Universität Wien

210206 UE d2: Quantitative Methods and Party Research (2008W)

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 21 - Politikwissenschaft
Continuous assessment of course work

06.10.2008 12.00-13.30 EDVS-2, Hof 7, Uni Campus Altes AKH
13.10.2008 12.00-13.30 GEOZentrum, UZAII - Spittelau (U4, U6, Tram D) Althanstraße 14 Ebene 5, Spange C, Raum 2C502
20.10.2008 12.00-13.30 GEOZ
27.10.2008 12.00-13.30 EDVS-2
03.11.2008 12.00-13.30 GEOZ
10.11.2008 12.00-13.30 EDVS-2
17.11.2008 12.00-13.30 GEOZ
24.11.2008 12.00-13.30 GEOZ
01.12.2008 12.00-13.30 GEOZ
15.12.2008 12.00-13.30 GEOZ
12.01.2009 12.00-13.30 GEOZ
19.01.2009 12.00-13.30 GEOZ
26.01.2009 12.00-13.30 GEOZ

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 35 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes

Currently no class schedule is known.

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Growing research has been interested in the membership of the European Parliament (EP). As a result, each elected EP has been surveyed. Data observed at the level of the person or groups of persons (such as party groups in the EP or countries) enable political scientists to test theory-driven hypotheses about party politicians across countries and over time. Surveys and statistical analyses are therefore particularly useful tools for the exploring continuity/change in the orientations and behaviour of the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) over time; moreover, they facilitate researchers to conduct meaningful comparisons across parties and party groups.
In this context, we will introduce students to the EPRG MEP (Members of the EP) Survey which inquires about: Campaigns and Election (What were MEPs¿ experiences of the process by which they won election?), Major Policy Issues (What are MEPs¿ attitudes towards major socio-economic policy issues facing the European Union?), Norms of Behaviour (How do MEPs view the major factor shaping their voting and committee behaviour within the parliament?) and Representative Attitudes (How do MEPs view the role of the European Parliament as a representative institution, and how do they understand and carry out their own role as individual representatives?). We will investigate MEPs attitudes on these issues using quantitative concepts and measurements, covering: descriptive statistics, basic probability theory, inferences concerning means, correlation, and an introduction to regression analysis.

Assessment and permitted materials

Based on:
a) punctual fulfillment of assignments:
statistical problems and computer assignments requiring the use of statistical software (SPSS). Homework problems will be discussed in class.

and/or [depending on a)]

b) short paper: based on existing literature, the paper serves as a test of a hypothesis of the student¿s preference using the SPSS software and the available dataset (MEP Survey).

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Course Requirements
No background in Statistics is required. However, it should be noted that our lectures follow the curriculum of the general course in Quantitative Methods offered by Professor Dr. Kritzinger. Consequently, students are assumed to regularly attend that course as well.
Students are expected to be able to read, speak and write in English.
¿ Students are advised to inform themselves regarding the EP and MEPs by consulting the official websites of the European Parliament and of the Party Groups (see below: Course Materials).

Examination topics

Software: SPSS. The program is installed at the University¿s computers, so students can do the exercises at the Computer Labs. So, students do not need to purchase this program.
Data: David Farrell, Simon Hix, Mark Johnson and Roger Scully (2006) 'EPRG 2000 and 2006 MEP Surveys Dataset', http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EPRG/
More info on the European Parliament Research Group (EPRG) and the survey is available online at:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EPRG/survey.htm

Reading list

Course Materials

¿ Readings:

All readings will be made available on the Blackboard Vista.
The reading list includes recent relevant political science articles and working papers on MEPs; also, some of the articles are using the dataset we use in class.

Required Readings:

Scully, Roger (2001), National Parties and European Parliamentarians: Developing and Testing an Institutionalist Theory, EPRG Working Papers, Available online at:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EPRG/pdf/Working%20Paper%206.pdf

Scully, Roger and David M. Farrell (2003) MEPs as Representatives: Individual and Institutional Roles, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 41, No. 2: 269¿288.
An Abstract of this paper is available online at: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1468-5965.00422?journalCode=jcms

David Farell et al. (2006) A survey of MEPs in the 2004-09 European parliament, Paper presented to the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, August 31 ¿ September 3. Available online at:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EPRG/pdf/farrell_et_al_eprg_2006_MEP_survey.pdf

Selected chapters from:

Scully, Roger (2005) Becoming Europeans? Attitudes, Behaviour and Socialization in the European Parliament, Oxford University Press.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:38