GOVT 3294
Last Updated
- Schedule of Classes - January 31, 2019 7:14PM EST
- Course Catalog - January 31, 2019 7:15PM EST
Classes
GOVT 3294
Course Description
Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2018-2019.
We are in an era of unprecedented access to information via digital news, the internet, and social media. This also comes with significant misinformation — for example, in 2016, Oxford Dictionaries named 'post-truth' as its word of the year. Yet how prevalent is fake news, and how has this shaped modern politics? To what extent do "echo chambers" or the "backfire effect" exist as a result of social media, and are they interfering with our ability to separate fact from fiction? The course will first define the challenges faced, using examples of how misinformation affected elections both historically and recently in the US, the UK, and Europe. It will survey academic studies in political behavior that analyze both how individuals consume political information from social media, and how partisanship and polarization are making the problem worse. The course will conclude by discussing the nascent policy solutions to combat the spread of fake news — from Facebook's crowdsourcing initiatives to France's proposed legislation regarding election campaigns. Through readings, discussions, and written assignments, students will learn how to better evaluate evidence when it comes to politics and policy.
When Offered Fall.
Distribution Category (KCM-AS)
Course Subfield (CP)
Regular Academic Session. Choose one lecture and one discussion.
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Credits and Grading Basis
4 Credits Graded(Letter grades only)
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Class Number & Section Details
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Meeting Pattern
- TR Goldwin Smith Hall 142
Instructors
Cirone, A
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Class Number & Section Details
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Meeting Pattern
- M McGraw Hall 145
Instructors
Staff
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Class Number & Section Details
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Meeting Pattern
- F McGraw Hall 145
Instructors
Staff
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