Author: Santucci

Teaching public opinion with student-created data

I like to use student-generated data to illustrate course concepts. The core of the exercise in this case is a survey the students wrote, to which I added standard items on party identification and self-reported ideology.

The students’ 30 items covered many topics, some of which were very salient and others less so (which is good). I recall there being items on a TikTok ban, mask mandates, existence of climate change, trust in politicians/parties, and even attitudes toward the UK.

I plan to go back to these data as we move through the course. For now, the goals are to illustrate party identification, ideological self-identification, and revealed ideology; see to what extent these hang together; and just see what other things come to mind as we discuss the results.

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What is a “multi-party primary”?

There is some controversy over what to call the various “top-X”/“jungle primary” electoral systems now in vogue. The National Conference of State Legislatures now offers the term “multi-party primary” with the following definition:

A small but growing number of states hold a single primary in which all candidates, regardless of party, are listed on a single ballot. States vary in the number of candidates who advance out of this primary to the general election…

Elections for Nebraska’s unicameral, nonpartisan legislature closely mirror this process except ballots do not identify the candidates’ party.

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