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POL 435: Elections and Voting Behavior

In a democracy, the public's role centers on elections.  In this course we will examine four main topics.  First, we will attempt to answer the question of 'Who Votes?' by examining patterns in political participation.  Second, we will look at the choices of these voters in selecting between the Democratic and Republican candidates.  Third, we will see how voting behavior varies across election settings:  presidential elections, congressional elections, and primary elections.  Finally, we will take an in-depth look at partisanship, the core attitude that influences participation and voters' choices, and how this attitude has changed over time.