PSIR 554 | Course Introduction and Application Information - Political Science and International Relations (With Thesis)

Course Name

Public Opinion

Code	Semester	Theory (hour/week)	Application/Lab (hour/week)	Local Credits	ECTS
PSIR 554	Fall/Spring	3	0	3	7.5

Prerequisites	None
Course Language	English
Course Type	Elective
Course Level	Second Cycle
Mode of Delivery	-
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course	-
National Occupation Classification	-
Course Coordinator	-
Course Lecturer(s)	Prof. Dr. Çiğdem KENTMEN ÇİN
Assistant(s)	-

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is to examines the nature of public opinion across countries. The class will focus on the conceptualization, measurement and formation of public attitudes. Students will discuss the strucutre and dynamics of voting behavior, party preferences and public support for various issues including wars, foreign policy and the EU.

Learning Outcomes

The students who succeeded in this course;

Students will be able to will be able to understand how to design surveys and how to interpret their results.
They will be able to evaluate how people form opinions.
Students will be able to will be able to understand how citizens influence government policies.
Students will be able analyze who support Turkey’s EU membership.
Students will be able to discuss whether European public has favorable attitudes towards Turkey’s EU candidacy.

Course Description

Students discuss the structure and dynamics of public opinion around the world.

Course Category	Core Courses
	Major Area Courses	X
	Supportive Courses
	Media and Management Skills Courses
	Transferable Skill Courses

Week	Subjects	Related Preparation	Learning Outcome
1	Introduction
2	Does Public Opinion Matter?	Gilens, M. 2005. “Inequality and Democratic Responsiveness.” Public Opinion Quarterly 69(5): 778-96. Jacobs, L. R., and Shapiro, R. 2000.
3	Measuring Public Opinion with Surveys	Straits ve Singleton, Jr. (2011) Social research: approaches and fundamentals, chp.8 Smith, Tom W. and Frederick D. Weil (1990) Finding public opinion data: A guide to sources. Public Opinion Quarterly 54(4): 609-626.
4	Economic Self-Interest	Citrin, J., and Green, D.. 1990. “The Self-Interest Motive in American Public Opinion.” Research in Micropolitics 3: 1-28.
5	Group Identities	Conover, PJ. 1984. “The Inuence of Group Identi_cations on Political Perception and Evaluation.” Journal of Politics, 46(3):760-785, 1984. Kramer, R.M. and Brewer, M.B. 1984. “Effects of Group Identity on Resource Use in a Simulated Commons Dilemma.” J Pers Soc Psychol, 46(5):1044-57, 1984. Brady, H.E. and Sniderman, P.M. 1985. “Attitude Attribution: A Group Basis for Political Reasoning.” American Political Science Review, 79(4):1061-78.
6	The Media	Iyengar, S., Peters, M.D. and Kinder, D.R. 1982. “Experimental Demonstrations of the \Not-So-Minimal" Consequences of Television News Programs.” American Political Science Review, 76(4):848-858. Bartels, L.M. 1993. Messages Received: The Political Impact of Media Exposure.” American Political Science Review, 87(2):267-285. Nelson, T.E., Clawson, R. A., and Oxley, Z.M. 1997. “Media Framing of a Civil Liberties Conict and Its Effect on Tolerance.” American Political Science Review, 91:567-584.
7	Public Opinion and Foreign Affairs	Peffley, M., and Hurwitz, J. 1992. “International Events and Foreign Policy Beliefs: Public Responses to Changing Soviet-U.S. Relations.” American Journal of Political Science 36 (2): 431-461.
8	Midterm
9	Partisanship, Voter Turnout and Vote choice	Kalaycıoğlu, E. 1999."The Shaping of Party Preferences in Turkey: Coping with the Post-Cold War Era" New Perspectives on Turkey, 20: 47-76. Çarkoğlu, A. 2008. "Ideology or Economic Pragmatism?: Profiling Turkish Voters in 2007," Turkish Studies, 9(2): 317 -344.
10	Turkish public attitudes toward the EU	Kentmen, Ç. 2008. “Determinants of Support for EU Membership in Turkey: Islamic Attachments, Utilitarian Considerations and National Identity.” European Union Politics 9(4): 487 - 510. de Vreese, C. H., Boomgaarden, H. G. And Semetko, H. A. 2008. “Hard and Soft: Public Support for Turkish Membership in the EU.” European Union Politics, 9(4): 511-530.
11	European attitudes toward Turkey’s EU Membership	de Vreese, C. H. and Boomgaarden, H. G. 2006. Media Effects on Public Opinion about the Enlargement of the European Union. Journal of Common Market Studies. 44(2): 409-436.
12	Public Opinion and Democratic Values	Norris, P. (1999) ‘Introduction: The growth of critical citizens?’ In: P. Norris (ed) Critical Citizens: Global Support for Democratic Governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 1-28.
13	Public opinion and war	Hurwitz, J., Peffley, M. and Seligson, M. 1993. “Foreign Policy Belief Systems in Comparative Perspective: The United States and Costa Rica.” International Studies Quarterly 37 (3): 245-270.
14	Review for the final
15	Final examination
16	Review of the Semester

Course Notes/Textbooks

All course readings are available at the University Library and as open sources.

Suggested Readings/Materials

Gilens, M. 2005. “Inequality and Democratic Responsiveness.” Public Opinion Quarterly 69(5): 778-96.

Jacobs, L. R., and Shapiro, R. 2000. Politicians Don’t Pander: Political Manipulation and the Loss of Democratic Responsiveness. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapter 8.

Asher, H. 2001. Polling and the Public: What Every Citizen Should Know. Washington DC: Congressional Quarterly Press. Chapters 3 and 8.

Citrin, J., and Green, D.. 1990. “The Self-Interest Motive in American Public Opinion.” Research in Micropolitics 3: 1-28.

Conover, PJ. 1984. “The Inuence of Group Identi_cations on Political Perception and Evaluation.” Journal of Politics, 46(3):760-785, 1984.

Kramer, R.M. and Brewer, M.B. 1984. “Effects of Group Identity on Resource Use in a Simulated Commons Dilemma.” J Pers Soc Psychol, 46(5):1044-57, 1984.

Brady, H.E. and Sniderman, P.M. 1985. “Attitude Attribution: A Group Basis for Political Reasoning.” American Political Science Review, 79(4):1061-78.

Iyengar, S., Peters, M.D. and Kinder, D.R. 1982. “Experimental Demonstrations of the Not-So-Minimal" Consequences of Television News Programs.” American Political Science Review, 76(4):848-858.

Bartels, L.M. 1993. Messages Received: The Political Impact of Media Exposure.” American Political Science Review, 87(2):267-285.

Nelson, T.E., Clawson, R. A., and Oxley, Z.M. 1997. “Media Framing of a Civil Liberties Conict and Its Effect on Tolerance.” American Political Science Review, 91:567-584.

Esmer, Y. 1995. "Parties and the Electorate: A Comparative Analysis of Voter Profiles of Turkish Political Parties," in Çiğdem Balim et. al. (eds.) Turkey: Political, Social and Economic Challenges in the 1990s. Leiden, New York, Köln: E. J. Brill. 5.

Kalaycıoğlu, E. 1999."The Shaping of Party Preferences in Turkey: Coping with the Post-Cold War Era" New Perspectives on Turkey, 20: 47-76.

Çarkoğlu, A. 2008. "Ideology or Economic Pragmatism?: Profiling Turkish Voters in 2007," Turkish Studies, 9(2): 317 -344.

Peffley, M., and Hurwitz, J. 1992. “International Events and Foreign Policy Beliefs: Public Responses to Changing Soviet-U.S. Relations.” American Journal of Political Science 36 (2): 431-461.

de Vreese, C. H. and Boomgaarden, H. G. 2006. Media Effects on Public Opinion about the Enlargement of the European Union. Journal of Common Market Studies. 44(2): 409-436.

Norris, P. (1999) ‘Introduction: The growth of critical citizens?’ In: P. Norris (ed) Critical Citizens: Global Support for Democratic Governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 1-28.

Hurwitz, J., Peffley, M. and Seligson, M. 1993. “Foreign Policy Belief Systems in Comparative Perspective: The United States and Costa Rica.” International Studies Quarterly 37 (3): 245-270.

Semester Activities	Number	Weigthing
Participation	1	20
Laboratory / Application
Field Work
Quizzes / Studio Critiques
Portfolio
Homework / Assignments	1	20
Presentation / Jury
Project
Seminar / Workshop
Oral Exams
Midterm	1	20
Final Exam	1	40
Total

Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade
Total

Semester Activities	Number	Duration (Hours)	Workload
Theoretical Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours)	16	3	48
Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: '.16.' x total hours)	16		0
Study Hours Out of Class	13	7	91
Field Work			0
Quizzes / Studio Critiques			0
Portfolio			0
Homework / Assignments	1	20	20
Presentation / Jury			0
Project			0
Seminar / Workshop			0
Oral Exam			0
Midterms	1	30	30
Final Exam	1	36	36
		Total	225

#	PC Sub	Program Competencies/Outcomes	* Contribution Level
#	PC Sub	Program Competencies/Outcomes	1	2	3	4	5
1	To be able to improve theoretical and conceptual proficiencies on Political Science and International Relations and use them competently.		-	-	-	-	-
2	To be able to evaluate critically the relationships between various factors in the field of Political Science and International Relations such as structures, actors, institutions and culture.		-	-	-	-	-
3	To be able to determine and question the theoretical and empirical gaps in Political Science and International Relations literature.		-	-	-	-	-
4	To be able to identify the political and cultural conditions that generate discrimination mechanisms based on race, ethnicity, gender and religion at national and international levels.		-	-	-	X	-
5	To be able to gather and analyze data by using scientific research methods.		-	-	-	-	X
6	To be able to analyze and evaluate the historical continuity and changes observed in the relations between the actors and institutions of national and international politics.		-	-	-	-	-
7	To be able to present individual research and contemporary developments in Political Science and International Relations in written, oral, and visual forms.		-	-	-	X	-
8	To be able to take responsibility in generating solutions to the problems that arise in relation to the politics in daily life.		-	-	-	-	-
9	To be able to determine the institutional and political instruments for conflict resolution in domestic and international politics.		-	X	-	-	-
10	To be able to prepare a thesis/term project about Political Science and International Relations based on scientific criteria.		-	-	-	-	-
11	To be able to follow new research and developments in Political Science and International Relations and participate the debates in academic meetings through a foreign language.		-	-	-	-	-
12	To be able to have ethical, social and scientific values in the stages throughout the processes of gathering, interpreting, disseminating and implementing data relevant to Political Science and International Relations.		-	-	-	-	-

PSIR 554 | Course Introduction and Application Information

WEEKLY SUBJECTS AND RELATED PREPARATION STUDIES

EVALUATION SYSTEM

ECTS / WORKLOAD TABLE

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS RELATIONSHIP

NEW GÜZELBAHÇE CAMPUS

GLOBAL CAREER

CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE

VALUING PEOPLE

BENEFIT TO SOCIETY