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Prerequisite: POLI 172 This course is an examination of how citizens make electoral decisions, including the decision to participate in elections. The course compares models of voter behavior and probes the influence of such factors as party identification, opinions on issues, ideological orientations, and candidate evaluations; the social and economic context of voting is also examined, as is the importance of elections for policy-making and the functioning of the political system. In addition, the politics of candidate nominations is explored -- mass media coverage and opinion polling; the citizen's involvement in campaign politics; voter attitudes toward parties, candidates, and issues; and the interpretation of electoral outcomes. Offered periodically.