- Spring 2021
Syllabus Description:
POL S 299 A Sp 21: Special Topics In Political Science
Instructors: Cathy Allen (cathy@connectionsgroup.org) and Randy Pepple (rjp1984@uw.edu)
Time and location: T/TH 4:30 – 5:50 pm, via Zoom
Office hours: T/TH 3:00-4:00 pm (Allen), 3:15-4:15 pm (Pepple), via Zoom, or by appointment
Course Overview
Veteran political consultants and media pundits Cathy Allen (Democrat) and Randy Pepple (Republican) present students an opportunity to learn the key components of political campaigns today and the practical experience of putting what they learn to use on an actual campaign.
In PS 299, Modern Political Campaigns, students will learn how (even before the current pandemic) political professionals had moved from the dark ages of hand-written voter lists and one-way communications to the dominance of Big Data targeting and the 24/7 social media engagement we see today.
The course is grounded in today’s reality, so you'll be asked to choose an active campaign to monitor, identifying the strategic moves and messages your candidate utilizes to better position him/herself to win. Among the learning opportunities you will have in this Special Topics course are:
- Seeing what digital campaigning can offer. Join a class that lets you potentially become the expert advising a campaign on a new style of social network-based campaigning, from virtual Town Halls to Zoom fundraising.
- No matter what crisis arises, every campaign needs a relevant, inspiring, brief message from which the campaign grows. How do you find, create, and stay on a message?
- Understanding how the role of image and voice grows more important as our current crisis environment changes behavior, forcing us to see candidates on screens in front of us, instead of at public events.
- Fundraising is a skill everyone will need at one time or another in their lives, and this class can help you learn how NOT to fear or hate it. We will share logical tips that make "the ask" efficient and effective, especially online.
By the end of the course, the engaged student will have a solid understanding of the underlying fundamentals of campaigns and the many strategic decisions campaign professionals face. Ideally this learning experience will put those who are interested at the top of the list for the political professionals making hundreds of hiring decisions locally for campaigns in 2021 (and 2022 already).
For a little more background on this course, and its lecturers, take a look at an article on them from the College of Arts & Sciences Perspectives newsletter last September, https://artsci.washington.edu/news/2020-09/mixing-politics-friendship (Links to an external site.).
Learning objectives
It’s an oft-repeated truism that elections have consequences – and thus the importance of the campaigns that persuade the voters whose decisions prompt those consequences. This course focuses on the nuts and bolts of staffing winning campaigns, but many of the lessons have broader applications to our lives, including:
- Strategic thinking
- Communication and persuasion skills
- Raising funds for a cause
- Dealing with criticism
- Team building
- Planning and project management
- Using the right technology – and not over-reaching your team’s capacities
Grading
Unless otherwise noted, assignments are due before class begins at 4:30 pm on the assigned due date. Students must upload an electronic version to Canvas by this time.
Over the course of the quarter, students will have a weekly assignment based on lectures and the campaigns of the candidate of their choice. Attendance and participation in class is a must. There will also be two in-class tests, and a final exam including a presentation to the instructors via Zoom.
- Participation (20%): For this class to be successful, students need to regularly attend class and be ready to join in discussions of the topic and materials. Participation is based on attendance, evidence of preparation, and contributions to class activities.
- Weekly assignments, based on lectures and candidate campaigns (20%): Due every Tuesday, starting April 13.
- Quiz #1 (20%): Distributed April 20th, due April 22, based on first three weeks of lectures.
- Quiz #2 (20%): Distributed May 13th, due May 18th, based on lectures from weeks 4-7 .
- Final Presentation (20%): Appointments will be scheduled in 3-minute time blocks for individual presentations during finals week. Date TBA (currently scheduled for Fri, June 11).
Grading scale: Written assignments and presentations show a point total based on the total points available. Final grades will report the raw score out of 100, the letter grade, and the corresponding 4.0 grade: 100-90= A range; 89-80= B range; 79-70= C range; 69-60= D range; below 59= F.
Grading Criteria. The following rough guidelines will be used in the evaluation of the written assignments. Written work in the A range is characterized by a strikingly creative, perceptive, and persuasive argument/thesis statement; comprehensive synthesis and analysis of the course material; fully addresses all components of the prompt; considers counter arguments; straightforward yet sophisticated organization of thoughts and error-free prose. Written work in the B range is characterized by sound, original, and reasonably thoughtful argument/thesis statement; addresses nearly all components of the prompt; considers counter arguments; competent analysis of various course material, logical organization; and clear and error-free prose. Written work in the C range is characterized by a relatively underdeveloped, simplistic, or derivative argument/thesis statement; partial, inconsistent, or faulty analysis of course material; partially addresses prompt; convoluted organization; and awkward, or otherwise distracting prose. Written work in the D range is characterized by incoherent or extremely confusing argument; prose minimally engages prompt; superficial or fleeting engagement with the course material; chaotic or irrational organization; and error-riddled prose. Written work that lacks argument or analysis, and is sloppy, earns an F.
Late Assignments. If you cannot complete an assignment on time or attend an exam, you must notify the instructor ahead of time. You are responsible for making arrangements for a new exam date.
Late Penalty. Penalties are at the discretion of the instructors. The general policy is a 20% deduction if it is turned in within 24 hours of the due date, and a 50% deduction if it is turned in within 48 hours of the original due date. Assignments turned in later will receive a 0.
Grade Appeals. Students must submit a written (1 page) appeal within one week of receiving their grade. This appeal should articulate your understanding of the assignment or question, and why the grade is inappropriate. The instructor then has two weeks to respond and may assign a new grade (higher or lower) as part of the review process. Students then have the option of appealing to the department chair, which exhausts the grade appeals process.
Readings
Required: Cathy Allen, Taking Back Politics: An Insider’ Guide to Winning (1996) Jalapeno Press (ISBN 0965311201).; This book covers the essential skills and strategies of modern campaigns, and various selections will be provided from it.
Other required reading materials will be available electronically or will be provided by the instructors. The readings are listed in advance of the day they will be discussed (in other words, they should be read prior to that class period).
Accessibility
If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to either one of your instructors as soon as possible so we can discuss your needs in this course. If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.
Religious Accommodations
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).
Course Conduct
Every student brings a different perspective to the classroom (as do the instructors). We encourage differences of opinion, but they must be expressed with respect for the views of other students. If you have suggestions for improving the course, we would also like to hear them.
Students engaging in behavior that is disrespectful, disrupting or distracting (such as texting, talking on the phone, web surfing, talking to other students, etc.) may be asked to leave. All cases of suspected academic misconduct will be referred to the Arts and Sciences Committee on Academic Conduct, and may result in a grade of 0.0 for the assignment in question.
The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-120-024) defines academic misconduct as: (a) "Cheating," which includes, but is not limited to: (i)The use of unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; or (ii)The acquisition, use, or distribution of unpublished materials created by another student without the express permission of the original author(s). (b) "Falsification," which is the intentional use or submission of falsified data, records, or other information including, but not limited to, records of internship or practicum experiences or attendance at any required event(s). Falsification also includes falsifying scientific and/or scholarly research. (c) "Plagiarism," which is the submission or presentation of someone else's words, composition, research, or expressed ideas, whether published or unpublished, without attribution. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: (i)The use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment; or (ii)The unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or acquired from an entity engaging in the selling of term papers or other academic materials. (d) Prohibited collaboration. (e) Engaging in behavior specifically prohibited by an instructor in the course of class instruction or in a course syllabus. (f) Multiple submissions of the same work in separate courses without the express permission of the instructor(s). (g) Taking deliberate action to destroy or damage another's academic work in order to gain an advantage for oneself or another. (h) The recording of instructional content without the express permission of the instructor(s), and/or the dissemination or use of such unauthorized records.
University policies and guidelines regarding cheating and plagiarism can be found at https://depts.washington.edu/grading/pdf/AcademicResponsibility.pdf.
Improve your writing by visiting the Writing Lab!
Good writing is a skill that is learned (and requires lots of practice and feedback). Fortunately, the Political Science Writing Center is here to help! It offers a number of useful tip sheets (e.g. plagiarism; proper citation) at http://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/forstudents.html (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.). In addition, you can schedule an appointment with one of the student advisors at https://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/ (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) . They get busy, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead!
**Please note the instructors reserve the right to update this syllabus during quarter**
Week One
March 30
Political Science, Campaigns & Political Professionals
-Focus Group: Are You Political? (Cathy)
-Overview of Class (Randy)
*Reminder: Required readings are expected to have been read by the day they are listed in
the syllabus, as they are aligned with the lecture topics.
*Assignments listed are due for electronic submission on Canvas by 4:30 pm before the class
where they are listed.
April 1
Evolution of 21st Century Campaigns (Randy)
This lecture traces the development of modern professional campaigns across all levels of government, from the 1970’s to the present, with a highlight on races to watch this year. We will also introduce the components of campaigns covered in the course, and how grades will be earned.
Reading: Sun Tzu, Art of Warfare, On Assessments, p. 103-05.
Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 9: Message, p. 157-170.
Week Two
April 6
Today’s Political Professionals: Choosing what you would want to do in a campaign (Cathy)
Students will break into small groups to discuss how you should choose the right candidate to follow, and what campaign staff roles sound most interesting.
Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 4: Campaign Plan, p. 33-62; Chapter 5: Campaign Team, p. 63- 92.
April 8
Leesburg Grid and The Message Box (Randy)
Assignment: Declare your chosen candidate
Week Three
April 13
Campaign Plan (Randy)
Weekly Assignment: No more than one page on what you think is the central theme of your candidate’s campaign, and what are her/his key messages, based on your review of their website, any press clips, public disclosure files, and/or even by speaking/emailing to them.
April 15
Persuasion- The six basic ways we influence outcomes – in life and in especially politics (Cathy)
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini - unlimited concurrent users:
Reading: Robert B. Cialdin, Ph.d: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Harper Press, 2007); Chapters two thru six on each of the six weapons of persuasion.
https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/39bnvb/CP71290778680001451
Reading Group A: Pilar, Juan, McKayla, George, Sayra, Jeremiah, Ayse, Alex, Kenan. Read pages 1-16 (Weapons of Influence); pages 17 -56 (Reciprocation); pages 237-271 (Scarcity); pages 273-280 (Instant Influence).
Reading Group B: Edwyn, Ethan, Melissa, Andrew Feldman, Hayden, Rowan, Jasmine, Leyila, Makenzie. Read pages 1-16 (Weapons of Influence); 57-113 (Commitment & Consistency); pages 208-237 (Authority), 273-280 (Instant Influence).
Reading Group C: Andrew, Paul, AnnaClaire, Austin, Matthew, Nate, Emma, Renee, Andrei. Read Read pages 1-16 (Weapons of Influence); pages 114-166 (Social Proof), pages 167-207 (Liking), pages 273-280 (Instant Influence).
Week Four
April 20
Who cares what people think: Reading – and understanding – political polls (Randy)
Reading: Taking Back Politics: Chapter 8: Research & Polling (p. 139-156).
Weekly Assignment: No more than one page on an example of your campaign attempting to persuade a person, or larger audience, with references to the techniques used.
Quiz I – The quiz will have one question each from the first 6 lecture topics, from which you will choose three to answer in no more 100 words each. It will be handed out at the end of class, and is due before class on the 22nd.
April 22
Image, Voice and Presence (Cathy)
Review of Collins/Sarah Ads (Image)
Review of student voices (Recording)
Discussion of Image reading/Assignment
Assignment: Quiz I due before start of class
Reading: Lorraine Howell: Give Your Elevator Speech a Lift (Book Publisher’s Network 2016), entire book.
Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 10: Speech and Image, p. 171-190.
Week Five
April 27
Targeting: Knowing more about your voters, to get more votes out of them (Randy)
Reading: Selected pages from Richard Davis: Power Shift – Political Leadership & Social Media (Routledge Press, 2019).
https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/39bnvb/CP71344327670001451
Reading Group A: Pilar, Juan, McKayla, George, Sayra, Jeremiah, Ayse, Alex, Kenan. Please read these four pieces. Political leadership and social media: an introduction / David Taras
- The President Tweets the press: president-press relations and the politics of media degradation / Joshua M. Scacco and Eric C. Wiemer --
- Vulgar eloquence in the digital age: a case study of candidate Donald Trump's use of Twitter / Jennifer Stromer-Galley
- Populism and social media popularity: how populist communication benefits political leaders on Facebook and Twitter / Sina Blassnig, Nicole Ernst, Sven Engesser, and Frank Esser
Reading Group B: Edwyn, Ethan, Melissa, Andrew Feldman, Hayden, Rowan, Jasmine, Leyila, Makenzie. Please read these four pieces.
Political leadership and social media : an introduction / David Taras
- "Delete your account"? : Hillary Rodham Clinton across social media platforms in the 2016 U.S. presidential election / Shannon C. McGregor and Regina C. Lawrence
- \"Twitter was like magic!" : strategic use of social media in contemporary feminist activism / Kaitlynn Mendes --Not a leader! :
- Theresa May's leadership through the lens of Internet memes / Mireille Lalancette and Tamara A. Small
Reading Group C: Andrew, Paul, AnnaClaire, Austin, Matthew, Nate, Emma, Renee, Andrei. Please read these four pieces:
Political leadership and social media : an introduction / David Taras
- The visually viral prime minister : Justin Trudeau, selfies, and Instagram / Chasten Remillard, Lindsey M. Bertrand, and Alina Fisher
- Twitter and student leadership in South Africa : the case of #FeesMustFall / Tanja Bosch, Thierry M. Luescher, and Nkululeko Makhubu
- A marriage of Twitter and populism in the French presidential campaign? : the Twitter-discourse of challengers Macron and Le Pen / Peter Maurer
- #Unsettling Canada 150, one Tweet at a time : how indigenous leaders use Twitter to resist and reframe mainstream news in Canada / Brad Clark
Weekly Assignment: No more than one page on polling regarding your campaign, or a description of the image the campaign is currently trying to project.
April 29
The New Field (Cathy)
With COVID campaigning, the expanding role of social media and technology, what is field campaigning, and does it deliver better than broadcast ads?
Guest speaker: Frank Gianomi, Aristotle Lists
Reading: Taking Back Politics: Field Operations, p. 191-222.
Reading: Selected pages from Margaret O’Mara: The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America, Penquin Press, 2019).
https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/39bnvb/CP71305766050001451
Week Six
May 4
Let’s Get Digital (Randy)
Getting votes/money/support online: how campaigns are making it less costly to deliver the right message, at the right time, to the right audience, every day!
Guests speakers: Josh Amato and Matthew Lundh, Sermo Digital
Reading: Inside The Cave, power point deck, all 93 slides
https://anchor.fm/political-economy-forum/episodes/Megan-Francis-Why-is-this-Happening-ep2kh2
Weekly Assignment: No more than one page on a core audience your campaign is/should be targeting, through field operations.
May 6
Social Media: Friend of Democracy? (Cathy)
From privacy regulation of the tech industry to the break-in at the US Capitol, from Twitter conspiracy theories going viral to Facebook banning individuals, companies and businesses, social media may be at the heart and soul of whether our democracy survives.
Listening Assignment: Megan Francis on “Neither Free Nor Fair” Podcast, “Why is this happening?” Recorded January, 2021: Examining the break-in at the U.S. Capitol. The New Field in action.
https://anchor.fm/political-economy-forum/episodes/Megan-Francis-Why-is-this-Happening-ep2kh2
Week Seven
May 11
Know thy enemy – the World of Oppo (Randy)
Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 17: Going Negative, p. 333-344); Chapter 18, Damage Control, p. 345-355).
Weekly Assignment: No more than one page on an example of your campaign’s digital tactics, or best social media usage.
May 13
To tell the truth – or not? (Cathy)
Negatives play on the fear of their victim candidates, potentially revealing often truthful secrets and scandals the candidate’s own family members have never been told. Besides being embarrassing, a negative hit in the waning days of an election can cost your campaign volunteers, funding, and especially rob the candidate of indispensable momentum. How do you react without furthering the negative hit’s spread? How do you get back to your message? What are the new negatives to prepare a candidate to hear?
Reading: Selected pages from Anna Merlan: The Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy theorists & their surprising rise to power (Holt, Henry & Company, 2020).
https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/39bnvb/CP71298897740001451
Quiz II – The quiz will have one question each from the lecture topics from weeks 4 through 7, from which you will choose four to answer in no more 100 words each. It will be handed out at the end of class. It is due before class on May 18.
Week Eight
May 18
Show me the money: Fundraising (Cathy)
It’s called the mother’s milk of politics: you may not win with it, but you will certainly lose without it. Today’s greatest challenge in raising money is in having access to the right people, who have the ability (and perhaps willingness) to support your campaign. We’ll explore the basics of raising the dough, making the ask, the power of online fundraising, the path to get to PAC dollars, and learnings from the last record-setting election year – even during the COVID pandemic.
Weekly Assignment: No more than one page on an attack which your candidate should be prepared to defend, or prepared to launch on your opponent.
May 20
Any questions: the (dwindling) Media and (minimal) Political Reporting (Randy)
Guest speakers will include reporters from the local world of broadcast, print, and online journalism, joining the class to take questions about the evolving nature of the press and political coverage.
Reading: An article from each our guest speakers will be provided prior to Week 8.
Week Nine
May 25
How you vote and the battle for election advantage (Cathy)
Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman and her husband have written Elections 2020: Controlling Chaos, which details her 27 years of working on and directing elections in our state, bringing the registration, voting process and counting from the old days of casting a ballot on the first Tuesday of November at a local polling place, to one where all the ballots are mailed or dropped off in central ballot box locations up to three weeks before the election. More than 30 state legislatures are considering restrictions to voting practices this year, making it even more timely to hear from Secretary Wyman, and talk with her about lessons from her book.
Reading: Kim Wyman, Election 2020: Controlling Chaos; (2020) available on Kindle for $5.
Weekly Assignment: No more than one page pitching a story idea on your campaign to a reporter, or a fundraising email for your campaign.
May 27
Independent Expenditures and Super PACS: Constitutional Right or Subverting Democracy? (Randy)
Exponential growth in fundraising and an explosion in the number of Political Action Committees (PACs) represents the reality of 21st Century politics. The ability to voice one’s opinion about candidates (including through massive political spending) has been defined as a First Amendment right – but what toll is that right taking on candidates and their campaigns?
Week 10
June 1
Candidates Night: Meet some folks who want your vote, your money – and maybe have a job to offer!
Speakers during class will include a live collection (or pre-recordings) of candidates running this year.
Weekly Assignment: No more than one page on why a group would want to support your campaign with an independent expenditure effort.
June 3
Final Exam Prep & Political Predictions
June 11 (or TBA)
Final Exam
Additional Details:
"Modern Political Campaigns"