Emotions and Politics
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this political science seminar examining how emotions shape political behavior and decision-making. Drawing on two decades of research from psychology and other disciplines, the course applies findings on affect and emotion to core questions in political science, such as voting, public opinion, and policy attitudes. Materials include a syllabus, weekly reading lists drawn from academic journals, and discussion-based sessions that connect psychological theory to political phenomena. The course is aimed at advanced students already familiar with basic political science methods, and it treats emotion not as a distraction from rational choice but as a variable that helps explain real variation in political outcomes. As with other MIT OpenCourseWare offerings, all materials are free to access, with no certificate offered.