Sozial­wissenschaften – Bachelor

One can hardly imagine elections that are not preceded by campaigns. Citizens cast their votes after they have been exposed to campaigns. This does not imply that campaigns affect voting behavior, let alone specific mechanisms. In this seminar we will study the role campaigns play in affecting voting behavior. Building on different theoretical frameworks, we will analyze campaigns effects on political opinion formation, electoral turnout, and vote choice.

In this seminar we will take a close look at representation in parliaments of democratic countries. Parliaments are the key arena for representation and legislation in democracies and are thus of high interest to political scientists.

In the first part of the seminar, we will learn prominent theories about how political representation works and what incentives politicians have to (not) represent the interests of their voters. In the second part we will take a closer look at the representation of different underrepresented groups (e.g. women, migrants, LGBTQ+, youth) and how their members behave (different) in parliament. In the third part, we will learn about factors that potentially hinder representation, like lobbying and outside earnings. Additionally, we will have 2 sessions in which you will receive hand-on advice on how to write a great term paper. Finally, we will have a small student conference where you can present your ideas for your term paper and get feedback from your peers.

During the semester you are expected to participate actively during the seminar and complete a few small assignments. Your final grade will be determined by a term paper consisting of 3000-4000 words in which you develop your own research questions, theory and a hypothetical research design.

• Students should prepare a research question related to the topic of the course they would like to answer
• Ability to write a literature review related to their research question

• Firstly, knowledge of the basic literature in international relations and comparative politics (lectures in BA);
•  Secondly, methodological knowledge of research design and statistics (respective courses in political science or other disciplines);
•  Thirdly, high interest in cutting-edge political science research (published in international leading scholarly journals)

• Ability to understand and select political science studies on European integration and the European Union;
• Excellent knowledge of the state of research on the main approaches to European integration and the European Union;
• Scientific understanding of the functioning of the integration steps and the political system of the European Union;
• Theoretical and methodological knowledge for the study of European integration and the European Union.
•  Applying skills and knowledge to related or future problems of European integration and the European Union.

Hinweis:
Tutorien begleitend zur Vorlesung: Näheres wird in der Veranstaltung bekannt gegeben.
Siehehttp://www.psychologie.uni-mannheim.de/cip/tut/qm/qm2.htm

Alle studentischen Teilnehmenden erhalten zum Vorlesungs­beginn eine Mail mit organisatorischen Details. (Anmerkung für Gasthörer: Leider kann aus technischen Gründen keine Mail verschickt werden. Kennung und Passwort entsprechen denen von QM I im letzten Herbstsemester. Bei Problemen melden Sie sich bitte per Mail beim Dozierenden.)

In this course, we will investigate memory for truth and falsity, with a particular focus on forgetting, inhibitory processes and negation. 

The course participants will be divided into two small groups, each responsible for one study. Within each group, we will collaboratively develop the research question and select the appropriate experimental design. Following data collection and analysis, each group will present our findings in the form of a poster at the final event.

The relevant literature, research question, experimental plan, and results will also be summarized in an experimental report, which will be written in English by each participant