The core topics in the syllabus will typically include:

Weeks 1-5

Topic 1: Political Persuasion

Propaganda. Political effects of the internet and social media. Fake News and Fact Checking.

Topic 2: Populism

Definitions. Party Classifications. Historical Precedents and Recent Trends. Economic Origins; Short-Term, Medium-Term. Non-Economic Origins. Impacts of Populism

Topic 3: Climate Change Politics

Political economy of environmental policy and protection. Partisan perceptions of climate change.

Weeks 6-10

Topic 4: Election Turnout and Voting Preferences

Determinants of election turnout. Pivotal vs. expressive voting (including empirical strategies to estimate their shares). Voting to tell others. Impacts of election closeness on voter behavior. Turnout and persuasion effects of political advertisement.

Topic 5: Behavioral Political Economy

Political identity and ideology. Politically motivated reasoning. Behavioral effects shaping political behavior (including cognitive dissonance). Moral universalism and political outcomes. Social norms. Social learning vs. social utility. Political polarization, trust, and market outcomes.

Topic 6: Digital Platforms and Political Discourse

The role of digital platforms in shaping polarization trends. Hate crime and xenophobic attitudes. Censorship and self-censorship. Social sanctions and justifying dissent. Online toxicity and hate speech: drivers, consequences, and policy. Online networks (including the impact of homophily).