Political Science 301: Issues in Philippine Politics
Philippine Elections: A data driven introduction
This graduate-level course offers a guided and accessible introduction to the study of Philippine elections using both theory and data. Rather than assuming advanced technical training at the outset, the course is designed to walk students step by step through how scholars ask questions about elections, evaluate evidence, and make sense of patterns in voter behavior, campaigns, and democratic institutions in the Philippine context. Substantively, the course examines major issues shaping elections today, including political dynasties, vote buying, disinformation, electoral violence, and public opinion, with particular attention to recent national and local contests.
The course is organized in two integrated parts. The first half focuses on building conceptual foundations by introducing core theories of voting, campaigning, and electoral integrity, using Philippine cases as concrete illustrations. The second half gradually introduces data skills needed to study these issues empirically. Tutorials are explicitly structured as walkthroughs and demonstrations, emphasizing data familiarization, interpretation, and applied reasoning rather than advanced programming or mathematical formalism. Students are supported throughout the process of moving from a substantive question to a basic empirical analysis.
By the end of the course, students will have developed confidence in reading quantitative research, working with real election-related data, and translating empirical results into clear political arguments. The final output is a polished research paper, but the emphasis of the course is learning by doing, guided practice, and skill-building rather than technical mastery for its own sake. The course is suitable for graduate students who are new to data-driven political research as well as those seeking to strengthen their applied research skills in Philippine politics.
- Teacher: Alicor Panao