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Electoral Analysis

Code: 106742
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Political Science and Public Management OB 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Enrique Hernandez Perez
Email :
enrique.hernandez@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Enrique Prada Gonzalez
Laura Gutiérrez Zárate
Arnau Ballesteros Vilarasau

Group languages

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

Prerequisites

Students should have completed the compulsory subjects of Methodology of Political Analysis and Political Behavior.

Objectives

The aim of this course is to provide students with theoretical and practical tools to analyze the electoral processes and the various elements and actors involved: electoral systems, campaigns, candidates and voters.

This is a natural continuation of the course 'Political behavior' of the second year, which presents the current state of research in electoral behavior combined with a more applied aspect of analysis and electoral strategy.

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 contents

  1. Introduction and models of political behavior
  2. Polls and electoral prediction
  3. Electoral systems
  4. Dealignment
  5. Realignment and class voting
  6. Corruption
  7. Referendums
  8. Vote and democratic backsliding
  9. Extreme right
  10. Gender, age and political behavior
  11. Extreme right and gender
  12. Climate change
  13. Rural-urban cleavage


Data lab practices

  1. Electoral systems simulation
  2. R introduction
  3. Extreme right voting
  4. Rural-urban cleavage


Reading lab practices

  1. Corruption readings
  2. Referendum reading
  3. Vote and democratic backsliding readings
  4. Extreme right and gender


Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Supervision of the research paper with the professor (4 sessions of 20 minutes each) 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Preparation and writing of a research paper 0 0 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
In-class exercises 0 0 1, 3, 4, 6, 12, 13, 15, 18

Lab sessions will be divided in three different types of activities:

-  In group writing of a research paper. This includes 3 tutorials with the professor in order to assess the evolution of the research paper.

-  Tools and excercises for survey data analysis. 4 sessions of applied data analysis using R and excel

-  Discussion of readings. 4 sessions in which students are required to read a paper in order to critically discuss the paper in class.

Note: 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.

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 45 50 2 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21
Final essay 25 50 2 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
In-class exercises 30 50 2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

Continous assesment: 

Final exam(45%) 

Final paper (25%) * Divided between:

       -  Essay (20%)

       -  Attendance and evaluation of tutorials (5%) 

The esay must be handed in on the day of the exam. If you do not hand in the assignment you will not be allowed to take the exam.

In class-exercises (30%)

Divided between:

      -  3 data analaysis exercises (15%)

      -  Reading and discussion of 3 readings and submission of 3 discussion handouts (15%)

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Single (one-shot) assesment

 

Final exam (70%). Divided as follows:

 

  • Content of theoretical classes (40%)
  • Test on the articles covered in the reading seminars (15%)
  • Test on interpreting results of data analysis on electoral behavior (15%)

Final paper to be done individually  (30%).

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In all cases, to pass the course it is necessary to obtain at least a 5/10 in both the final exam and the final paper.

Students who do not sit the exam or do not submit the paper will receive a grade of “not assessable.”

Resit:

All students may take the resit exam and/or resubmit the paper on the day of the resit exam. In this case, the final grade for the course will be determined by this last exam or submission.

If the paper has not been submitted previously and is presented directly on the day of the resit exam, a penalty of -25% will be applied to the paper’sgrade.

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AI USE

Model 2 - Restricted use: “For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction or translations, understanding and improving R scripts, enhancing certain features of analyses in R (for example, graphical representation of results), as well as for proofreading and spelling and grammar correction. The student must clearly identify which parts were generated with this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. Failure to transparently disclose the use of AI in this graded activity will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in partial or total penalties on the activity’s grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.”

Bibliography

Essential

Arzheimer, K., Evans, J., Lewis-Beck, M.S., 2017. The SAGE handbook of electoral behaviour. SAGE. Anduiza, Eva y Bosch, Agustí. 2004 Comportamiento politico y electoral. Barcelona: Ariel

Dalton, Russell J. 2018. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. CQ Press.

Fraile, Marta, & Hernández, Enrique (2020). Determinants of voting behaviour. En D. Muro & I. Lago (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Spanish Politics. Oxford University Press. Complementaria

Riba, Clara. 2000. \"Voto Dual Y Abstención Diferencial. Un Estudio Sobre El Comportamiento Electoral En Cataluña.\" Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas 91: 59-88.

Rose-Ackerman, Susan. 2008. \"Corrupció política i reforma en sistemes democràtics: perspectives teòriques\". A Corruption and Clientelism, Junichi Kawata (Ed.), pp 61-81 Kyoto: Minerva Ltd.

Riera, Pedro. 2009. L'evolució Del Vot Dual a Catalunya. Institut de Ciències Polítiques i Socials, Working paper 278.

Verge, Tània. 2012. \"Les quotes: són necessàries\". Revista Interdisciplinar de Estudios de Género 2: 21-31. La bibliografia obligatòria per a seminaris i pràctiques es lliurarà a l'inici del curs.

Software

For the computer data analysis lab-sessions we will use the open-soruce software R and R Studio and 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 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 51 Spanish first semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Spanish first semester afternoon