Why do Australians vote the way they do? Why are young people more likely to support minor parties? What would happen if voting were not compulsory? How important is the environment to most people? Do Australians want the government to play a larger or smaller role in our lives? The answers to these questions have very important implications for Australian democracy. This course will examine how the dimensions of political behaviour and public opinion have been changing over time and the implications of this for the future of Australian politics.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- critically analyse academic surveys and public opinion polls;
- evaluate the contribution surveys and opinion polls makes to our understanding of Australian politics;
- critically assess and present arguments based on empirical evidence and theoretical models based on the voter behaviour literature;
- assess the most important post-1945 elections and the events and issues driving electoral outcomes;
- develop analytical and writing skills through the research essay and exam; and
- discuss and reassess central ideas in collegial class environment.
Other Information
Expected Classes 2025:
TBC
How to enrol into a course offered in a non-standard session (Summer Session, Autumn Session, Winter Session, Spring Session):
- Complete an Enrolment Variation Form (including the Course Code, Class number and Session).
- Submit the Form via email to students.cass@anu.edu.au or in person to the CASS Student Office. If the course requires permission, please include an email from the Course Convenor.
- Submit your request as early as possible prior to the commencement of the relevant Session, allowing up to 3 weeks for processing.
- Please take note of the Overload Policy, which may apply if you are enrolling in a non-standard session.
If you have questions, please contacts the CASS Student Office a students.cass@anu.edu.au.
Indicative Assessment
- Typical assessment may include, but is not restricted to: exams, assignments, quizzes, presentations, participation and other assessment as appropriate. See class summary for final details for 2025.
(100) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 10 days: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorial and tutorial-like activities.
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
None
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
A reading brick will be available.
Preliminary Reading
Cees van der Eijk and Mark Franklin. 2009. Elections and Voters. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ian McAllister, 2011. The Australian Voter: Fifty Years of Change, Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.
Russell J. Dalton and Hans-Dieter Klingemann, editors, 2007. The Oxford Handbook of Political Behaviour. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Oxford Research Encycopedia, Politics, Political Behavior. http://politics.oxfordre.com/
Assumed Knowledge
Basic political science introduction
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4680 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6360 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6502 | 01 Jul 2025 | 18 Jul 2025 | 18 Jul 2025 | 30 Sep 2025 | In Person | N/A |