Political Behaviour
Code: 101075 ECTS Credits: 62024/2025
| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2500259 Political Science and Public Management | OB | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Marc Guinjoan Cesena
- Email:
- marc.guinjoanc@uab.cat
Teachers
- Beatriz Elias Valverde
- Adrian Caballero Escusol
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
Students should have acquired basic concepts of Political Science and Research Methods. They must be able read English texts and work with spreadsheets.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The course has three objectives:
- To know the basic elements that characterize political and electoral behaviour in democratic contexts
- To be able to use theories and variables that explain how citizens think and act in politics
- To know and be able to use the main methods and data available for the analysis of political behaviour
Competences
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Analysing the behaviour of the political actors, both individually and collectively (parties, interest groups, social movements, etc.).
- Analysing the electoral processes, including campaigns, parties' electoral strategies, political scenarios and analysis and interpretation of electoral results.
- Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
- Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
- Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
- Demonstrating the comprehension of citizen behaviour and democratic values, particularly in internal or international concrete cases.
- Designing data collection techniques, coordinating the information processing and meticulously applying hypothesis verification methods.
- Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
- Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
- Explaining political, individual and collective attitudes and behaviours, as well as the education process and expression of political preferences.
- Identifying and distinguishing the functioning of the electoral processes.
- Identifying main actors of the political system, inspecting their interactions and assessing their behaviour in their environment and in the political system from a theoretical and practical perspective.
- Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
- Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
- Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
- Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
- Managing the different theoretical contributions about actors and actor's networks, as well as the characteristics of collective action.
- Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
- Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
- Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
- Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
- Working autonomously.
- Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
- Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
Learning Outcomes
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Analysing the behaviour of the political actors, both individually and collectively (parties, interest groups, social movements, etc.).
- Analysing the electoral processes, including campaigns, parties' electoral strategies, political scenarios and analysis and interpretation of electoral results.
- Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
- Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
- Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
- Designing data collection techniques, coordinating the information processing and meticulously applying hypothesis verification methods.
- Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
- Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
- Explaining political, individual and collective attitudes and behaviours, as well as the education process and expression of political preferences.
- Identifying and distinguishing the functioning of the electoral processes.
- Identifying main actors of the political system, inspecting their interactions and assessing their behaviour in their environment and in the political system from a theoretical and practical perspective.
- Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
- Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
- Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
- Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
- Managing the different theoretical contributions about actors and actor's networks, as well as the characteristics of collective action.
- Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
- Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
- Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
- Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
- Working autonomously.
- Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
- Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
Content
Theoretical Sessions
- T1_Introduction: How Do We Study Behavior?
- T2_Columbia School
- T3_Michigan School
- T4_Spatial Models and Economic Voting
- T5_Electoral Participation
- T6_Non-Electoral Participation
- T7_Issue Voting and Policy Support
- T8_Socialization, Knowledge, and Motivated Reasoning
- T9_Attitudes: Trust and Satisfaction with Democracy
- T10_Political Parties and Party Formation
- T11_Campaign and Electoral Strategy
- T12_Second-Order Elections
- T13_Emotions
- T14_Ideological and Affective Polarization
- T15_Climate Change
- T16_Political Geography
In parallel, the practical sessions of the course, which will serve to complement the aspects covered in the theoretical classes, will address the following topics:
Seminars
- S1_Does happiness explain voting?
- S2_Polarization in social networks
- S3_Does the left participate more?
Practices
- P1_Surveys
- P2_Electoral indicators
- P3_Climate change
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures and presentations | 36 | 1.44 | 4, 6, 12, 14, 18, 19, 20, 22 |
| Practical sessions and seminars | 19 | 0.76 | 4, 13, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Evaluation | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 16, 19, 20, 23 |
| Tutorials | 15 | 0.6 | 4, 11, 12, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Compulsory readings and readings related to the practical sessions | 30 | 1.2 | 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 23 |
| Study of the theory presented in class | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 4, 11, 12, 14, 16, 20, 22, 23 |
| Writing of practical exercices | 15 | 0.6 | 16, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 |
The in-person sessions require prior reading of the materials that will be indicated at the beginning of the course.
There are three types of in-person sessions:
- Theoretical lectures where the teacher presents the theoretical content in interaction with the students
- Seminar sessions where an exercise applying the knowledge acquired through the analysis of the readings is worked on
- Practical sessions where an exercise applying the knowledge acquired through data analysis is worked on
During autonomous activities, students will have to prepare the materials corresponding to each session, complete the assignments to be evaluated, and prepare the content for the exam.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final exam | 50% | 3 | 0.12 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21 |
| Lab exercises | 30% | 0 | 0 | 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 |
| Seminars | 20% | 0 | 0 | 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25 |
The final grade for the course will be an average of the following components:
- Final exam (50%)
- Multiple choice exam (30%)
- Question to develop (20%)
- Practices (30%)
- Seminars (20%)
- Tests at the begining of the class (10%)
- Documents to hand-in (10%)
According to article 117.2 of the UAB Academic Regulations, the assessment for repeating students may consist of a single synthesis test. Repeating students who wish to opt for this possibility must contact the teaching staff at the beginning of the course.
To pass the course, a minimum overall grade of 5 is required, with at least a 4 on the multiple-choice test and a minimum of 3.5 on the essay.
Compensatory assessment
The student will be entitled to a compensatory assessment provided that the following conditions are met:
- They have taken the final exam. Therefore, if they did not attend the final exam, they cannot attend the resit.
- They have failed the final exam but scored at least a 3 on the multiple-choice part.
- The grades for the practicals and the essay do not invalidate attending the resit.
What needs to be retaken?
The retaken exam will have three parts corresponding to the three main evaluative blocks in the final grade:
- Practicals
- Multiple-choice test
- Essay
For those who have failed the course, they must retake the practicals and the multiple-choice test if it is <4 and the essay if it is <3.5.
A failed student can choose to retake any part they wish to improve their grade, even those parts that are already passed. In any case, everything that is resat will be added to the new grade, even if the student obtains a lower grade in the resit.
Single assessment
Only those who have obtained the corresponding permission from Academic Management at the beginning of the course may follow the single assessment.
The single assessment exam will consist of the following sections, with their corresponding weight in the final grade:
- Multiple-choice test: 40%
- Essay question: 30%
- Practicals exam: 30%
Bibliography
The following bibliography is recommended for consultation in the course. Specific mandatory and voluntary readings will be specified at the beginning of the course:
- Anduiza Perea, E., & Bosch, A. (2004). Comportamiento político y electoral. Barcelona: Ariel.
- Arzheimer, K., Evans, J., & Lewis-Beck, M. (2017). The Sage Handbook of Electoral Behaviour. London: Sage.
- Astudillo, J., & Rodon, T. (2013). “El comportamiento electoral del votante en la mediana y las «paradojas» de la competición política española / The Electoral Behaviour of the Median Voter and the ‘Paradoxes’ of Spanish Political Competition”. Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, 144: 3-21. https://doi.org/10.5477/cis/reis.144.3
- Blais, A., & Anduiza, E. (2013). “Voter Turnout”. In R. Valelly (Ed.), Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756223-006
- Bosh, Agustí. (2020). The Spanish Electoral System, in “The Oxford Handbook of Spanish Politics” (eds. Diego Muro & Ignacio Lago), London: Oxford University Press, pàgines 389-409.
- Carmines, E. G., & Stimson, J. A. (1980). “The Two Faces of Issue Voting”. The American Political Science Review, 74 (1): 78-91.
- Converse, P. E. (1964). “The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics”. Critical Review, 18(1): 1-74.
- Dalton, R. J. (2014 o posterior). Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. Los Angeles: Sage CQ Press.
- Dalton, R. J., & Klingemann, H.-D. (2007). Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Downs, A. (1992). “Una teoría económica de la democracia”. En Diez textos básicos de ciencia política. Ariel.
- Equipo Piedras de Papel. (2015). Aragón es nuestro Ohio: así votan los españoles. Barcelona: Malpaso. Capítols 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 i 10.
- Fernbach, P. M., Rogers, T., Fox, C. R., & Sloman, S. A. (2013). “Political Extremism Is Supported by an Illusion of Understanding”. Psychological Science, 24(6): 939-946. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612464058
- Inglehart, R., & Welzel, C. (2005). Modernization, Cultural Change, and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Capítol 1 (en castellano, publicado por el CIS).
- Iyengar, S., Sood, G., & Lelkes, Y. (2012). “Affect, Not Ideology”. Public Opinion Quarterly, 76(3): 405-431.
- Klandermans, B., & van Stekelenburg, J. (2013). “The Social Psychology of Protest”. Current Sociology, 61(5-6): 886-905.
- Mintz, A., Valentino, N. A., & Wayne, C. (2021). Beyond Rationality: Behavioral Political Science in the 21st Century. Cambridge University Press.
- Prior, M. (2018). Hooked. How Politics Captures People’s Interest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Capítol 1.
- Reif, K., Schmitt, H., & Norris, P. (1997). Second-order elections. European Journal of Political Research, 31: 109-124. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6765.1997.tb00768.x
- Rodon, T., & Guinjoan, M. (2018). “Mind the Protest Gap: The Role of Resources in the Face of Economic Hardship”. PS - Political Science and Politics, 51(1): 84-92.
- Rodon, Toni. (2022). Quan el teu veí és diferent. La relació entre la segregació i el capital social. Fundació Catalunya Europa. Pàgines 14-41.
- Rodon, Toni, & Guinjoan, Marc. (2023). Les actituds en relació amb el canvi climàtic a Espanya varien amb l’edat? Observatori social de la Fundació “la Caixa”.
- Sanders, D. (1995). Behavioral Analysis. In Theory and Methods inPolitical Science (pp. 23–41).
- Shively, W. P. (1979). “The Development of Party Identification among Adults: Exploration of a Functional Model”. The American Political Science Review, 73(4): 1039-1054.
- Theocharis, Y., & Van Deth, J. W. (2018). “The Continuous Expansion of Citizen Participation: A New Taxonomy”. European Political Science Review, 10(1): 139-163.
- Torcal, M., Rodon, T., & Hierro, M. J. (2016). “Word on the Street: The Persistence of Leftist-dominated Protest in Europe”. West European Politics, 39: 326-350.
- Trujillo, M., & Gómez, B. (2016). Urnas vacías en los suburbios de las ciudades. Barcelona: Observatorio Social La Caixa.
- Urban, Tim. (2023). What’s Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies. Wait But Why. Chapter 1: The Laddery.
- Viilup, Elina. (2017). L’amenaça populista: una ombra inquietant a la paret o un monstre real? Revista Eines, 29: 28-37.
- Vries, C. E. D., Hobolt, S. B., Proksch, S.-O., & Slapin, J. B. (2021). Foundations of European Politics: A Comparative Approach. Oxford University Press.
- Westwood, S. J., Iyengar, S., Malhotra, N., Lelkes, Y., & Levendusky, M. (2018). The Origins and Consequences of Affective Polarization in the United States. Annual Review of Political Science, 22(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-051117-073034
Software
Throughout the course, the following software will be used:
- R
- Microsoft Excel
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM) Seminars | 51 | Catalan | second semester | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 51 | Catalan | second semester | afternoon |