Rationale 

The aim of this course is to familiarise students with fundamental concepts concerning the nature, formation, and meaning of public opinion. The course will examine the role of public opinion in politics and its relationship with democracy. Students will get acquainted with the factors shaping and the processes that underpin attitude formation and will explore the methods of measuring and analysing public opinion. Other topics to be covered in this course include the dynamics of public opinion within a psychological context as well as the influence of personality and emotions on political opinions.  The course will conclude with the analysis of contemporary debates and political events trending in public opinion today.  

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course students shall be expected to:

(i)    Describe the nature and meaning of public opinion.
(ii)   Explain how people form opinions.
(iii)  Define the significance of public opinion in contemporary democracies. 
(iv)  Identify the factors shaping public attitudes and the processes that underpin this formation. 
(v)   Determine the methods for measuring public opinion. 
(vi)  Describe the essential characteristics of well-designed surveys, as well as the problems and difficulties associated with utilizing surveys to measure public opinion.
(vii) Explain the relationship of personality and emotions in the formation of political opinions. 
(viii) Analyse political debates about public opinion.