Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites, though it is helpful to have previously taken an introductory political science course such as 17.20 Introduction to American Politics.
Course Description
This course provides an overview of electoral politics in the United States, covering presidential, congressional, state, and local elections. It covers the development of American elections over time, electoral rules and institutions, the macro-structural forces shaping electoral outcomes, the key organizations involved in elections (parties, etc.), candidates’ calculations and campaign strategies, and the role of ordinary citizens in the electoral process, as well as potential reforms to the U.S. electoral system. Students’ main assignment will be to follow a specific electoral race and report on its outcome. The course has no recitations or teaching assistants, only lectures, but it nevertheless involves a good deal of in-class participation.
Learning Goals
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Identify the basic rules governing U.S. elections and how they have changed.
- Describe the most important structural determinants of election outcomes and how they shape the strategic choices of candidates, parties, and interest groups.
- Explain the key forces influencing citizens’ political participation and preferences.
- Evaluate the functioning of U.S. elections and the merits of proposals to reform them.
- Apply the general themes of the course to specific electoral contests.
Expectations
- Participate actively in the course, whether in the form of answering the questions the instructor poses to the class, interrupting with your own questions, or engaging in productive conversation and feedback with your fellow students.
- Treat each other with respect**.** In particular, this means:
- Refraining from dominating the conversation.
- Listening attentively and politely while others speak.
- Acknowledging the right of others to hold and express contrary views.
- When criticizing, focusing on what people said, not who they are.
- More generally, helping to foster a safe and welcoming environment for students with a diverse range of perspectives and identities.
- Maintain academic integrity. Among other things, this means never taking credit for words or ideas that are not your own, and always giving your readers enough information to evaluate the source and quality of your evidence. For more information on plagiarism and academic integrity, consult Academic Integrity at MIT: A Handbook for Students.
Required Books
Sides, John, Daron Shaw, Matt Grossmann, et al. Campaigns and Elections. 3rd ed. W. W. Norton & Company, 2019. ISBN: 9780393664676.
Additional readings can be found in the Readings section.
Grading Policy
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Class participation | 10% |
| A mark up of one reading before each lecture | 25% |
| Submission of choice of race to follow throughout the term | 5% |
| Source list for race report | 5% |
| Pre-election “state of the race” report | 20% |
| Presentation of post-election race report | 10% |
| Final post-election report | 25% |
For detail on the activities above, see the Assignments section.
Calendar
| LEC # | TOPICS | DUE DATES |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Introduction |
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2 |
The Logic of Electoral Democracy |
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3 |
American Electoral Institutions |
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4 |
Development of the American Electorate |
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5 |
Development of the American Elections |
Submit choice of race to follow throughout the term |
|
6 |
Political Parties |
|
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7 |
Candidates |
Submit initial list of sources for race report |
|
8 |
Nominations |
|
|
9 |
Fundamental Factors in General Elections |
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10 |
Forecasting Elections |
|
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11 |
Campaign Finance and Interest Groups |
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12 |
Campaign Strategies |
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13 |
Media and Information |
Submit pre-election “state of the race” report |
|
14 |
Presidential Campaigns In class: Peer feedback on pre-election reports |
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|
15 |
Congressional Campaigns In class: Peer feedback on pre-election reports |
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16 |
State and Local Campaigns In class: Peer feedback on pre-election reports |
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17 |
Voter Participation |
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18 |
Voter Choice |
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19 |
Consequences of Elections |
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20 |
Evaluating American Democracy |
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21 |
Reforms I - Voter Fraud and Voter ID |
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22 |
Reforms II - Gerrymandering |
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23 |
Reforms III - Electoral Systems |
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24–26 |
Presentations In class: Post-election report presentations |
Submit final post-election report during Lecture 26 |
