ps 30: political inquiry spring 2008 peter h. smith social science 364 office hours: m 2-4 e-mail:...

PS 30: POLITICAL INQUIRY

Spring 2008Peter H. Smith

Social Science 364Office hours: M 2-4

E-mail: phsmith@dss.ucsd.edu

WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?

1. Purpose of Course

2. Organization of Course

3. Everyday Relevance

BASIC GOALS (I)

•Introduction to logic of empirical research in political science

•As revealed through quantitative methods

•With emphasis on practical applications

•And research projects by students.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

• Philip H. Pollock III, The Essentials of Political Analysis, 2nd edition

• Philip H. Pollock III, An SPSS Companion to Political Analysis, 2nd edition

• A Course Reader.

RESEARCH PROJECT

• Principal focus of discussion sections

• Use of data in SPSS Companion

• Practical illustration of statistical methods

• Due at last section meeting (4-6 pages + tables and/or graphs).

SPSS: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (Student Version)

•Available for purchase in UCSD Bookstore (~ $200!)

•Available for use in UCSD student computer lab (Solis 105) and elsewhere on campus

GRADING

• 10% for participation in discussion sections,

• 30% for homework assignments,

• 25% for research project, and

• 35% for final exam

COURSE WEB PAGEAddress:

http://weber.ucsd.edu/~phsmith/teaching.htm

Contents:

•Course Syllabus•Lecture Outlines (all 19 available now!)•Study Guides•Information and Announcements

DISCUSSION SECTIONS

• Total of six sections

• W-Th-F

• Openings: Th 1:00-1:50, F 11:00-11:50

• Third and fourth meetings: Solis 105

TAs/POLI 30

• Sarah Knoesen sknoesen@gmail.com

• Paula Jacobson pjacobson@ucsd.edu

• Brad LeVeck bleveck@ucsd.edu

COURSE READER

• Political Cycles in Latin America

• Settlements of Civil Wars

• Ideology and Voting on U.S. Supreme Court

• Economic Development and Political Democracy

• Mass Support for Democracy

• Governmental Performance and Political Regimes

BASIC GOALS OF COURSE (II)•Intellectual sadism

•Literacy in the field of political science

•Exposure to original research

•View of statistics as a way to summarize vast amounts of information

•And again, the logic of research:

How do we know what we know?How can we measure political phenomena?How can we ascertain patterns of political

behavior?

ON THE UBIQUITY OF MEASUREMENT: EVERYDAY

PROPOSITIONS1. Al Qaeda presented a bigger threat to the United States than

did Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

2. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a better governor than Gray Davis.

3. Vicente Fox raised the hopes of the Mexican people.

4. John McCain has more experience in the national security area than either of his Democratic opponents.