POL36200 Dem., Elections and Campaigns

Academic Year 2024/2025

2024 is an historic year for elections, with over 70 taking place across the world. Election campaigns are presumed to be central moments in any democratic system. But what is their true democratic value? In light of new technological developments and the emergence of more polarised public politics, to what extent can contemporary election campaigns uphold and advance democratic values? This module seeks to address these questions within the context of the ELECT project, which is a five-year research programme funded by the European Research Council (2023-2028). It is being carried out by Joseph Lacey, Jan Fabian Dollbaum, Samuel Johnston, Leonardo Puleo – all of whom will be involved in the delivery of this module. The module is divided into four parts. First, we will get to grips with the central problematic of the project, which will involve reviewing important debates in normative democratic theory. Second, we will learn about the mechanics of contemporary election campaigns and reflect upon the democratic trade-offs that may be at stake in different campaign strategies and communications. Third, we will zoom in on the main actors that are the focus of ELECT: candidates, campaign professionals, journalists and citizens. We will consider their roles and responsibilities in the campaign context, including the democratic trade-offs they may face in occupying these roles. Finally, we will explore the various ways in which elite and mass surveys can be designed to tap into individual (un)democratic values. Course participants will be given a training in survey design and tasked with developing their own survey.