Course 2025-2026 a.y.

1. Public opinion and democratic theory.
2. Polarization and elite messaging
3. Social movements
4. Foreign policy
5. The economics and politics of mass media
6. Social media and political communication
7. The political role of the media in democracies and autocracies
8. The political position of mass media outlets: measurement and determinants
9. Empirical analysis of campaign effects
10. Interest groups offline and online
11. The economics and politics of fake news

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe the main theories of public opinion formation and their relevance to democratic governance.

• Explain the mechanisms through which polarization and elite messaging influence voter attitudes and behavior.

• Identify the role of social movements in shaping political agendas and mobilizing participation.

• Summarize the connections between media coverage and foreign policy decision-making.

• Illustrate the economic and political foundations of media systems, including market structure and regulation.

• Explain how social media platforms mediate political communication and alter the flow of political information.

• Distinguish the political functions of media in democratic and authoritarian regimes.

• Recognize the ideological positioning of media outlets and the methods used to measure media bias.

• Describe the main findings and methods used in the empirical analysis of campaign effects.

• Define the role of interest groups in both offline and online political environments.

• Explain the economic and political dynamics behind the production and dissemination of fake news.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Analyze how different media environments affect democratic accountability and political participation.

• Interpret empirical findings related to campaign effects, polarization, and media influence on public opinion.

• Compare the political role of media across democratic and authoritarian regimes.

• Assess the credibility and political implications of media content, including fake news and strategic messaging.

• Apply basic tools of empirical analysis to real-world cases of political communication and media bias.

• Relate theoretical concepts to current developments in social media and political communication.

• Lectures

Lectures are the primary teaching method, focusing on key theoretical frameworks and, above all, on empirical research that illustrates and tests these concepts.

Assessment is based either on two partial exams, which together account for 50% of the final grade, or on a single general exam, which accounts for 100% of the final grade.

Slides and papers discussed during lectures.