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Semester 2

Elite and Mass Political Behaviour (PLIT10167)

Subject

Politics

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

3

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Visiting students must have completed 4 Politics courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses, and we cannot consider interdisciplinary courses or courses without sufficient Politics/Government/International Relations focus. **Please see Additional Restrictions below**

Course Summary

This course compares explanations for political behaviour and how applicable they are to politicians and the public. The course considers and critiques three prominent accounts of behaviour, an array of different types of political participation and the boundaries of that concept, as well as the basis for the distinction between elite and mass behaviour. It approaches these ideas through discussion and simulations, and prompts students to develop understanding in the area by writing for both academic and public audiences.

Course Description

From the local campaigner gathering signatures on a petition to the opposition leader delivering a rousing speech at a mass protest, political behaviour is the lifeblood of democracy. Amongst its many forms, we might be interested in how political elites vote in legislatures, what they say in their speeches or tweets, or how they campaign during elections. Or we could concern ourselves with how the public engage with politics through voting, posting content online, joining organisations, protesting, or taking direct action. Whatever the behaviour that we are most interested in, we can draw on different approaches to explaining why, how, and to what extent people get involved in politics. This course begins by considering three of those approaches: rational choice; psychological; and sociological. It also considers the range of methods that can be used to investigate political behaviour before moving onto examine a range of kinds of political behaviour. **Throughout, the course will encourage students to consider whether different theories and methods are more or less applicable when accounting for elite or public behaviour, and whether we should distinguish between how those two groups act. Students will be expected to approach the course both as critical researchers and as citizens with an interest in understanding and solving problems affecting political behaviour in practice. The course will be taught via seminars and, in line with the general expectation in the School, students will be expected to arrive at each seminar having completed relevant readings and preparation in order to contribute to in-depth discussion of the topics. **Much of the research considered in the course is quantitative in nature, in line with the prevailing approach in political behaviour research. However, an interest in and knowledge of quantitative research methods are not a prerequisite of the course. Information will be provided on how to read quantitative research results and articles, and students who are unfamiliar with such approaches will be supported to engage with them. As such, the course is very much intended to be accessible to any student with an interest in political behaviour amongst elites and masses. **This course aims to: - Build understanding of a range of political behaviours and their drivers; - Apply, critique, and extend rational choice, psychological, and sociological theories of political behaviour, as well as their relationships with each other; - Identify and address problems affecting political behaviour in practice; - Critically evaluate the distinction between elite and public political behaviour. **By the end of this course students should be able to demonstrate understanding of the boundaries of political behaviour and offer explanations for an array of its forms. Students should also be able to critically evaluate rational choice, psychological, and sociological explanations for political behaviour, and their relationships with each other. Finally, students should be able to assess the applicability of those accounts of political behaviour to elites and masses, and relate the ideas we cover to live political debates and events. By the end of the course students should also be able to articulate reasoned arguments relating to theories of political behaviour. Students should also be able to communicate complex concepts and ideas, and their relationships, in written and spoken form, both for academic and public audiences. Finally, students should be able to offer solutions relating to problems affecting political behaviour in practice, and do so via group work within time-constrained contexts.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0%

Additional Restrictions

Unless you are nominated on a Politics exchange agreement, visiting students are only permitted to enrol in one Politics course each, per semester, before the start of the relevant semester’s welcome period – and spaces on each course are limited so cannot be guaranteed for any student. Enrolment in a second Politics course will depend on whether there are still spaces available in the January Welcome Period, and cannot be guaranteed. It is NOT appropriate for students to contact staff within this subject area to ask for an exception to be made; all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. This is due to the limited number of spaces available in this very popular subject area.

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