Citizens, Politicians and the Media: Evaluating Democratic Processes

Education facts

Code: SF2222

A major goal of democracy is to realize “the will of the people.” But how should this be achieved according to different normative democratic models? How is it achieved in reality? To find out, this course zooms in on three groups of actors in modern mass democracies: citizens, politicians, and the mass media. We consider empirical research from both political science and mass communication research, including voting behaviour, political psychology, political participation, political representation, mass media effects on citizens, political journalism, and news management. What does this research tell us about how citizens, politicians, and the mass media interact with each other under different circumstances? How do these actors, and the relations between them, live up to the requirements of different models of democracy? What does research results from different fields reveal about how democracy could be improved?

Entry requirements

Admission to the course requires the successful completion of a minimum of 15 credits from courses in the second cycle in Political Science or 15 credits from courses in the second cycle in Media and Communication Studies or 15 credits from courses in the second cycle in European Studies, or equivalent knowledge. Applicants must prove their knowledge of English: English 6/English B.

Education offerings

Each offering has its own dates and conditions. Closed offerings are retained as history and do not mean that a new application is open.

• Citizens, Politicians and the Media: Evaluating Democratic Processes

  University of Gothenburg

  Start date: 19 January 2026

  End date: 25 March 2026

  Pace of study: 100 %