Exploring Politics with Data: Politics, Identity and Inequality
William Bianco
Political Science
Inequality is manifest in American society, from differences in wealth to the ability to access quality health care. Research has established many institutional explanations for persistent inequality, including a political system that prioritizes middle- and upper-class concerns over those of the poor, administrative barriers that make it hard to obtain benefits, and an unwillingness to tackle underlying causes of inequality, including discrimination against people of color, women, and immigrants.This course focuses on an underappreciated source of inequality: decisions by individuals about whether to accept available government benefits. People refuse benefits all the time, from food assistance to student aid. Sometimes this decision reflects the difficulty in establishing eligibility, but in other cases it is a decision based in personal beliefs, such as self-reliance or judgements about people who need assistance.
This is also a course on doing social science – identifying a consequential question about society at large and devising a plan to answer the question using data. Students will be involved in all aspects of this enterprise, from refining the question to gathering and analyzing data. The goal is to give you hands-on experience doing research on an important topic.
We will analyze inequality and the role of personal choice through the lens of federal COVID assistance. The COVID pandemic impacted everyone, but it did not impact everyone equally. Nor were communities across the nation equally prepared for a major public health and economic emergency. Did federal assistance reach communities most in need, addressing the pandemic’s health and economic impacts given preexisting inequalities? More broadly, can America’s national government respond effectively and equitably to a major exogenous policy shock at a time of polarized political parties and massive cross-community economic and social differences? All these topics will be discussed in class.
The research portion of the class will focus on local businesses in the Bloomington area. We have data on which businesses received Paycheck Protection Plan loans – forgivable grants to fund payroll and other expenses. Some did, but many did not. After training, students enrolled in the class will conduct semi-structured interviews with business owners to understand their decision about whether to seek PPP funds.
Course assignments will include weekly short (1 page) papers based on readings, participation in training and interview activities, and a final paper based on the research.
Catalog Information: HON-H 241 SCIENTIFIC UNCERTAINTY AND DISCOVERY