PS 30: POLITICAL INQUIRY
Spring 2008
Peter H. Smith
Social Science 364
Office 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
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10% for participation in discussion sections,
30% for homework assignments,
25% for research project, and
35% for final exam
COURSE WEB PAGE
Address:
http://weber.ucsd.edu/~phsmith/teaching.htm
Contents:
•Course Syllabus
•Lecture Outlines (all 19 available now!)
•Study Guides
•Information and Announcements
DISCUSSION SECTIONS
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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
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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
PROPOSITIONS
1. 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.