About this Course

Democracy can only thrive with the participation of well-informed citizens. The 2020 U.S. presidential election will be historic for many reasons and all parties are leveraging the power of technology to both influence and mobilize voters. More than ever, digital tools and platforms are shaping the opinions and behaviors of voters who will determine the future of the governance of the United States. 
This new course examines the unprecedented influence of technology and technology policy on America’s elections and democratic process and takes a close look at how a public sphere plagued by polarization, online filter bubbles, a lack of transparency in content moderation policies, and foreign and domestic misinformation and disinformation campaigns, impacts our ability to be well-informed citizens. 

In this short-form, community awareness course, you will:

– Learn how U.S. elections work and about the challenges of implementing new technology

– Explore the dynamics of driving voter registration and casting a vote during a pandemic 

– Examine the role social media platforms play in our ability to maintain a healthy public discourse 

– See how these digital tools and filters help shape our beliefs, preferences, and convictions as citizens and how they can grow and diminish the agency of individuals, movements, governments, and foreign entities

– Understand complex technology policy questions that affect content moderation

Be more than a voter. Register now and become an advocate for a healthier democracy.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

Approx. 3 hours to complete

English

What you will learn

How US elections are administered and the challenges faced in implementing new technologies
The role digital and social media platforms play in our ability to maintain a healthy public discourse
The complex technology policy tradeoffs that affect what content we see in forming our beliefs, preferences, and convictions as citizens and voters

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

Approx. 3 hours to complete

English

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.65/5 (27 Ratings)

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

4 minutes to complete

Introduction

4 minutes to complete

1 video (Total 4 min)

1 hour to complete

Election Administration in the COVID-19 Era

Understand the current, decentralized election system in the United States and consider the challenges election jurisdictions face to implement new technologies and administer elections amidst challenging circumstances. Featured guests include Tiana Epps-Johnson, co-founder and executive director of the Center for Tech and Civic Life, and Nate Persily, Stanford Law Professor and co-director of the Stanford Cyber Policy Center.

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 35 min), 1 reading

1 hour to complete

Technology and the Digital Public Sphere

Explore the uses of technology tools and platforms that influence the public sphere of information, and see how these digital tools shape the beliefs of citizens and how they grow and diminish the agency of individuals, movements, governments, and foreign entities. Featured guests include Joan Donovan, research director at the Shorenstein Center of Media, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, and Joshua Tucker, professor of politics at NYU, and co-director of the NYU Center for Social Media and Politics.

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 39 min), 1 reading

1 hour to complete

Where Speech and Tech Policy Collide

Discover the tensions and trade-offs between the content moderation policies of technology companies, the growing calls to govern speech in the public sphere, and the challenges to creating effective public policies to address these issues. Featured guests include Evelyn Douek, a lecturer and S.J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School, and Nick Pickles, global head of public policy strategy and development at Twitter.

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 28 min), 1 reading

1 hour to complete

Confronting Misinformation and Disinformation

Learn what is different between the 2016 and 2020 U.S. election cycles in how institutions are actively confronting disinformation and misinformation campaigns, and better understand the complexity of addressing foreign versus domestic information actors in a free society. Featured guests include Alex Stamos, director of the Stanford Internet Observatory and former chief security officer at Facebook, and Camille François, chief innovation officer at Graphika.

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 42 min), 1 reading

Reviews

4.4

13 reviews

5 stars
57.89%
4 stars
29.82%
3 stars
10.52%
1 star
1.75%

TOP REVIEWS FROM HOW TECHNOLOGY IS SHAPING DEMOCRACY AND THE 2020 ELECTION

by DMJan 17, 2022

The course is well organized and presented. I am trying to get to week 2 but cannot. I have completed week 1 but the system will not acknowledge the completion.

by JDOct 26, 2020

Some very interesting ideas and analysis, some areas of confusion, especially with the industry rep.

Could have done without the political editorial in the intro video.

by QANov 14, 2020

Hy, I am from Pakistan. My name is Qamar Abbas. i just have completed the course. it was very informative course. I learnt how technology is shaping over life our democracy and other fields of life.

by LMFeb 23, 2021

Good course during the election of 2020. It was a very interesting topic of study

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

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How Technology is Shaping Democracy and the 2020 Election