Democracy and Social Science

Course Description

This course is designed as an introduction to the core concepts and methods of contemporary social science. The first part of the course will be spent on an introduction to the philosophy of science and the social scientific method. The second part of the course will be spent learning basic statistical concepts and how to apply those concepts to real data through homework exercises.

Course Assignments

Homework Exercises. 25 percent of your grade.

You will be given a series of assignments (mostly done on the computer) so that you can develop hands-on experience with statistical inference. Due dates will be announced in class.

Independent Research Project and Class Presentation. 25 percent of your grade.

The class will pick a subject of interest to the collective and a data set. Students will then be expected to perform their own social scientific investi_gation on that data set and report their results in a write-up akin to a lab report in a science class. Your paper should be well-written and approximately 5 double-spaced pages long. The “lab report” will be due March 3. All students will be expected to present their results to the class in a 5 minute presentation using at least one overhead transparency that reports the results of their analysis the last week of classes.

Classroom Participation and Attendance. 25 percent of your grade.

Attend class and participate in class discussions or you will get a bad grade.

Take Home Final Exam. 25 percent of your grade.

This document is not to be downloaded until you have three consecutive hours time to take the exam. It is open book and open not.

Class Texts

The following books are available for you to purchase at the Seminary Coop Bookstore:

- Allison, Multiple Regression: A Primer

- Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

- Popper, Popper Selections

Any other texts will be available through Regenstein Reserves or online.

Reading List (subject to change at the instructor’s discretion)

January 4. Organizational Session

Part I. Philosophy of Social Science.

January 6. Kuhn I.

Kuhn, Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chapters 1 to 8

January 11. Kuhn II.

Kuhn, Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chapters 9 to Postcript

January 13. Popper I.

Popper Selections. Chapters 3 through 5 and 9 through 11

January 18. Popper II.

Popper Selections. Chapters 12, 13, 23, 24 and 29.

January 20. Foundations of Social Science

Stigler, “The Average Man is 168 Years Old.” Statistics on the Table Ch. 2. (reserve)

Friedman (1953). “The Methodology of Positive Economics.” Essays in Positive Economics (1953) University of Chicago Press. (reserve)

January 22. Short Response Paper Due.

In 125 words or less make an argument for or against the feasibility of a social science. Rebut that argument. Respond to your rebuttal.

January 25. Class Debate. Is Social Science Possible?

Part II. Introduction to Statistical Inference.

January 27. Measures of Central Tendency

HyperStat Online—Chapter 2. Describing Univariate Data

http://davidmlane.com/hyperstat/index.html

Knoke and Borhrnstedt, Statistics for Social Data Analysis, chapter 2. Reserve. (Optional)

February 1. Hypothesis Tests.

HyperStat Online-Chapters 9 and 10.1-10.5

http://davidmlane.com/hyperstat/index.html

Knoke and Borhrnstedt, Statistics for Social Data Analysis, chapter 3. Reserve. (Optional)

February 3. Tables.

Knoke and Borhrnstedt, Statistics for Social Data Analysis, chapter 5. Reserve.

Campbell, et al. The American Voter (excerpts). Reserve

February 4. Homework # 1 Due.

February 8. Correlation.

HyperStat Online-Chapter 3

http://davidmlane.com/hyperstat/index.html

Knoke and Borhrnstedt, Statistics for Social Data Analysis, chapter 6. Reserve. (Optional)

Converse, “The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics” Reserve

February 10-15. Simple Regression

Allison. Chapter 5.

Reading TBA.

February 11. Homework # 2 Due.

February 17 - 24. Multiple Regression

Allison. Chapter 1-3.

Allison, chapters 6-8

Reading TBA. Possibly Aldrich, Why Parties? Chapters 2 and 4. Reserve

March 1. Catch-up and Review

March 3 and March 8. Student Presentations.

March 5. Homework # 4 Due.

March 18. Final Exam Due at 5pm in Grynaviski’s office.