POLS W3720x or y Scope & Methods 3 pts. Why do citizens vote? Do Get-Out-the-Vote campaigns work to increase turnout? Does campaign spending increase the likelihood of electoral success? How do electoral rules aff ect the political representation of the poor? What determines the success of ethnic insurgencies? Why do some civil wars last longer than others? Do international laws protect civilians during military conflict? 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. At the successful completion of the course, students will be well-prepared to conduct independent research, including senior honor theses.