POL504 Political attitudes and public opinion

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2014
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Otto Eibl, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Lukáš Linek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Miloš Gregor, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Stanislav Balík, Ph.D.
Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Fri 3. 10. 9:45–15:00 U41, Fri 31. 10. 9:45–15:00 U41, Fri 21. 11. 9:45–15:00 U41, Fri 12. 12. 9:45–15:00 U41
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
At the end of the course the students are able to: 1) explain problems related to measurement of public opinion; 2) characterize the nature of public opinion, interpret concept of belief systems structure and explain formation of political attitudes; 3) critically evaluate specific concepts such as political sophistication, legitimacy, institutional trust, political culture etc.
Syllabus
  • I. BLOCK (3th October)
  • 1. Political Attitudes and Values: Concepts and Measurement. Social cognition.
  • 2. Attitudes and Non-attitudes. What is the public opinion?
  • 3. Political Attitudes Formation
  • II. BLOCK (31st October)
  • 4. Political culture
  • 5. Values structure/attitudes systems
  • 6. Political information
  • III. BLOCK (21th November)
  • 7. Attitudes towards political regiems, institutions and agents
  • 8. Norms of good citizenship and political tolerance
  • 9. Does public opinion influence politics?
  • IV. BLOCK (12th December)
  • 10. Discussion of student papers
  • 11. Discussion of student papers
  • 12. Discussion of student papers
Literature
  • Citizenship and involvement in European democracies : a comparative analysis. Edited by Jan van Deth - José Ramón Montero Gibert - Anders Westholm. New York: Routledge, 2007, xxiv, 476. ISBN 9780415412315. info
  • The Oxford handbook of political behavior. Edited by Russell J. Dalton - Hans-Dieter Klingemann. 1st pub. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007, xvi, 992. ISBN 9780199566013. info
  • ZALLER, John. The nature and origins of mass opinion. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992, xiii, 367. ISBN 9780521407861. info
Teaching methods
lectures, seminars, seminar discussion
Assessment methods
Position papers: Students have to submit three position papers that will discuss the literature for respective blocks of lectures and seminars. The paper should be two page long, single-spaced (approx. 1000 words) and has to be submitted to IS until 12 am two days before the lecture/seminar. Foreach position paper, students can get 10 points at maximum.
Final paper: Students have to submit paper in which they discuss (1) the conceptualization of the particular political attitude or value; and (2.) its measurement used in the acacdemic literature. Paper has to be submitted til the 7th December 2013. Students can get 20 points for the final paper at maximum.
Evaluation: A - 47–50 points, B - 43–46 points, C - 39–42 points, D - 35–38 points, E - 31–34 points, F - 30 points and less.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2014, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2014/POL504