The Political Science Department and other BC resources



POLS 3423Mapping Politics: GIS Methods in Political ScienceSpring 2017Professor Minnie GoContact: MinHeeGo@brooklyn.cuny.edu Class Hours & Location: Mon 2:15 – 4:45 James 3403J;Wed 2:15 – 4:15 James 3410JOffice: James 3401Office Hours: Mon 11:00-1:00, Wed 11:00-1:00, or by appointmentCOURSE OBJECTIVESIntroduce students to the fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems and its application to political science researchEnhance student capability to understand the structure of spatial data and analyze the data with ArcGISPromote student capacity to identify spatial component in political issues and conduct original research using GIS software READINGS & RESOURCESThere is no single textbook for class discussions, but we will use a compilation of scholarly and newspaper articles. They will either be handed out in class or posted via Blackboard. For lab sessions, we will use the following “workbook”:Michael Law and Amy Collins. 2013. Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop. (hereafter GKAD) 3rd ed. ESRI Press. WebsitesFor classroom exercise, we are going to use spatial data from NYC Department of City Planning and the Census Bureau:BYTES of the BIG APPLE Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) Political Science Department and other BC resourcesIf you find this course inspires you to think differently about the world, consider subscribing to our Facebook page (search for “Political?Science Brooklyn?College”) or becoming a political science major. The department is known for its engaging faculty who go the extra step to help our students succeed.?? For internships, you may also contact Dr. Ken Estey, the Internship Coordinator for Political Science, who?has a list of internships and?works closely with the Edward T. Rogowsky Program in Government and Public Affairs for internships with elected officials in New York City, Albany and Washington, D.C.Magner Career Center: “It's never too early to start preparing for your career. Do you need help preparing a resume, finding a job or internship, connecting your college experience with a career or developing professional?skills? Visit the Magner Career Center at 1303 James Hall, call 718-951-5696 or sign up for workshops and jobs and internship notifications on the WebCentral Portal ().”?Learning Center: For assistance learning how to manage your time, study for tests, and write your papers, go to 1300 Boylan Hall or call 718-951-5821 or check out ttp://lc.brooklyn.cuny.edu/hl.html.COURSE DESCRIPTIONHow can we make sense of Trump’s win, when he lost the popular vote by 3 million votes? Does slavery still have anything to do with how people think and vote in the 21st century? How do states end up with similar policies, even when the federal government does not force them? This class explores these questions by thinking deeply about spatial concepts in politics. In recent decades, political scientists have begun to pay greater attention to the spatial nature of political issues. From ideological polarization to policy diffusion across American states, spatial interaction among political units, or lack thereof, has become an important phenomenon in politics. In this class, we will explore various spatial phenomena with a focus on American politics.In addition to discussing spatial implications of political phenomena, we will also learn basic skills to map these events with Geographic Information System (GIS), a widely used mapping software in the social sciences. GIS refers to a collection of software and hardware that enables researchers to analyze and display data that are embedded in spatial units (such as census blocks, counties, and states). As a data management tool, GIS is being widely used in many social science disciplines, including political science, sociology, archeology, and criminology. This course introduces GIS and their application to political science research. Finally, this class will introduce you to STATA, a statistical program for handling large-N data. We will learn how to calculate summary statistics and create tables, graphs, etc. to present data in a systematic fashion.These concerns leave us with two goals. First, we will discuss the extent to which geography matters in various political events – partisan polarization, redistricting, and public goods distribution, to name a few – along with learning the basics of quantitative data analysis. Second, this course seeks to familiarize students with handling geospatial data using ArcGIS and STATA. Through lab exercises and assignments, students will acquire skills to create and edit spatial data, identify relationships between data points, and generate maps that display such relationships. By the end of the course, students will complete a project that integrates these skills to explain sociopolitical variations in New York City.ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING CRITERIAAttendance & Participation (20%): Students are required to attend class and actively participate in class discussions and activities. “Attendance” entails having read the assigned materials and being ready to discuss them in class. Regular attendance is critical to this class, and the instructor will keep record on attendance at the beginning of every class. Absence due to religious reasons and medical emergency is permitted. Make sure to inform me in advance. Exams and Assignments (60%):Midterm (20%): Midterm exam will cover any readings, handouts, and discussions in lectures and lab sessions. GIS assignments (4 * 2.5% = 10%): each assignment should be submitted by the lab session date of the following week.Research Proposal (30%): As a final project, students choose a topic of his/her interest and write a 8-10 page research proposal (double-spaced, one inch margin with 12-sized font). This may or may not involve the GIS project. In the proposal, students should include the following items: a research problem and its spatial implications (if any), hypothesis, and a research design to analyze the problem. Detailed instruction will be provided later in the course. Research proposal will proceed with three increments (5% each for the first two; 15% for the final and full draft). Students will also have a one-on-one meeting with the instructor to discuss their projects in depth. In the 15th week, students will give a presentation about their research progress and receive feedback from colleagues (5%). GIS group project (20%): Throughout the course, students will form a group and complete a GIS project about New York City. Each group may choose any topic of their interest – race and poverty, crime, voting, etc. -, gather data, and produce maps and analysis. Short presentation will follow at the end of the semester. Write up a report (about 5 pages, double-spaced and including maps and graphs) and submit it by May 16. Grade DistributionGrade will be distributed as follows: A+ (100-95); A (95-90); A-(90-85); B+(85-80); B(80-75); B-(75-70); C+(70-65); C(65-60); C-(60-55); D(55-50); F (50 and below).CLASS POLICIESAttendance: Not only physical absence but the following behaviors will count as an absence:Desktop, Laptop and Tablet PC use: Computer use without instructor’s permission is considered a disruptive behavior for learning environment and thus allowed under no circumstances. I reserve the right to ask a student to leave the classroom in case of detecting the use of mobile devices including text messaging, facebooking, playing games or taking pictures. Cell phone use during class: the above rule applies to cell phone use. If you have important reasons to use your phone during class, inform me prior to class so I can accommodate your needs.Late arrival/early departure: 3 late arrivals and/or early departures equal 1 absence.These activities will be carefully monitored during class sessions and no prior warning will be given upon penalizing these activities. Email: Instructor will try to respond to emails as soon as possible during 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays. Expect a slower response on weekends.Plagiarism: Any attempt to use other’s work (both ideas and writings) without proper acknowledgement is considered plagiarism (including cheating in exam) and will not be tolerated. Instructor will carefully censor each student’s assignments, and any academic misconduct will result in automatic F. Below is the official mandate for faculty: “The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for implementing that policy can be found at this site: . If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation.”Student Disability Services: In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services (CSDS). Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell at 718-951-5538. If you have already registered with the CSDS please provide your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with her as soon as possible and at an appropriate time. COURSE SCHEDULEWeek 1 (Jan 30, Feb 1). Principles of Spatial AnalysisIntroductionPrinciples of Data Analysis (PPT Slides)Week 2 (Feb 6, Feb 8). Principles of Spatial Analysis Howard Brody et al., 2000. “Map-making and Myth-making in Broad Street: The London Cholera Epidemic, 1854.” The Lancet. 356(9223): 64-68.Waldo Tobler. 1970. “A Computer Movie Simulating Urban Growth in Detroit Region.” Economic Geography. 46: 234-240.Lab session 1: Introduction to ArcGIS. GKAD Ch. 1 & 2. Week 3-4 (Feb. 13, Feb 15). Getting to know STATAFeb 13: Lincoln’s Birthday – no classIntroduction to STATAWeek (Feb 20 Feb. 22). Getting to know GIS Feb 20: President’s Day – no classLab session 2: Getting Started. GKAD Ch. 3a & 3b Week 5 (Feb 27, Mar 1). Polarization: Political Polarization in the Trump Era Richard Morrill and Gerald Webster. 2015. “Spatial and political realignment of the US electorate, 1988-2012.” Political Geography.Corey Lang and Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz. 2015. “Partisan sorting in the US, 1972-2012.” Political Geography.Dante Scala et al. 2015. “Red rural, blue rural? Presidential Voting Patterns in a changing rural America.” Political Geography.Washington Post. “Election maps are telling you big lies about small things.” Post. “How Trump redrew the electoral map, from sea to shining sea.” . “The counties that flipped from Obama to Trump, in 3 Charts.” Times. “Presidential Election Results: Donald J. Trump Wins.” 5 (Mar 6, Mar 8). Spatial Segregation: Spatial Patterns of Urban Inequality Sean Reardon and Kendra Bischoff. 2011. “Income Inequality and Income Segregation.” American Journal of Sociology. 116(4):1092-1153.Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality session 3: Basics. GKAD Ch. 3c & 3dFirst Research Proposal due on Mar 8Week 6 (Mar 13, Mar 15). Spatial Durability: The Legacy of SlaveryAvidit Acharya, et al. 2016. “The Political Legacy of American Slavery.” Journal of Politics. Lab session 4: Getting started with the Census data. Brainstorm your GIS project with your group members. Week 7 (Mar 20, Mar 22). Spatial Proximity: The Political Geography of Public Housing Ryan Enos. 2016. “What the Demolition of Public Housing Teaches Us About the Impact of Racial Threat on Political Behavior.” American Journal of Political Science.Elvin Wyly and James DeFilippis. 2010. “Mapping Public Housing.” City & Community.Lab Session 5: Classifying features. GKAD Ch. 8.Second Proposal Due on March 22Week 8 (Mar 27, Mar 29) Spatial Proximity: The Electoral Consequences of Climate PolicyStokes, L. C. 2016. “Electoral Backlash against Climate Policy: A Natural Experiment on Retrospective Voting and Local Resistance to Public Policy.” American Journal of Political Science, 60: 958–974. doi:10.1111/ajps.12220Lab Session 6: Joining & Relating Data by Attribute. GKAD Ch. 16Week 10 (Apr 3, Apr 5) MidtermWeek 11 (Apr 19, April 20) State Diffusion in the Modern Period: Mechanisms Frances Stokes Berry and William Berry. 1990. “State Lottery Adoptions as Policy Innovations: An Event History Analysis.” American Political Science Review. 84(2): 395-415.Lab Session 7: Working on group project – submit progress report at the end of class. Week 12 (Apr 24, Apr 26) State Policy Diffusion in the Modern Period: Applications Jeffrey Lax and Justin Phillips. 2009. “Gay Rights in the States: Public Opinion and Policy Responsiveness.” American Political Science Review. 103(3): 367-386.Adam Butz, et al. 2015. “Policy Learning and the Diffusion of Stand-Your Ground Laws.” Politics & Policy. 43(3): 347-377.Lab Session 8. Analyzing spatial data. GKAD Ch. 19Week 13 (May 1, May 3) Detecting Lights: Geopolitics and the Diffusion of IdeologyBrian Min et al., 2008. “Baghdad Nights: Evaluating the US Military Surge Using Night Light Signatures.” Environment and Planning A 40(10): 2285–2295. 2008.Brian Min et al., 2013.“Detection of Rural Electrification in Africa using DMSP-OLS Night Lights Imagery” International Journal of Remote Sensing 34(22): 8118–8141.Lab Session 9. Analyzing spatial data. GKAD Ch. 19Week 14 (May 8, May 10). GIS Group Project Presentation: Feedback and DiscussionWeek 15 (May 15, May 17) GIS Group Project Presentation: Feedback and DiscussionGIS Project due on May 22; Final Proposal due by May 25. ................
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