Digital Democracy – How Digitalization Shapes Democracy in the 21st Century
The rapid digitalization of the private and public sphere is not only fundamentally changing the way we interact, communicate or work but also affects politics and our democratic institutions. This course introduces students to research on digital democracy, i.e., research on the impact of digitalization on politics. It bridges current substantial topics of interest with the underlying advances in (digital) research technologies that allow to explore those topics and provides hands-on insights into the research process. The seminar will cover conceptual readings on these topics but also new methodological approaches that enable this kind of research and critically discuss their strengths and limitations. Students will develop a good understanding of current (quantitative) research in the social and behavioral sciences studying the implications of digitalization on politics with a particular focus on the role of political behavior. And they will familiarize themselves with state-of-the-art quantitative approaches in this domain, be able to evaluate their strengths and limitations and appropriately select suitable methods for their own research.
Syllabus
Conflict and Protest in the Digital Age
What drives peaceful movements to escalate into violent conflicts? How do technological advancements shape dissent and repression? This seminar examines the dynamics of violent and non-violent political contention and mobilization. Students will explore how various actors-civilians, protesters, rebels, governments-pursue their goals under different constraints, as well as the causes and consequences of employing political violence. We will also investigate how digital technologies transform these traditional dynamics by altering coordination capabilities, information environments, and power balances between state and non-state actors. Emphasizing research skill development, the course also introduces students to common research designs and best practices, culminating in a hands-on replication final assessment. This course is co-taught with Sara Kallis.
Syllabus