Political Communication
COMM 342/642 Fall 2008
Allan D. Louden, louden@wfu.edu
Office Hours: Tu. 2:30-3:30; Thur 1:30-3:00

Graduate Students supplemental syllabus

TEXTBOOKS:
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Packaging the Presidency: A History and Criticism of Presidential Campaign Advertising, 3^rd Edition;
Thomas Hollihan, Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in a Media Age, 2nd Ed

EVALUATION:
Major Research Project, 50%; Mid-term Examination, 20%; Final Examination, 20%; Participation, 10%

By Sept - Have confereneces on Project proposals
Oct 9. - Take home - Midterm Exam
Final Project Due - Due by Dec .11
Final Exam - distributed by Dec 2

 

TOPICS AND READINGS

To be Revised: Order and date below will change

Week 1 - Aug 24 Introduction, Political awareness Quiz

Readings: Jamieson, Packaging the Presidency, 1^st third

Week 2 -Aug 29 & 31 - Topic: Politics as Symbolic Action - Overview

Week 3 -Sept 5-7 - Topic: Getting Elected Part I - Media & Elections and Getting Elected

Week 4 - Sept 19-21 - Getting Elected - Part II - New Technologies, & Direct Mail

Video: Movie - "Taking on the Kennedy’s"
Hollihan, Chapter 7

Week 5 -Sept. 26-28 - Media Coverage of Campaigns

Video: "Travels with George"
Hollihan, Chapter 5 ,7

Week 6 - Oct 3-5- Managing a campaign

Hollihan, Chapter

Week 7 - Oct 10-12 -

TBA - Wake, likely include project conferences

Midterm Due Oct 14

Week 8 -Oct 17-19- Political Debates

Hollihan, Chapter 9
Video: Good on overview of Presidential debates

Week 9 - Oct 24-26

Candidate Assessment
Powerpoints

Readings:  Hollihan, Chapter 4
Popkin, S.L. (1991). The Reasoning Voter: Communication and Persuasion in Presidential Campaigns (pp. 72-95).
Louden, A.D., & McCauliff, K. (2004) The “Authentic Candidate”: Extending candidate image assessment. Presidential Candidate Images (pp. 85-103), K. Hacker (Ed.). Praeger.

 Week 10 - Oct 31-Nov 2

Hollihan, Chapter 10-12

Week 11 - Nov 7-9 - Consultants

Panel of Political consultants

Week 12 - Nov 14-16 (No class NCA convention)

Week 13 - Nov 18 -Political Advertising

Video: A number of examples will be presented and critiqued
Holliahan - Chapter 6

Week 14 - Nov. 21-13 - Thankgiving

Week 15 - Nov 29-30 - Rhetorical Implications

Report on papers

Week 16 - Dec 1 -

Final week at Wake