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POL36200

Academic Year 2026/2027

Democracy, Elections and Campaigns (POL36200)

Subject:
Politics
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Politics & Int Relations
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Joseph Lacey
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

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). The module is divided into four parts. First, we will get to grips with the central problematic of the project, which will involve reviewing key debates in normative democratic theory. Second, we will learn about the role of citizens in election campaigns, including their duties and whether they are able to carry these out in practice. Third, we will explore the mechanics of contemporary election campaigns and reflect upon the democratic trade-offs that may be at stake in different campaign strategies and communications. Finally, we will zoom in on the primary elite actors that animate election campaigns: candidates, campaign professionals and journalists. We will consider their roles and responsibilities in the campaign context, including the democratic trade-offs they may face in occupying these roles. Throughout the course, we will complement readings and class discussions with findings from the ELECT project to date, based on surveys and 253 elite interviews in Germany, Italy, the UK and the US. The course will also 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. They will also be given training in how to use the Facebook Ad Library.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module you will:
Enhance your knowledge of democratic theory and the normative issues that arise in the electoral context
Enhance your knowledge of the contemporary campaign environment, including the situated contexts of the main actors involved in the campaign
Learn about the integration of normative theory and empirical methods
Learn about attitudes and values research
Develop skills in the design of surveys
Learn about the research design of a major international research programme
Develop your oral and written skills through discussions, short papers and exams
Develop teamwork skills through group work exercises

Indicative Module Content:

Week 1 – Introduction

Part I: Democratic Theory and Election Campaigns

Week 2 – What’s at stake in democratic elections?


Week 3 – Election campaigns and adversarial ethics


Week 4 – Value conflicts and normative reasoning


Part II: Citizens and Democratic Elections

Week 5 – Citizens I: Electoral duties


Week 6 – Citizens II: Supporting democracy?


Part III: The Structure of Election Campaigns

Week 7 - Survey design and Facebook Ad Library

Week 8 – Political campaigning and political marketing

Week 9 – Data-driven campaigning

Part 4: Political Elites and Election Campaigns

Week 10 – Political Professionals

Week 11 – Election candidates

Week 12 – Political journalists

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Autonomous Student Learning

176
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
• Classes will begin with a lecture, which will vary in length depending on the topic and other planned activities
• Class discussions will be continuous and smaller group discussions will be arranged for relevant sessions, both of which will be geared towards mutual learning and the stimulation of new ideas and critical thinking
• Some sessions will include group work, including for the design of surveys
• There will be written work, including a final exam, designed to develop both substantive knowledge and critical thinking

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Meta Ads Assignment - 500-600 words Week 9 Graded No
10
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Survey Design and Justification - 1000-1200 words Week 11 Graded No
30
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Participation throughout the term Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
10
 No
Exam (In-person): Essay focused exam End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
50
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Written feedback provided on all written work through Brightspace

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2 Wed 15:00 - 16:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 15:00 - 16:50
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