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Political harassment and violence against politicians have become increasingly visible challenges for democratic societies, raising important questions about political participation, representation, and democratic governance. At the same time, these developments have emerged as a growing field of research in political science, with scholars seeking to understand who is targeted, why such incidents occur, and what consequences they have for democratic politics. This seminar introduces students to the main theoretical debates and empirical findings on political harassment and violence against politicians while highlighting the methodological challenges involved in studying these phenomena. Through a combination of substantive discussions and hands-on exercises, students will engage with qualitative and quantitative research approaches and apply selected methods to real-world data and case material. Over the course of the semester, students will develop their own research project, from formulating a research question to designing an appropriate empirical study. By the end of the seminar, students will be able to critically assess the state of research on political harassment and violence, identify and address key methodological challenges, and independently develop a theoretically informed and methodologically sound political science research design. |
