Why do citizens vote? Do Get-Out-the-Vote campaigns work to increase turnout? Does campaign spending increase the likelihood of electoral success? Why don't Southern white working-class Americans vote for Democratic presidents? How do electoral rules affect the political representation of the poor? What are the consequences of immigration for social policy in the New Europe? Is economic development necessary for democratic governance? What determines the success of ethnic insurgencies? Why do some civil wars last longer than others? Do international laws protect civilians during military confict? Are public policies, like the abstinence-only education program or the New York City school vouchers program, effective? How we go about answering these questions-- and other important questions about politics and our world -- determines the quality of our answers.

This course is about evaluating the quality of answers to political and social science research questions, and introduces fundamental topics in research design, choice of method, and data analysis. Although the material introduces concepts that are relevant to both quantitative and qualitative research methods, this course emphasizes quantitative research and provides an introduction to basic statistical analysis (but should not be viewed as a substitute for statistical training). At the successful completion of the course, students will be well-prepared to conduct independent research, including senior honor theses.