The central aim of the subject course is to familiarize students with the tools and mechanisms of applied political analysis, from the approach to the problem to drawing up a report with diagnosis or proposals.

SKILLS

The curriculum of the degree in Politics and Public Administration includes as basic skills the ability to compile and interpret relevant data, as well as students being able to apply their knowledge in a professional way and possessing the skills usually demonstrated in drawing up and defending arguments and solving problems in their area of study.

1. General skills

These include, among others, the following general skills:

C1. Understanding the meaning and relevance of methodological concepts, theories and approaches to observing phenomena in the political environment.

C2. Identifying the political actors in a particular context, their abilities and their behaviour, in order to analyse their effects on the political system and foresee scenarios.

C3. Becoming familiar with electoral processes, from the formation and expression of political preferences to the representative logic of democratic systems, in order to design political communication campaigns, define post-electoral scenarios or interpret their results.

C4. Prepare indicators to work with quantitative and qualitative data, to identify, analyse and assess different dimensions of political phenomena and the operation of institutions and administrations.

C5. Produce a brief piece of research work, the purpose of which is for the student to understand the process of drawing up political research, and as preparation for working on the final degree project in the last year.

2. Specific skills

To acquire the above general skills, this subject course concentrates on developing the following specific skills:

C1. Understanding the patterns of change and continuity in electoral trends, paying particular attention

to the Basque And Spanish cases (synchronic and diachronic, spatial and temporal electoral analysis,

and by types of election).

C2. Drawing up and applying analytical indices to study election results.

C3. Assessing the impact of political preferences on party structure and their effects on electoral

systems.

C4. Understanding the possibilities of surveys for political analysis and learning to read data from them

strategically in order to predict results and advise political actors in their decision-making.

C5. Understanding the state and dynamics of electoral competition in order to define strategies and help

to design communication campaigns and strategies.

C6. Having the ability to conduct post-electoral analyses with real data obtained from databases

available on the net, both at macro (aggregate data) and micro (survey) level.

CONTEXTUALISATION

The curriculum structure of this subject course means it does the following:

1. It forms part of the topic block on Political Analysis, aimed specifically at developing the skills

required for the professional profile of political consultants and advisors, for strategic analysis and for

foreseeing scenarios;

2. It relies on the content of the 2nd-year subject courses in Political Representation and Parties

and Political Behaviour, as well as instrumental subject courses;

3. Due to its applied orientation it is a fundamental point of reference for the subject courses that

make up the topic block on Political analysis in the 3rd and 4th years.

SUBJECT MATTER

Module 1. Elections in the Basque Country and Spain.

- Electoral data.

- Types of elections: higher and lower-level elections.

- Diachronic analysis of elections: periodisation.

- Effects of the electoral system: representation and governability.

Module 2. Types of political/electoral studies.

- Qualitative and quantitative.

- Aggregate and sample-based.

- Political and electoral surveys.

- Estimates of electoral behaviour and vote projection.

Module 3. Patterns of electoral behaviour and the structure of competition.

- Mobilisation.

- Competitiveness.

- Polarisation.

- Fragmentation.

- Volatility.

- Changes in the conditions of party competition.

Module 4. Turnout in elections.

- Levels and factors in turnout.

- Studying abstention.

Module 5. The social basis of electoral behaviour.

- Cleavages and segmentation.

- The weakening of traditional cleavages or the appearance of new cleavages. 5.3. The sociological profile of electorates.

Module 6. Political factors in the vote.

- Parties, leaders and political context.

- The rational voter: strategic voting and economic voting.

- Individual reasons for voting.

TAUGHT CLASSES

The basic systematic, conceptual and methodological contents of the programme are explained, with the aim of making it easier for students to understand them and to seek out further information. They are obligatory and are participative and dynamic in nature. Students' active participation will be taken into account in their assessment.



PRACTICAL CLASSES

Within normal teaching hours, these set out to work on practical and methodological aspects of the subject matter, by using relevant materials, readings or case studies. They should result in short pieces of written work and presentations, which may be individual or in small groups. They are necessarily participative and essential to assessment. They are of two kinds: a) those that form part of the taught classes; and b) those in the practical classes as such. In the latter case, they take the form of small exercises and analysis of data, either individually or in small groups, according to the specific guidelines given by the teacher. The main aim is to approach the concepts learnt in theoretical classes in a practical way, by analysing real electoral data and surveys, both pre- and post-electoral. In addition, in IT practice students will learn a series of methodological tools that will serve both for these practical sessions and to face of the preparation of the final research work.

• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 30
  • Multiple-Choice Test (%): 20
  • Oral defense (%): 20
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 10
  • Individual works (%): 20

This system of assessment will be the same both for the ordinary session and for the extraordinary one.



MIXED ASSESSMENT (criteria explained below).



Assessment of the personal work, knowledge and skills acquired by the student during the course results in a conventional numerical mark from 0 to 10 points, with 5 points being the minimum pass mark for the subject course, according to the following weighting.



a) Basic learning: up to 5 points

Assessment of the content of this block will be through a final examination and a final interview, both obligatory, covering: a) the conceptual and methodological part of the course, and b) the personal work done. Their combined weighting will be 50% of the final mark, and the former must be passed in order to pass the course.

The final written test will take into account the teacher's presentations in class and the compulsory texts. Passing the test is an essential requirement to go on to the oral test and pass the course. Its weighting in the final mark will be 30% (or 3 points).

The oral test is compulsory for those who meet the minimum requirements, it serves to improve their mark and its weighting in the final mark will be 20% (or 2 points).

Points will be given for: 1) appropriacy of the answer to the question set; 2) clarity, order and logic in the ideas and arguments presented; 3) theoretical appropriacy and conceptual accuracy in answers; 4) the ability to give examples in answers and extract practical consequences and relationships in the political context; 5) knowledge and mastery of the materials used on the course; 6) explanation of the practical tasks performed, both individually and in a group; 7) exposition of the main conclusions of these practical tasks.

b) Practical activities: up to 5 points

Remember these are of two kinds: a) those that form part of the taught classes; and b) those in the practical classes as such.

a) Those corresponding to taught classes or exercises in class (a) are worth 20% (or 2 points) of the final mark.

b) A final paper corresponding to the practical classes, in accordance with the specific guidelines given by the teacher. This final paper will be compulsory in nature and be worth 30% (or 3 points) of the final mark; at least 1.5 points must be scored to pass the course and go on to the oral examination.

Points will be given for: 1) the appropriacy and theoretical/practical accuracy of the answers in relation to the questions set; 2) the use of techniques and/or methods to solve the questions set; 3) the work on documentation and gathering information done by each student and/or group; 4) the clarity of the exposition, correct choice of arguments and coherence of written discourse.

Assessment of content in the extraordinary session will be through a final examination and a final interview, both obligatory, covering: a) the conceptual and methodological part of the course, and b) the personal work done.

ALVIRA, F. (2011, 2ª). La encuesta: una perspectiva general metodológica. Madrid, CIS.
ANDUIZA, E. & BOSCH, A., (2004). Comportamiento Político y Electoral. Barcelona, Ariel.
CRESPO, I. y RICO, G. (1999). “Las encuestas preelectorales: metodología y validez”, en Plural, vol. V, núm. 8, pp. 137-148.

Basic bibliography

ALMOND, G.A. y VERBA, S., (1970): La Cultura Cívica. Euramérica, Madrid.

FERNÁNDEZ SANTANA, J.O. (1994): Diseño y utilidad de las encuestas preelectorales, Servicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco, Bilbao.

INGLEHART, R. (1998): Modernización y Posmodernización. CIS, Madrid.

KATZ, Elihu y WARSHEL, Yael. eds. (2001): Election Studies: What¿s Their Use, Boulder, Colorado, Westview Press.

KLINGEMANN, H.D. y FUCHS, D. (eds.), (1995): Citizens and the State. Oxford Univ. Press

LAGO, I. (2005): El voto estratégico en las elecciones generales en España (1977- 2000). Efectos y mecanismos causales en la explicación del comportamiento electoral, CIS, Madrid.

OÑATE, P. y OCAÑA, F.A. (2000): Análisis de datos electorales, CIS, Madrid.

TAAGEPERA, R. & SHUGART, M.S., 1989. Seats and votes. The effects and determinants of electoral systems. New Haven: Yale Univ. Press.

In-depth bibliography

ANDUIZA, E., CRESPO, I. Y MÉNDEZ, M. (1999). Metodología de la Ciencia Política. Madrid, CIS.
BUDGE,I. y FARLIE, D.J. (1986). Pronósticos electorales. Madrid, Centro de Estudio Constitucionales.
CRESPO, I. (ed.), 2013. Partidos, medios y electores en procesos de cambio. Las elecciones generales españolas de 2011. Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch.
FERNÁNDEZ SANTANA, J.O. (1994). Diseño y utilidad de las encuestas preelectorales. Vitoria, Servicio de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco.
LLERA, F.J. (1985). Postfranquismo y fuerzas políticas en Euskadi. Sociología electoral del País Vasco. Bilbao, Ediciones UPV-EHU.
LLERA, F.J. (1994). Los vascos y la política. Bilbao, Ediciones UPV-EHU.
MIQUEL, J. (1992). “Un método para la producción de estimaciones finales de voto y distribución de escaños en sondeos de salida de urnas”, en Actas del V Seminario sobre Investigaciones Políticas. Madrid, AEDEMO, pp. 185-218.
PALLARÉS, F. (ed.), (2009). Elecciones, comportamiento político y gobierno en la España multinivel. Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch
RUIZ FUENTES, R. (1992). “Marcos muestrales, equilibrajes muestrales y estimaciones de voto en los sondeos preelectorales” en Actas del V Seminario sobre Investigaciones Políticas. Madrid, AEDEMO, pp. 219-245.
RUIZ OLABUENAGA, J.I. et al. (1998). Sociología Electoral Vasca. Bilbao, Ediciones UD.
SENDIN, F. (1991). “Asignación de indecisos en los sondeos electorales”, Actas del IV Seminario sobre Investigaciones Políticas. Madrid, AEDEMO, pp. 73-93.
VARELA, J., BRAÑA, T., GARCÍA CARREIRA, A. y Vázquez , X.G. (1998). “Estimación de la respuesta de los ‘no sabe/no contesta’ en los estudios d

Journals

Revista Española de Ciencia Política
Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas
Electoral Studies

Web addresses

http://www.euskadi.net/elecciones/indice_c.htm
http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es/