MIdterm Exam

Political Psychology Midterm EXAM

Please respond to 4 of the following 5 questions/prompts. You may use your notes as well as the articles themselves. There is no time limit.

Answers are due by email at 10:00 pm on Thursday, October 17. Please use standard file formats such as Word doc, PDF or copy/paste into the body of your email to ensure I am able to access your answers. Please do not send me a link to a Google doc.

1) What is Political Psychology? Give 4 examples from our readings and discussions so far this semester. What makes them political psychology? Describe one of the examples in a way that would render it “just politics.” Describe it in a way that would render it “just psychology.”

2) We explored the psychology of political exit. What psychological motivations underlie the impulse to politically exit? Is this topic area informed by Maslow’s Hierarchy or by The Crowd? List 3 examples of political exit on a group level. List 3 examples of political exit on an individual level. Is there a common thread that links all these examples together? 

3) We explored the political psychology of social media. How would you define this? Is this topic area informed by Maslow’s Hierarchy or by The Crowd? Does the existing research demonstrate that social media is merely another outlet for youth who are already politically active, or does it inspire new youth engagement? Why do some young people use social media for political engagement while others do not?

4) We explored the political psychology of nationalism and envisioned a new direction we could call “the New Nationalism.” How would you define the political psychology of nationalism? List 2-3 examples. Is this topic area informed by Maslow’s Hierarchy or by The Crowd? Can you be a patriot without being nationalistic? Can you be a nationalist without being patriotic? Is MAGA the New Nationalism, or is the New Nationalism still in formation?

5) We explored psychological barriers to electing female political leaders. Describe the two studies we read about. What was their method, and what were their conclusions? Is this topic area informed by Maslow’s Hierarchy or by The Crowd? What are the implications for the men and women currently running to be the Democratic nominee for President?