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Topic of discussion:
The manipulative use of polls, American Mind, pp. 29-30,
216-218..
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Sept. 22
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Topic of discussion:
Measuring public opinion: The use of focus groups. Activity:
Focus group exercise. Public Opinion, pp. 80-89.
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Sept. 25
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Topic of discussion:
Using focus group information. Assignment: Develop a campaign
strategy for either Mr. Gore or Mr. Bush from information generated
from the focus group. (themes, ads, whatever) to attract swing
or undecided voters voters.
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Sept. 27
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Topic of discussion:
Moving from the whole to the parts: Beliefs, values, attitudes
and opinions, Public Opinion, pp. 104 -107, 268-274; American
Mind, pp. 11-12. Activities: Describe a personal political
or non political opinion belief, a value that flows from it, an
attitude that flows from it, and finally an opinion that flows
from it. (Hint: Pick an opinion and work backward.)
Example:
Belief: All human beings are equally deserving
of a good life.
Value: If individuals can not provide
a good life for themselves than the community should
provide it for them.
Attitude: Favor a redistribution of wealth to
insure that all have a good life
Opinion: Favor a progressive income tax where
the more one makes the higher percentage he or she pays in income
taxes
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Sept 29
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Topic of Discussion:
Are Americans selfish? American Mind, Chapter 7
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Oct. 2
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Topic of Discussion:
What social class do you belong to? Public Opinion, pp.
226-229.
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Oct. 4
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Topic of Discussion:
Are Americans racist? American Mind, Chapter 8, Public
Opinion, pp. 231-235.
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Oct. 6
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Topic of discussion:
Can a Jew be elected vice president? Public Opinion, pp.
357- 370.
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Oct. 9
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Topic of discussion: Can
a homosexual teach in the public schools?
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Oct. 11
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Topic of Discussion:
Perception: How and why and with what effect? Assignment:
Watch and evaluate presidential debates. Activity: Assessing
the perception of events and the factors that impact on them.
This date will change depending on the debate schedule.
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Oct. 13
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Activity: Review the
poll questionnaire. Review and field questions on procedures for
poll.
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Oct. 16
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Fall Semester Break. Assignment:
Students will conduct five interviews in their home town or, if
in a rural unincorporated area, the county in which they live.
Interviews should be conducted on October 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17.
Completed interview schedules will be turned in on October 18.
Students will also do a statistical analysis based on the responses
from the pooled results of each student’s interviews. Due November
10th.
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Oct. 18
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Activity: Debriefing
on interviewing. How did it go?
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Oct. 20
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Topic of Discussion:
Yellow dog democrats or why I am a Democrat? American Mind,
pp. 102-108
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Oct. 23
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Topic of Discussion:
I am very conservative. How do I know, because I am consistently
conservative on all the issues. American Mind, pp. 97-102,
Public Opinion, 259-268, 274-276
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Oct. 25
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Topic of Discussion:
Learning about politics or mommy where do opinions come from?
American Mind, Chapter 5.
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Oct. 27
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Activity: Exploring one’s
political socialization. Recollections of early political learning.
Assignment. Monitor TV evening news on ABC, 5:30 Channel
7 for the 23th through 27th. Evaluate the
content and bias of the news. Due on the 30th.
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Oct. 30
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Topic of Discussion:
Media and Public Opinion: Does it have an impact? Public Opinion,
pp. 388-411, American Mind, pp 91-95.
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Nov. 1
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Topic of Discussion: Political
campaigns. Did the presidential election campaign influence you?
Public Opinion, Chapter 12.
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Nov. 3
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Topic of Discussion:
Tuesday’s Election
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Nov. 6
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Topic of Discussion:
Understanding voter choice in American elections or answering
the question who do I vote for? Public Opinion, pp. 253-268;
284-288. Activity: Electoral College Poll - Tie break:
Distribution of the presidential vote in Nebraska. Winner excused
from the final.
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Nov. 8
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Topic of Discussion:
Understanding turnout in American elections or answering the question
do I vote?
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Nov. 10
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Topic of discussion:
What does the election mean? Public Opinion, pp. 213-221
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Nov. 13
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Midterm Examination
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Nov 15
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Topic of discussion: Media
and Elections. How the News Fails, Chapters 5,6
and 7
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Nov. 17
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Topic of discussion:
Media and Elections. How the News Fails, Chapters 5,6 and
7
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Nov. 20
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Topic of discussion:
Are we on the threshold of a major political reform? Public
Opinion, pp. 370-376, , American Mind, pp. 109-116.
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Nov. 22
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Student Holiday
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Nov. 24
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Thanksgiving Holiday
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Nov. 27
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Topic of discussion:
The public’s impact on policy. First things first. Should the
public have an influence?
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Nov. 29
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Topic of discussion:
Public opinion as constraint, Public Opinion, pp 300-302
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Dec. 4
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Topic of discussion:
The public’s influence on policy: Fitting the pieces together,
Public Opinion, pp. 302-336
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Dec. 6
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Topic of discussion: Conclusions:
Public Opinion and Democracy
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Dec. 8
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Topic of discussion:
Taking stock and review.
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Dec. 11
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Final Examination, 10-12
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