"Sports, Politics, and Public Opinion" - Freshman Seminar
- James N Druckman
- Scott Hall 319 ExperimentalLab - We 9:00AM - 11:50AM
Overview of class
Sports and politics have become increasingly intertwined over the last forty years. Local, state, and federal governments as well as other governing bodies (e.g., International Olympic Committee, NCAA) regulate who can participate (e.g., eligibility, equality) and what standards players must meet (e.g., drug testing, academic performance). These organizations also oversee economic (e.g., stadium) and symbolic (e.g., mascots) issues. Ideally, governing policies would be responsive to the wishes of their constituents (e.g. players, owners, voters). But are they? How would we know? How do we gauge their opinions? These are the questions we will address in this class. This involves learning the science of public opinion polling and then applying this knowledge to study opinions about public policies relevant to sports. Students will complete and present their own research study and participate in a class project, both aimed at measuring opinions about sport policies.Teaching Method
Discussion, including students leading the class.Evaluation Method
Individual research assignment, class project, and participation.Class Materials (Required)
Moore, David S. 2001. Statistics: Concepts and Controversies.
The Voter's Guide to Election Polls, by Michael W. Traugott and Paul J. Lavrakas, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., 2008.
Davies, Richard O. Sports in American Life: A History. Blackwell Publishing. 2007. (tentative)
Many articles.Class Notes
Individual paper of roughly 30 pages.Class Attributes
No P/N option for this sectionEnrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Freshmen and Sophomores
Add Consent: Department Consent Required
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required
Instructors
Meeting Info
Current as of 06/14/13 11:37:58 PM