Exploring data and its influence on political behavior

In an era where information reigns supreme, the intertwining of data and politics has become a defining characteristic of modern society. Today’s political campaigns, voter mobilization efforts, and public discourse are increasingly driven by data, influencing the choices made by voters, pollsters, and elected officials alike. These decisions, rooted in analytical insights, cascade to impact local, regional, and national landscapes.

To navigate this complex confluence, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Department of Political Science offers a pivotal course, 17.831 (Data and Politics), equipping students with the essential tools to comprehend these intricate choices and their far-reaching outcomes.

Taught by Associate Professor of Political Science Daniel Hidalgo, the course immerses students in the principles and practices necessary to decipher electoral and other forms of political behavior. Through the application of real-world datasets, students delve into critical topics such as election polling and prediction, voter turnout analysis, strategic voter targeting, and the dynamic shifts in public opinion over time.

The curriculum is designed to empower students to articulate how data and statistical methods have reshaped electoral politics, grasp the fundamental principles of social science statistics, and skillfully analyze data using contemporary statistical computing tools. A capstone original project challenges students to collect, analyze, and interpret novel survey data, mirroring practices in modern political campaigns.

“I wanted to create an applied, practice-based course that would appeal to undergraduates and provide a foundation for parsing, understanding, and reporting on large datasets in politics,” states Hidalgo, who has comprehensively redesigned the course for the upcoming Spring 2025 semester. Hidalgo, whose work at MIT’s Political Methodology Lab focuses on the political economy of elections, campaigns, and representation in developing democracies—particularly in Latin America—emphasizes the importance of quantitative methods in social sciences.

Hidalgo highlights that the burgeoning influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) makes the Data and Politics course even more critical. “You have to understand the people at the other end of the data,” he argues, stressing the human element amidst the technological advancements. The course meticulously explores conflict, bias, their structural underpinnings, and societal impacts, while simultaneously fostering information literacy and coherent storytelling.

“Data analysis and collection will never be perfect,” Hidalgo acknowledges. “But analyzing and understanding who holds which ideas, and why, and using the information to tell a coherent story is valuable in politics and elsewhere.” He notes that the ‘always on’ nature of news and the myriad communication channels available to voters have significantly amplified the complexity of data collection in polling and campaigns. The shift from traditional analog methods, like phone calls to landlines, to today’s fractured media ecosystem—encompassing streaming content and mobile devices—demands a sophisticated approach to data.

For second-year political science major Jackson Hamilton, the course offered a unique glimpse into the behind-the-scenes machinery of political campaigns. “I took this class hoping to expand my ability to use coding for political science applications, and in order to better understand how political models and predictions work,” Hamilton explains. He adds, “We tailor-made our own sets of questions and experimental designs that we thought would be interesting. I found that political issues that get a lot of media coverage are not necessarily the same issues which divide lawmakers, at least locally.”

Beyond academic pursuit, the course aims to equip students with the skills to effectively identify and combat disinformation and misinformation. “As a political scientist, I’m substantively engaged,” Hidalgo states, “and I’d like to help others be engaged, too.” He adds, “There’s lots of data available, and this course provides a foundation and the resources necessary to understand and visualize it.” The ability to design, implement, and interpret surveys holds immense value both within and outside the academic setting.

Hidalgo firmly believes that empowering students to navigate these data-rich spaces can significantly enhance civic engagement. Data, he contends, serves as a powerful tool to defend ideas. “There’s so much information, it’s important to develop the skills and abilities necessary to understand and visualize it,” he says. “This has value for everyone.”

Second-year physics major Sean Wilson, also a participant in the course this spring, recognizes the cross-disciplinary utility of data visualization and analysis, not only as a budding physicist but also as an informed voter. “Data analysis in both politics and in physics is essential work given that voting tendencies, public opinion, and government leadership change so often in the United States,” Wilson observes, “and that modeling can be used to support physical hypotheses and improve our understanding of how things work.” He concludes that the course is invaluable for anyone seeking to understand the behaviors of large groups, enabling members of a representative democracy to make more informed decisions.

Hamilton’s experience further underscores the broad applicability of data science. “Computer science and data science aren’t just useful for STEM applications; data science approaches can also be extremely useful in many social sciences,” he argues. He credits Hidalgo with helping him realize the necessity of data science approaches for a deeper understanding of his areas of interest, noting that Hidalgo “focuses on how different approaches in coding can be applied to different types of problems in political science.”