Information of the subject

1. Course details

1.1. Content area

Elections and Electoral Behaviour

1.2. Course nature

Optional

1.3. Course level

Máster (EQF/MECU 7)

1.4. Year of study

737 - : 2
720 - : 1

1.5. Semester

Second semester

1.6. ECTS Credit allotment

6.0

1.7. Language of instruction

Spanish and English

1.8. Prerequisites

No prerequisites

1.9. Recommendations

-

1.10. Minimum attendance requirement

Attendance at class is mandatory.

1.11. Subject coordinator/s

Andres Alejandro Santana Leitner

1.12. Coordinator of other university

-

1.13. Competences and learning outcomes

1.13.1. Competences

     1. General competences:

• G1. Ability to analyze and synthesize complex and extensive information.
• G2. Ability to identify the main ideas of a written text or oral presentation.
• G3. Ability to look for new and original solutions to the problems of the study area
• G4. Ability to solve problems and make decisions autonomously.
• G5. Ability to relate theory to concrete situations in the real world.
• G6. Ability to work as part of a team.
• G7. Ability to apply the concepts, theories, or models related to the area of study to other contexts.
• G8. Ability to make sound and reasoned judgments, using the language of the study area

     2. Basic competences:

• B1. Ability to communicate orally and in public in a correct, clear, and reasoned way in English and, where appropriate, in Spanish.
• B2. Ability to communicate in writing in a correct, clear and reasoned manner, respecting the formal rules of a scientific text, in English, and where appropriate, in Spanish.
• B4. Ability to search, select, and analyze information from different sources in English and, where appropriate, in Spanish.
• B6. Ability to interpret analysis of relatively complex data.

     3. Specific competences:

• E6. Conocer el comportamiento y las actitudes políticas y democráticas de los ciudadanos y actores políticos, así como sus dinámicas relacionales.
• E7. Conocer la realidad económica, social y política relacionada con los procesos políticos.
• E8. Conocer las instituciones y procesos de toma de decisión en el marco de la Unión Europea, así como los valores de paz, democracia y derechos humanos que están en su origen.
• E9. Conocer las distintas técnicas de análisis de datos cuantitativos empleados en la Ciencia Política.

1.13.2. Learning outcomes

• G5. Ability to relate theory to concrete, real-world situations.
• G8. Ability to make sound and reasoned judgments, using the language of the área of study.
• B4. Ability to search, select and analyze information from sources in English and, where appropriate, in Spanish.
• B6. Ability to interpret analysis of relatively complex data.
• E6. Que los estudiantes conozcan el comportamiento y las actitudes políticas y democráticas de los ciudadanos y actores políticos, así como sus dinámicas relacionales
• E7. Que los estudiantes adquieran conocimientos sobre la realidad económica, social y política relacionada con los procesos políticos.
• E9. Que los estudiantes adquieran conocimientos sobre las distintas técnicas de análisis de datos cuantitativos empleados en la Ciencia Política.

1.13.3. Course objectives

-

1.14. Course contents

The programme consists of two blocks. In each of them, some of the topics listed below will be studied (the list may be complemented with other related topics). The specific programme each year will be developed in Moodle by the lecturer, who may take into account the students’ profiles, their interests, background, and preferences, the salience of the different topics in a given year, and their own preferences.

FIRST BLOCK: ELECTIONS AND ELECTORAL BEHAVIOUR

1) The decision to vote or abstain

2) Turnout

3) Elections and voting models

4) Long-term factors: cleavages

5) Long-term factors: party and ideological identification

6) Short-term factors: evaluations of the economic situation, of the political situation, and of the government’s performance

7) Short-term factors: issues and candidates

8) Rational voting models

9) Election campaigns

10) Surveys and polls

11) Applied topic: the gender gap in electoral participation

12) Applied topic: the gender gap in voting

13) Applied topic: the vote for populist, radical, and/or populist radical parties

14) Applied topic: the birth of a party ­– the vote for Vox

15) Applied topic: history and key features of electoral behavior in Spain

16) Applied topic: nationalism and the vote for subnational parties

17) Applied topic: strategic voting and split voting

18) Tools for the study of voting behavior: citizen surveys, VAAs and expert surveys.

SECOND BLOCK: INSTITUTIONS AND BEHAVIOR

1) Electoral systems: concepts and elements

2) Classifications of electoral systems

3) Effects and consequences of electoral systems

4) Reform of electoral systems

5) Applied topic: simulation of electoral reforms

6) Coalitions: conformation, power sharing, stability, and citizens’ evaluations

7) Bargaining power of the different political forces

1.15. Course bibliography

The reading list will be made available in Moodle.

2. Teaching-and-learning methodologies and student workload

2.1. Contact hours

-

2.2. List of training activities

-

3. Evaluation procedures and weight of components in the final grade

3.1. Regular assessment

1. Objet:

• The students will be required to write a paper which will carry out an empirical analysis of a central topic of electoral behavior.
• Write 1 short essay of a topic related to the program .
• Carry out a 15 minutes presentation in class on one of the programmes’ topics.

2. Requirements for passing the subject:

• Obtain at least 5 points in the final grade.
• Active participation in class.

Warning about plagiarism

The Political Science Department will not tolerate any case of plagiarism or fraudulent copying – nor the active or passive collaboration with these fraudulent practices – whether in exams or in any of the assignments.

The reproduction of paragraphs or fragments thereof from text authored by someone that is not the student (Internet, books, articles, assignments presented by companions…), will be considered as plagiarism when the original source is not cited.

If this type of practice is detected, the sanction will consist in failing the subject and the Dean being requested to open sanction procedures.

3.1.1. List of evaluation activities

3.2. Resit

1. Requirements for doing the resit: 

• None.

2. Content of the evaluation:

• Same requirements as for the original assessment

3. Date, hour and place of the evaluation: 

• Consult the timetable of exams on the Faculty's website.

3.2.1. List of evaluation activities

4. Proposed workplan

The programme offers “Review Activities” but their timing will be sensitive to the particular needs of the course and to the students’ requests. Bearing this in mind, the tentative timetable will be similar to the following one: