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Data and governance are becoming increasingly interconnected. Contemporary political campaigns and voter mobilization efforts are now wholly data-centric. Electorate members, polling experts, and public officials are depending on data to make decisions that carry local, regional, and national consequences.
A Department of Political Science course equips students with tools to help interpret these decisions and their repercussions.
In class 17.831 (Data and Politics), participants are introduced to the principles and practices essential for comprehending electoral and various forms of political behavior. Instructed by associate professor of political science Daniel Hidalgo, students engage with real-world datasets to investigate topics like electoral polling and forecasting, voter engagement, voter targeting, and changes in public sentiment over time.
The course aims for students to articulate why and how the application of data and statistical techniques has transformed electoral politics, grasp the foundational principles of social science statistics, and utilize contemporary statistical computing tools for data analysis. The course’s culminating project involves the collection, evaluation, and interpretation of original survey data employed in modern campaigns.
“I aimed to develop a practical, application-oriented course that would resonate with undergraduates and lay the groundwork for analyzing, understanding, and reporting on extensive datasets in politics,” says Hidalgo, who revamped the course for the spring 2025 semester.
Hidalgo, who is also involved with the Political Methodology Lab at MIT, examines the political economy of elections, campaigns, and representation in emerging democracies, particularly in Latin America, in addition to quantitative methodologies in social sciences.
Politics and modernity
The influence and accessibility of artificial intelligence and extensive language models render courses like Data and Politics more vital, according to Hidalgo. “It’s crucial to understand the individuals on the other side of the data,” he insists.
The course also emphasizes the human aspect in politics, delving into conflict, bias, their frameworks, and effects, while aiming to enhance information literacy and cohesive storytelling.
“Data analysis and collection will never achieve perfection,” Hidalgo states. “However, assessing and understanding who holds specific views, and why, then using that information to narrate a cohesive story is invaluable in politics and beyond.”
The incessant nature of news and related content, alongside the plethora of communication channels accessible to voters, has complicated the data collection process in polling and campaigns. “In the past, individuals were likely to answer their home phones,” Hidalgo remarks, referring to the traditional methods once used to gather voter data. Today, political scientists, data analysts, and others must navigate the plethora of streaming content, mobile devices, and diverse channels that together create a vast, fragmented media landscape.
The course provides insights into the behind-the-scenes workings of local and national political campaigns, attracting second-year political science student Jackson Hamilton. “I enrolled in this class to enhance my proficiency in coding for political science applications and to gain a clearer understanding of political models and forecasts,” he states.
“We designed our own sets of questions and experimental layouts that we believed would be intriguing,” Hamilton adds. “I discovered that political issues receiving significant media attention do not always align with the divisions among lawmakers, at least at the local level.”
Transparency and accountability in politics and other domains
Equipping students with the ability to use tools like polling and data analysis effectively can bolster their capacity to recognize and counter misinformation. “As a political scientist, I’m deeply engaged,” Hidalgo explains, “and I hope to inspire others to be engaged as well.”
“An abundance of data exists, and this course lays the foundation and provides the resources essential for comprehending and visualizing it,” Hidalgo continues. “The capability to design, execute, and interpret surveys is valuable both inside and outside the classroom.”
In politics, Hidalgo believes that empowering students to navigate these environments effectively can enhance and elevate civic participation. Data, he asserts, can support ideas. “With so much information available, it’s important to cultivate the skills necessary to understand and visualize it,” he explains. “This is beneficial for everyone.”
Second-year physics student Sean Wilson, who also took the class this spring, recognizes the importance of data visualization and analysis both as a prospective physicist and a voter. “Data analysis in both politics and physics is critical work considering that voting patterns, public opinion, and governmental leadership evolve frequently in the United States,” he states, “and modeling can be utilized to bolster physical theories and deepen our understanding of how phenomena operate.”
For Wilson, the course can assist anyone keen on comprehending the behaviors of large groups. “Political scientists continuously strive to enhance their understanding of how and why specific events transpire in U.S. politics, and data analysis is an effective means to achieve that,” he notes. “Participants in a representative democracy can make more informed decisions with access to this kind of information.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton gained deeper insights into the behind-the-scenes machinery of electoral politics. “I had the chance to formulate a couple of budget trade-off questions to gauge public opinion on what areas the government should allocate funds when faced with choices,” he shares.
“Computer science and data science extend beyond STEM applications; data science methodologies can also be highly beneficial across various social sciences,” Hamilton contends.
“[Hidalgo helped me recognize] my need to comprehend and apply data science methodologies to achieve a deeper knowledge of my focal areas,” Hamilton explains. “He centers on how varying techniques in coding can be utilized to address distinct challenges in political science.”
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