POL S 299 A: 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, Savery 130

Office hours:               T/TH 3:00-4:00 pm (Allen), 3:00-4:00 pm (Pepple), in Smith 048

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 to use what they learn on an actual campaign.

In PS 299, Modern Political Campaigns, students will learn how (even before COVID) 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’ll have in this Special Topics course:

• 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 knocks you off balance, every campaign needs to be centered on 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 post-COVID environment continues to change behavior, including 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 current 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 2022. 

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 short weekly assignment based on lectures and the campaigns of the candidate of their choice. Attendance and participation in class is a must to succeed. There will also be two quizzes, one of them in class, and a final exam which will include a presentation to the instructors.

• 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 5.
• Quiz #1 (20%): Conducted in class, April 21, based on first four weeks of lectures.
• Quiz #2 (20%): Distributed in class, May 12, due May 17, based on lectures from weeks 5-7.
• Final Presentation (20%): Appointments will be scheduled in 10-minute time blocks for individual presentations during finals week. Proposed dates: June 6 and 7, 11 am – 2 pm.

Grading scale: Written assignments and presentations will show a point total based on the total points available for the task. Final grades will be based on the raw score out of 100, and this 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 creative, perceptive, and persuasive arguments; 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 arguments; 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 relatively underdeveloped, simplistic, or derivative arguments; 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 arguments; 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 instructors, 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/) (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.). 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/) (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.).

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 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.).

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.) (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.) (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) .  They get busy, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead!

Reminders:

*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 date listed.

**Please note the instructors reserve the right to change/update this syllabus during quarter** 

Week One

Mar 29

CLASS OVERVIEW, featuring break-out Focus Group sessions (Cathy and Randy)

READING: AMERICA’S SUBURBS: GROUND ZERO IN 21ST CENTURY POLITICS By Doug Sosnick (3/22/22) (Politico)

Mar 31

EVOLUTION OF 21^st CENTURY CAMPAIGNS (Randy)

READING: The Partisan Divide on Political Values Grows Even Wider/Pew Research Center

READING: Campaigning during COVID-19 “There’s no playbook.”/ Seattle Times

Assignment for Tuesday: Organized campaigns often start with some research, and to start this course you will complete a short, anonymous survey distributed via our course Canvas on Friday.  We will use combined class responses to compare/contrast with other target audiences during future classes.

Week Two

April 5

TODAY’S CAMPAIGN CLIMATE (Cathy)

Reading: Sun Tzu, Art of Warfare, On Assessments, p. 103-05.

Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 4: Campaign Plan, p. 33-62

April 7

IMAGE, VOICE, & CONFIDENCE (Cathy)

Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 10: Speech and Image, p. 171-190.

Reading: The Role of Image in the Political Campaigns (ijser.org)

Reading: Lorraine Howell: Give Your Elevator Speech a Lift

Assignment for Tuesday: An updated resume, your introduction, and introduction of your candidate with her/his winning edge

Week Three

Assignment for Friday: Identify a candidate campaign to follow through the quarter, and based on your review of the campaign’s website, polling, press clips, public disclosure files, and/or other research, what image characteristic should they focus on to attract young voters?

April 12

IMAGE & YOU, AND YOUR CANDIDATE

Introducing yourself, your candidate, and your candidate’s winning image (presentations and exercises)

April 14

MAKING IT STRATEGIC (Randy) The Leesburg Grid, Message Box & other tools

Reading: Taking Back Politics: Chapter 8, Polling and Research

Assignment for Tuesday: Complete a message box for your chosen candidate.

Week Four 

April 19

Polling & Strategic Research: Review of national polls and the class poll, along with the Focus Groups findings from our first class. (Randy)

April 21

QUIZ I –The quiz will have one question each from the first seven lecture topics, from which you will choose three to answer in up to 300 words each. It will be handed out at the start of class, and will be due by the end of class. (Randy)

Assignment for Tuesday: Write a survey question to help your candidate identify how to generate support among young voters, and explain what the results would tell you? 

Reading: The Basics of a Solid Targeting Program (Campaign & Elections Magazine)

Reading: Best Election Strategies to Win an Election (Aristotle)

Week Five

April 26

TARGETING (Cathy)

Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 11: Field Operations, p. 191-222.

Assignment for next Tuesday: What are your campaign’s target populations, and how many voters (in the primary) should your candidate target?

April 28

Plowing the field: Tactics for getting your message out (Randy)

Reading: Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 6, Fundraising, p. 93 – 12

Reading: Influencing Attitudes with Confidence & Listening by Neil Wollman, Ph.d./Senior Fellow, Bentley College

Week Six

May 3

FUNDRAISING (Cathy)

Reading: Taking Back Politics: The Press, p. 273-293.

Reading to skim for perspective: Inside The Cave, power point deck, 93 slides

May 5

KNOW THY ENEMY: The World of “Oppo” (Randy)

Reading: Taking Back Politics: Chapter 18, Damage Control, p. 345-355.

Assignment for Tuesday: Identify a current element of your chosen campaign’s digital profile (web site, Facebook, emails, etc), and write a one-page memo advocating a way to improve it to reach college voters.

Reading: New Threats to American Press Freedom by Anne Applebaum

Reading: An article from each our guest speakers will be provided prior to Week 6.

Week Seven

May 10

HANDLING NEGATIVE ATTACKS   (Cathy)

May 12

NO FAKE NEWS: REAL PRESS (Randy)

QUIZ II –The quiz will have one question from each of the lecture topics from weeks 5 through 7, from which you will choose three to answer in up to 300 words each. It will be handed out at the end of class. Extra credit opportunities will be available. It is due before class on May 17^th.

Reading: Axios Hard Truths and The Brennan Center Reports on 2022 legislative changes in election laws.

Reading: Reading: Kim Wyman, Election 2020: Controlling Chaos; p. 320 -336.

Week Eight

May 17

THE POWER OF ENDORSEMENTS & INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES Third-party operations that can overwhelm campaigns. (Randy)

May 19

ELECTION REFORM

Guest Speaker on Election Reform & Hacking Updates (Cathy)

Reading: Politics & Ethics, from Aristotle to Today’s Voters

Assignment for Tuesday: Kim Wyman defined the three categories of information being monitored by federal officials protecting our electoral system from outside influence. What are those categories, and apply one of them to your candidate's chosen campaign?

Week Nine

May 24

ETHICS: The Politics of Your Values.  (Cathy)

May 26

VIEW FROM THE CANDIDATE: Elected Guest Speaker (Randy)

Reading: Campaigning with Identity Politics/Barbara Lee Foundation Position Paper

Assignment for Tuesday: For students who have women candidates, an opportunity to explain what the candidate is doing to maximize her candidacy as a woman. For students who are running as male candidate against a woman candidate, how is he using or compensating for her being a woman?

And for those who don’t fit in either category, how is their candidate appealing to women voters?

Week Ten

May 31

WOMEN & IDENTITY POLITICS (Cathy/Guest Speaker)

June 2

What did you learn that we missed – and preparation for your final presentation. (Both)

Final

Individual Presentations of Candidates Campaigns Tracked – 5 minutes each – recorded

Monday, June 6, 11 am - 2 pm and Tuesday, June 7, 11 am - 2 pm (10-minute time blocks)