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Political Behaviour

Code: 101075
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Political Science and Public Management OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Marc Guinjoan Cesena
Email :
marc.guinjoanc@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Beatriz Elias Valverde
Jaime Bordel Gil

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Students should have acquired basic concepts of Political Science and Research Methods. They must be able read English texts and work with spreadsheets.

Objectives

The course has three objectives:

- To know the basic elements that characterize political and electoral behaviour in democratic contexts

- To be able to use theories and variables that explain how citizens think and act in politics

- To know and be able to use the main methods and data available for the analysis of political behaviour

Learning outcomes

  1. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
  2. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  3. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  4. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  5. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  6. Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  7. Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  8. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  9. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  10. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  11. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  12. Working autonomously.
  13. Designing data collection techniques, coordinating the information processing and meticulously applying hypothesis verification methods.
  14. Managing the different theoretical contributions about actors and actor's networks, as well as the characteristics of collective action.
  15. Analysing the behaviour of the political actors, both individually and collectively (parties, interest groups, social movements, etc.).
  16. Identifying main actors of the political system, inspecting their interactions and assessing their behaviour in their environment and in the political system from a theoretical and practical perspective.
  17. Analysing the electoral processes, including campaigns, parties' electoral strategies, political scenarios and analysis and interpretation of electoral results.
  18. Explaining political, individual and collective attitudes and behaviours, as well as the education process and expression of political preferences.
  19. Identifying and distinguishing the functioning of the electoral processes.
  20. Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  21. Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  22. Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  23. Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  24. Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  25. Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.

Contents

Theoretical sessions


  • T1_Introduction: how do we study political behaviour?
  • T2_Columbia School
  • T3_Michigan School
  • T4_Spatial models
  • T5_Economic voting
  • T6_Electoral participation
  • T7_Non-electoral participation
  • T8_Political parties and party formation
  • T9_Electoral system
  • T10_Representation
  • T11_Second-order elections
  • T12_Public opinion and electoral behaviour
  • T13_Campaigns and electoral strategy
  • T14_Ideological and affective polarization


In parallel, there will be 5 reading sessions and 3 practical sessions designed to complement and apply the topics covered in the theoretical classes.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Writing of practical exercices 20 0.8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25
Study of the theory presented in class 50 2 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21
Compulsory readings and readings related to the practical sessions 20 0.8 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Practical sessions and seminars 20 0.8 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25
Lectures and presentations 29.5 1.18 5, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25
Evaluation 2 0.08 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12

There are three types of in-person sessions:

  1. Theoretical lectures where the teacher presents the theoretical content in interaction with the students
  2. Seminar sessions where an exercise applying the knowledge acquired through the analysis of the readings is worked on
  3. Practical sessions where an exercise applying the knowledge acquired through data analysis is worked on

The in-person sessions may require prior reading of the materials that will be indicated at the beginning of the course.

During autonomous activities, students will have to prepare the materials corresponding to each session, complete the assignments to be evaluated, and prepare the content for the exam.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Final exam 50% 2 0.08 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Seminars 25% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Attendance and participation 5% 0.5 0.02 3, 5, 9, 10, 11
Lab exercises 20% 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

The final grade for the course will be a weighted average of the following components:

  • Final exam (50%)
  • Multiple-choice test
  • Short questions and/or essay question
  • Practical sessions (20%)
  • Seminars (25%)
  • Attendance and participation (5%)

According to Article 117.2 of the UAB Academic Regulations, repeat students may be assessed through a single synthesis exam. Repeat students wishing to opt for this format must contact the teaching staff at the beginning of the course.

To pass the course, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Obtain a minimum overall grade of 5 for the course
  • Score at least a 4 on the final exam


Single assessment

Only students who have obtained official permission from Gestió Acadèmica at the beginning of the course may follow the single assessment procedure.

The single assessment exam will consist of the following sections, each with the corresponding weight in the final grade:

  • Multiple-choice test
  • Essay question
  • Practical exam: This part will be worth 30%


Resit exam

  • Students will be entitled to take the resit exam only if they have attended the regular final exam of the course.
  • The resit exam will serve solely to recover the grade for the final exam. It cannot be used to recover grades for practical sessions or seminars.
  • Grades from practicals and seminars do not prevent students from taking the resit exam, but each student is responsible for assessing their chances of passing the course based on those grades.
  • In the case of students under the Single Assessment scheme, the resit exam may be used to recover the theory and/or practical exam grade, depending on the results obtained in the original exam.


Evaluation through credit compensation

This consists of grade compensation between subjects within the same bachelor's degree programme. Students must request it from Academic Management, provided they meet the requirements established by the UAB.


"Not assessed" grade

Submitting any activity or attending any exam excludes the possibility of being graded as \"Not Assessed\" (\"No Presentado\").


Limited use of artificial intelligence

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks—such as bibliographic or information searches, text editing or translation, and assistance with R code for course practicals. Students must clearly identify which parts were generated using this technology and specify the tools employed.


Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity that goes beyond the provisions of this course guide (such as academic fraud, plagiarism, or the improper use of AI) and which could lead to a significant change in the grade, will result in a score of 0 for that activity. Furthermore, the teaching staff reserves the right to conduct oral interviews or an alternative test to verify the actual acquisition of knowledge and competencies, and thus the validity of the assessments completed by the students.

Bibliography

The following bibliography is recommended for consultation in the course. Specific mandatory and voluntary readings will be specified at the beginning of the course:

  • Anduiza Perea, E., & Bosch, A. (2004). Comportamiento político y electoral. Barcelona: Ariel.
  • Arzheimer, K., Evans, J., & Lewis-Beck, M. (2017). The Sage Handbook of Electoral Behaviour. London: Sage.
  • Astudillo, J., & Rodon, T. (2013). “El comportamiento electoral del votante en la mediana y las «paradojas» de la competición política española / The Electoral Behaviour of the Median Voter and the ‘Paradoxes’ of Spanish Political Competition”. Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, 144: 3-21. https://doi.org/10.5477/cis/reis.144.3
  • Blais, A., & Anduiza, E. (2013). “Voter Turnout”. In R. Valelly (Ed.), Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756223-006
  • Bosh, Agustí. (2020). The Spanish Electoral System, in “The Oxford Handbook of Spanish Politics” (eds. Diego Muro & Ignacio Lago), London: Oxford University Press, pàgines 389-409.
  • Carmines, E. G., & Stimson, J. A. (1980). “The Two Faces of Issue Voting”. The American Political Science Review, 74 (1): 78-91.
  • Converse, P. E. (1964). “The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics”. Critical Review, 18(1): 1-74.
  • Dalton, R. J. (2014 o posterior). Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. Los Angeles: Sage CQ Press.
  • Dalton, R. J., & Klingemann, H.-D. (2007). Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Downs, A. (1992). “Una teoría económica de la democracia”. En Diez textos básicos de ciencia política. Ariel.
  • Equipo Piedras de Papel. (2015). Aragón es nuestro Ohio: así votan los españoles. Barcelona: Malpaso. Capítols 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 i 10.
  • Fernbach, P. M., Rogers, T., Fox, C. R., & Sloman, S. A. (2013). “Political Extremism Is Supported by an Illusion of Understanding”. Psychological Science, 24(6): 939-946. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612464058
  • Inglehart, R., & Welzel, C. (2005). Modernization, Cultural Change, and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Capítol 1 (en castellano, publicado por el CIS).
  • Iyengar, S., Sood, G., & Lelkes, Y. (2012). “Affect, Not Ideology”. Public Opinion Quarterly, 76(3): 405-431.
  • Klandermans, B., & van Stekelenburg, J. (2013). “The Social Psychology of Protest”. Current Sociology, 61(5-6): 886-905.
  • Mintz, A., Valentino, N. A., & Wayne, C. (2021). Beyond Rationality: Behavioral Political Science in the 21st Century. Cambridge University Press.
  • Prior, M. (2018). Hooked. How Politics Captures People’s Interest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Capítol 1.
  • Reif, K., Schmitt, H., & Norris, P. (1997). Second-order elections. European Journal of Political Research, 31: 109-124. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6765.1997.tb00768.x
  • Rodon, T., & Guinjoan, M. (2018). “Mind the Protest Gap: The Role of Resources in the Face of Economic Hardship”. PS - Political Science and Politics, 51(1): 84-92.
  • Rodon, Toni. (2022). Quan el teu veí és diferent. La relació entre la segregació i el capital social. Fundació Catalunya Europa. Pàgines 14-41.
  • Rodon, Toni, & Guinjoan, Marc. (2023). Les actituds en relació amb el canvi climàtic a Espanya varien amb l’edat? Observatori social de la Fundació “la Caixa”.
  • Sanders, D. (1995). Behavioral Analysis. In Theory and Methods inPolitical Science (pp. 23–41).
  • Shively, W. P. (1979). “The Development of Party Identification among Adults: Exploration of a Functional Model”. The American Political Science Review, 73(4): 1039-1054.
  • Theocharis, Y., & Van Deth, J. W. (2018). “The Continuous Expansion of Citizen Participation: A New Taxonomy”. European Political Science Review, 10(1): 139-163.
  • Torcal, M., Rodon, T., & Hierro, M. J. (2016). “Word on the Street: The Persistence of Leftist-dominated Protest in Europe”. West European Politics, 39: 326-350.
  • Trujillo, M., & Gómez, B. (2016). Urnas vacías en los suburbios de las ciudades. Barcelona: Observatorio Social La Caixa.
  • Urban, Tim. (2023). What’s Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies. Wait But Why. Chapter 1: The Laddery.
  • Viilup, Elina. (2017). L’amenaça populista: una ombra inquietant a la paret o un monstre real? Revista Eines, 29: 28-37.
  • Vries, C. E. D., Hobolt, S. B., Proksch, S.-O., & Slapin, J. B. (2021). Foundations of European Politics: A Comparative Approach. Oxford University Press.
  • Westwood, S. J., Iyengar, S., Malhotra, N., Lelkes, Y., & Levendusky, M. (2018). The Origins and Consequences of Affective Polarization in the United States. Annual Review of Political Science, 22(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-051117-073034

Software

Throughout the course, the following software will be used:

  • R
  • Microsoft Excel

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 51 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 51 Catalan second semester afternoon