| ps372syllabus.pdf |
| jrm_testbank.pdf |
| finaltakehome.pdf |
PS 372 Syllabus
NOTE: This syllabus is subject to revision.
PS 372 – Fall 2009
Introduction to Political Analysis
Instructor: Jonathan Powell
Office: 1618 Patterson Office Tower
Email:jonathan.powell@uky.edu - include “PS 372” in subject line
Classroom: 340 Whitehall Classroom Building
Website: elearning.uky.edu (blackboard)
Meeting Time: MWF 12:00-12:50
Office Hours: Tuesday 10:00-11:00; Friday 1:00-2:00, or by appointment
Book
Johnson, Janet, H.T. Reynolds and Jason D. Mycoff. 2008. Political Science Research Methods 6th Edition. CQ Press: Washington, DC. (REQUIRED)
Michael LeRoy. Michael. Research Methods in Political Science: An Introduction Using Microcase ExploreIT, 7th Edition. Thompson-Wadsworth. (REQUIRED)
Students will also need to be familiar with retrieving scholarly materials through the library’s ejournals, jstor, and/or google scholar. I will make an effort to post all reading materials on blackboard but it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to acquire readings from academic journals.
Comments
PS 372 is a course that is designed to introduce students to the empirical study of political phenomena. This class will inevitably focus on the use of statistics. Students will be expected to comprehend the research process, including theory-building, construction of hypotheses, research design, conceptualization and operationalization of key terms, and inference. At the very least students should expect to be able to adequately critique and improve upon existent studies; ideally students will be able to construct a research design of their own.
Grade
Article Critiques &
Data Assignment 25%
Quizzes & Participation 25%
Midterm Exam 25%
Final Exam 25%
Final student grades will be assigned as follows: A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, and E=0-59.
Quizzes
There will be a number of unannounced and scheduled quizzes during the semester. Students are expected to have completing a reading by the date it is listed on the syllabus. For example, you should be finished with Chapter 1 of the main text by August 28.
Article Critiques
Students will complete three article critiques during the semester. Two of these critiques will be between two and three pages (double-spaced, 12-pt font). The third will involve leading a discussion on a critique we are doing in class. You will be expected to evaluate the merits and flaws of the article, how the work could be improved upon, and how the method could be used to answer other research questions. Following the first week, Fridays will often involve an in-class presentation and discussion of a scholarly article(s) or dataset by the instructor or students. Further details will be provided in class.
Data Assignments
These assignments will require the student to interpret statistical output, and/or critically evaluate a dataset that is used by scholars. Some assignments will require students to conduct their own statistical analysis using Microcase ExploreIt. I encourage students to work in groups and trade ideas when doing these assignments, but you must turn in a finished product that is your own. Students that turn in the same work as others will receive a ZERO for the assignment.
Attendance/Participation
The instructor will not regularly take attendance. That said, there will be a number of unannounced quizzes during the semester. Unexcused absences on quiz or exam days will result in a zero for the grade. Further, in-class discussions will be an important determinant of the participation grade.
Absences
The University of Kentucky considers an absence to be excused if it falls under one of the following: Serious illness of the student, a member of the student’s household, or a member of the student’s immediate family; death of a member of the student’s household or a member of the student’s immediate family; University sponsored trips; major religious holidays; “Any other circumstance which the instructor finds reasonable cause for nonattendance.”
In each of these cases the student must provide written documentation for the absence. Students are expected to provide documentation for their excused absence within one week. If documentation is not offered within a week of the absence, it will not be considered excused.
Cheating
Under no circumstances will cheating be tolerated. If a student is found to have cheated on an exam or quiz, they will receive a 0 for the assignment. If a student’s work is found to have been plagiarized, they will be punished to the fullest extent—which can include suspension or dismissal from the University. If you are unsure of what plagiarism is, or its penalties, I encourage you to consult the following:
http://www.uky.edu/Ombud/Plagiarism.pdf
http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/part2.html
Expectations
I expect students to act in a professional manner. Be courteous and respectful to your classmates. Turn off cell phones and pagers during each session, and ARRIVE ON TIME. Classroom interruptions will have a negative impact on participation grades. If a legitimate reason will causes you to arrive late, leave early, or to have a cell phone on while in class, let me know in advance.
Special Needs
If any student has a documented disability that requires academic accommodations,
please notify the instructor as early in the semester as possible. In order to receive
accommodations in this course, the student must provide the instructor with a Letter of Accommodationfrom the disability Resource Center (Room 2, Alumni Gym, 257-2754,jkarnes@email.uky.edu).
Tentative Schedule (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Week 1: Introduction
Aug 26: Introduction
Aug 28: JRM Chapter 1
Week 2: Political Science
Aug 31: JRM Chapter 2
Sept 2: APSA – No Class
Sept 4: No Class (Read JRM Chapter 3)
Week 3: Building Blocks
Sept 7: JRM Chapter 3
Sept 9: JRM Chapter 4
Week 4: Research Design
Sept 14: JRM Chapter 5
Sept 16: Iyengar, Peters, & Kinder. 1982. “Experimental Demonstrations of the Not -So-Minimal Consequences of Television News Programs.”
Week 5: Research Design, Literature Review
Sept 23: JRM Chapter 6
Week 6: Sampling Issues
Sept 28: JRM Chapter 7
Sept 30: Clark, David, and William Reed. 2003. “A Unified Model of War Onset and Outcome.” Journal of Politics 65(1): 69-91.
**LEROY CHAPTER 3 IS DUE on OCT 2
Week 7:
Oct 5: Mahoney, James, and Gary Goertz. 2004. “The Possibility Principle: Choosing Negative Cases in Comparative Research.” American Political Science Review 98(4):653-669.
Oct 9: MID-TERM EXAM (Take home portion is due Oct 14)
Week 8: Observation
Oct 12: No Class (Take-home exam is due by the start of class on Oct 14.)
Oct 14: JRM Chapter 8
**LEROY CHAPTER 6 IS DUE ON OCT 16
**LEROY CHAPTER 8 IS DUE ON OCT 23
Week 10: Survey Research
Oct 26: JRM Chapter 10
Oct 28: Henderson. “Keeping the Peace.” BJPS.
*QUIZ over Ch. 10, Henderson on Oct. 28
Week 11-12: Statistics
Nov 2: JRM Chapter 11 (to 393)
*QUIZ over JRM, previous material on Nov. 2
**DATASET REVIEW IS DUE NOV 6
Nov 9: JRM Chapter 11 (from page 393)
**1ST CRITIQUE IS DUE NOV 9
**LEROY CHAPTER 10 IS DUE ON NOV 13
Week 13-14: Bivariate Relationships, Multivariate Analysis
Nov 16: JRM Chapter 12
*Quiz over Chapter 12 on Nov 23
Nov 23: JRM Chapter 13
Nov 25: No Class
Nov 27: No Class
**LEROY CHAPTER 13 AND THE 2ND CRITIQUE ARE DUE ON DEC 4
Final Exam
10:30 Friday, December 18.
.
PS 372 – Fall 2009
Introduction to Political Analysis
Instructor: Jonathan Powell
Office: 1618 Patterson Office Tower
Email:jonathan.powell@uky.edu - include “PS 372” in subject line
Classroom: 340 Whitehall Classroom Building
Website: elearning.uky.edu (blackboard)
Meeting Time: MWF 12:00-12:50
Office Hours: Tuesday 10:00-11:00; Friday 1:00-2:00, or by appointment
Book
Johnson, Janet, H.T. Reynolds and Jason D. Mycoff. 2008. Political Science Research Methods 6th Edition. CQ Press: Washington, DC. (REQUIRED)
Michael LeRoy. Michael. Research Methods in Political Science: An Introduction Using Microcase ExploreIT, 7th Edition. Thompson-Wadsworth. (REQUIRED)
Students will also need to be familiar with retrieving scholarly materials through the library’s ejournals, jstor, and/or google scholar. I will make an effort to post all reading materials on blackboard but it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to acquire readings from academic journals.
Comments
PS 372 is a course that is designed to introduce students to the empirical study of political phenomena. This class will inevitably focus on the use of statistics. Students will be expected to comprehend the research process, including theory-building, construction of hypotheses, research design, conceptualization and operationalization of key terms, and inference. At the very least students should expect to be able to adequately critique and improve upon existent studies; ideally students will be able to construct a research design of their own.
Grade
Article Critiques &
Data Assignment 25%
Quizzes & Participation 25%
Midterm Exam 25%
Final Exam 25%
Final student grades will be assigned as follows: A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, and E=0-59.
Quizzes
There will be a number of unannounced and scheduled quizzes during the semester. Students are expected to have completing a reading by the date it is listed on the syllabus. For example, you should be finished with Chapter 1 of the main text by August 28.
Article Critiques
Students will complete three article critiques during the semester. Two of these critiques will be between two and three pages (double-spaced, 12-pt font). The third will involve leading a discussion on a critique we are doing in class. You will be expected to evaluate the merits and flaws of the article, how the work could be improved upon, and how the method could be used to answer other research questions. Following the first week, Fridays will often involve an in-class presentation and discussion of a scholarly article(s) or dataset by the instructor or students. Further details will be provided in class.
Data Assignments
These assignments will require the student to interpret statistical output, and/or critically evaluate a dataset that is used by scholars. Some assignments will require students to conduct their own statistical analysis using Microcase ExploreIt. I encourage students to work in groups and trade ideas when doing these assignments, but you must turn in a finished product that is your own. Students that turn in the same work as others will receive a ZERO for the assignment.
Attendance/Participation
The instructor will not regularly take attendance. That said, there will be a number of unannounced quizzes during the semester. Unexcused absences on quiz or exam days will result in a zero for the grade. Further, in-class discussions will be an important determinant of the participation grade.
Absences
The University of Kentucky considers an absence to be excused if it falls under one of the following: Serious illness of the student, a member of the student’s household, or a member of the student’s immediate family; death of a member of the student’s household or a member of the student’s immediate family; University sponsored trips; major religious holidays; “Any other circumstance which the instructor finds reasonable cause for nonattendance.”
In each of these cases the student must provide written documentation for the absence. Students are expected to provide documentation for their excused absence within one week. If documentation is not offered within a week of the absence, it will not be considered excused.
Cheating
Under no circumstances will cheating be tolerated. If a student is found to have cheated on an exam or quiz, they will receive a 0 for the assignment. If a student’s work is found to have been plagiarized, they will be punished to the fullest extent—which can include suspension or dismissal from the University. If you are unsure of what plagiarism is, or its penalties, I encourage you to consult the following:
http://www.uky.edu/Ombud/Plagiarism.pdf
http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/part2.html
Expectations
I expect students to act in a professional manner. Be courteous and respectful to your classmates. Turn off cell phones and pagers during each session, and ARRIVE ON TIME. Classroom interruptions will have a negative impact on participation grades. If a legitimate reason will causes you to arrive late, leave early, or to have a cell phone on while in class, let me know in advance.
Special Needs
If any student has a documented disability that requires academic accommodations,
please notify the instructor as early in the semester as possible. In order to receive
accommodations in this course, the student must provide the instructor with a Letter of Accommodationfrom the disability Resource Center (Room 2, Alumni Gym, 257-2754,jkarnes@email.uky.edu).
Tentative Schedule (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Week 1: Introduction
Aug 26: Introduction
Aug 28: JRM Chapter 1
Week 2: Political Science
Aug 31: JRM Chapter 2
Sept 2: APSA – No Class
Sept 4: No Class (Read JRM Chapter 3)
Week 3: Building Blocks
Sept 7: JRM Chapter 3
Sept 9: JRM Chapter 4
Week 4: Research Design
Sept 14: JRM Chapter 5
Sept 16: Iyengar, Peters, & Kinder. 1982. “Experimental Demonstrations of the Not -So-Minimal Consequences of Television News Programs.”
Week 5: Research Design, Literature Review
Sept 23: JRM Chapter 6
Week 6: Sampling Issues
Sept 28: JRM Chapter 7
Sept 30: Clark, David, and William Reed. 2003. “A Unified Model of War Onset and Outcome.” Journal of Politics 65(1): 69-91.
**LEROY CHAPTER 3 IS DUE on OCT 2
Week 7:
Oct 5: Mahoney, James, and Gary Goertz. 2004. “The Possibility Principle: Choosing Negative Cases in Comparative Research.” American Political Science Review 98(4):653-669.
Oct 9: MID-TERM EXAM (Take home portion is due Oct 14)
Week 8: Observation
Oct 12: No Class (Take-home exam is due by the start of class on Oct 14.)
Oct 14: JRM Chapter 8
**LEROY CHAPTER 6 IS DUE ON OCT 16
**LEROY CHAPTER 8 IS DUE ON OCT 23
Week 10: Survey Research
Oct 26: JRM Chapter 10
Oct 28: Henderson. “Keeping the Peace.” BJPS.
*QUIZ over Ch. 10, Henderson on Oct. 28
Week 11-12: Statistics
Nov 2: JRM Chapter 11 (to 393)
*QUIZ over JRM, previous material on Nov. 2
**DATASET REVIEW IS DUE NOV 6
Nov 9: JRM Chapter 11 (from page 393)
**1ST CRITIQUE IS DUE NOV 9
**LEROY CHAPTER 10 IS DUE ON NOV 13
Week 13-14: Bivariate Relationships, Multivariate Analysis
Nov 16: JRM Chapter 12
*Quiz over Chapter 12 on Nov 23
Nov 23: JRM Chapter 13
Nov 25: No Class
Nov 27: No Class
**LEROY CHAPTER 13 AND THE 2ND CRITIQUE ARE DUE ON DEC 4
Final Exam
10:30 Friday, December 18.
.