There are two tenets that motivate this course:
1. You cannot have effective policy without good data.
2. Representation in our democracy and state's tax capacity are based on Census counts (everyone gets counted regardless of age, citizenship, voting eligibility, race, and gender). Therefore the census has always been a weapon of political power; and from the beginning people have sought ways to manipulate the census for political gains.
The first part of the course focuses on the history and politics of the US Census. Students will have a clear understanding of some of the major uses of census data; understand how historical events and policy debates have shaped the census overtime; and understand the concerns relating to undercounting, privacy, and debate about the citizenship question. Next the course focuses on the impact of demographic change on politics and policy, specifically voting behavior and party competition. Specific demographic trends of interest include population ageing, immigration, changes in US racial composition, and distribution/internal migration. Finally in the third section, we focus on policies that impact demographic behavior (for instance gender equality policies) and policies that manipulate/distort the impact of census counts such as gerrymandering and felony disenfranchisement.
At the end of this course:
Students will understand the role that the census and census data plays in US politics and policy.
Students will be knowledgeable of some of the major demographic trends affecting American society; they will know how that information is collected and where to find that information.
Student will enhance their listening and discussion skills. Demonstrate ability to civilly discuss topics related to race, immigration, and political parties using three parts of an argument: Assertion, Reasoning, Evidence (ARE).
Students will enhance their writing and presentations skills. Students will be put in the role of a state demographer and will create a series of short briefs describing key demographic trends and their impacts as well as analyze the demographic impacts of policies such as felony disenfranchisement.