- Spring 2023
Syllabus Description:
Instructors: Cathy Allen (cathy@connectionsgroup.org) and Randy Pepple (rjp1984@uw.edu)
Time and location: T/TH 4:30 – 5:50 pm, Smith 309
Office hours: T/TH 2:00-3:00 pm (Pepple), 3:00-4:00 pm (Allen), Gowen 048, or by appointment
Veteran political consultants and media pundits Cathy Allen (Democrat) and Randy Pepple (Republican) present students an opportunity to learn about the key components of political campaigns today and the practical experience of putting to use what they learn on an actual campaign.
The course is grounded in today’s campaign reality, so you'll be asked to choose an active candidate to monitor and learn how to identify the strategic moves and messages your candidate utilizes (or should) to better position him/herself to win. Among the learning opportunities you’ll have in this Special Topics course:
- Seeing how digital campaigning has grown to become a major strategic tool – and taking far more of your campaign budget. Join a class that lets you potentially become an expert capable of advising a campaign on how to improve social network-based campaigning, from Zoom campaign Meet & Greets to Tik Tok fundraising.
- No matter what crisis knocks you off balance, every campaign needs to be centered on a relevant, inspiring, and brief central theme from which the campaign grows. Learn how a candidate identifies, develops, and stays on their messages to advance that theme.
- Understanding how the role of image and voice grows more important in candidate success, as our post-COVID environment continues to change behavior, including forcing us to see candidates more often on screens in front of us, instead of in-person 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 insider tips that make "the ask" efficient and effective, especially online.
- Targeting, the real science of campaigning, is figuring out who is going to vote, how many of those voters you need to win, where they live, and how you will reach them. It is key to your candidate winning.
The class, now in its eighth iteration, makes students familiar with new (and old) strategic campaign planning tools which makes this learning experience important for students who might be interested in working in the growing number and variety of campaign jobs available every year.
Learning objectives
Elections have consequences – and the campaigns (and the people behind them) which persuade the right voters prompt those consequences. This course focuses on the nuts and bolts of building winning campaigns, but many of the lessons have broader applications to our lives, including:
- Strategic thinking
- Project management
- Persuasion skills and “daring to be brief”
- Raising funds for a cause
- Dealing with criticism/attacks
- Team building – and not over-reaching your team’s capacities
- Deploying the right technologies, not just the latest fad
Grading
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 featuring an oral presentation to the instructors.
Unless otherwise noted assignments are due before class begins at 4:30 pm on the assigned due date. Students must upload an electronic version of their assignment to Canvas by this time for full credit. If students would prefer more substantive comments on their writing, particularly on early assignments, they should submit a printed copy to one of the instructors on the due date as well.
Students will earn their grades based on the following class elements:
- Participation (10%): Students need to regularly attend class and be ready to join in discussions of the lecture topic and class materials for this class to be successful. Participation is based on attendance and contributions to class activities.
- Weekly assignments, based on lectures and candidate campaigns (20%): Due every Tuesday, starting Week 2.
- Quiz #1 (25%): Conducted in class, in week 4, based on first four weeks of lectures.
- Quiz #2 (25%): Distributed at the end of the Thursday class in week 7, based on lectures from weeks 5-7. Quiz is due before the Tuesday class in Week 8.
- Final Presentation (20%): Appointments will be scheduled in 15-minute time blocks for individual presentations during finals week. Proposed dates: June 5-6, 11 am – 3 pm.
Late Assignments. If you cannot complete an assignment on time or attend a quiz, you must notify the instructor ahead of time. If students advise the instructors of non-attendance due to illness or pre-approved schedule conflicts, they may have up to a week from the due date to complete the assignment. You are responsible for making arrangements for a new quiz date, if possible.
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 generally receive a 0.
Grade Appeals. Students must submit a written (1 page) appeal within one week of the grade being posted. This appeal should articulate your understanding of the assignment or question, and why the grade is inappropriate. The instructor then has one week 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) 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)
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.
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 . In addition, you can schedule an appointment with one of the student advisors at POL S/JSIS/LSJ/GWSS Writing Center | Department of Political Science | University of Washington . 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 instructors reserve the right to change/update this syllabus during quarter**
Week One
Tuesday
CLASS OVERVIEW and FOCUS GROUP SESSIONS (Cathy and Randy)
Thursday
TODAY’S CAMPAIGN ENVIRONMENT (Cathy)
READING:
John Ashford: Hawthorne & Company: Previewing the 2023 and 2024 Elections
How to Choose Your Candidate: Information/Instruction (Cathy)
Assignment for Tuesday: Find a public poll and identify a non-demographic question which you find yourself on the minority side of the result. Explain a candidate or campaign could do that might cause voters to switch positions to your side.
Week Two
Tuesday
PLANNING TO WIN: Review the components of a campaign plan and discuss how to keep the document alive during the campaign. (Randy)
READING:
Sun Tzu, Art of Warfare, On Assessments, p. 103-05.
Taking Back Politics, Chapter 4: Campaign Plan, p. 33-62
Thursday
IMAGE, VOICE, & CONFIDENCE (Cathy)
READING:
Taking Back Politics, Chapter 10: Speech and Image, p. 171-190
Give Your Elevator Speech a Lift, Lorraine Howell (entire book, 48 pages)
Assignment for Tuesday: Identify a candidate campaign to follow through the quarter and utilize a photo and/or recording to highlight qualities of your chosen candidate's image presented to the voters.
Week Three
Tuesday
FUNDRAISING: Understanding “the ask” and getting it right (Cathy)
READING:
Taking Back Politics, Chapter 6, Fundraising, p. 93 – 12
Thursday
POLLING & STRATEGIC RESEARCH: Utilize current state and national surveys to understand the value – and limitations – of political research. (Randy)
READING:
Taking Back Politics: Chapter 8, Polling and Research
Assignment for Tuesday: Write a survey question for your campaign and explain why it may provide data for better reaching young voters.
Week Four
Tuesday
WOMEN & IDENTITY POLITICS (Cathy)
READING:
When women run against each other, gender bias persists, USATODAY
Identity Politics: Wikipedia Definition
Thursday
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. (Cathy and Randy)
Assignment for Tuesday: Pick a person/group which represents “Identity Politics” to you and explain a strategy or tactic you would use in exercising concepts we discussed to bring that specific person/group to supporting your candidate.
Week Five
Tuesday
IDENTIFYING AND TARGETING YOUR VOTERS (Cathy)
READING:
The Basics of a Solid Targeting Program (Campaign & Elections Magazine)
"I had to confuse my constituents", David Catanese, Too Close To Call <davidcatanese@substack.com>
Best Election Strategies to Win an Election (Aristotle)
Thursday
MAKING IT STRATEGIC: The Leesburg Grid, Message Box & other tools (Randy)
Assignment for Tuesday: Identify the number of voters expected to vote in your candidate’s primary campaign, and the number of voters in your target audience – and show how you arrived about those figures.
Week Six
Tuesday
LET'S GET DIGITAL (Randy)
READING:
Inside The Cave, power point deck, 93 slides (skim for perspective)
Thursday
NO FAKE NEWS: REAL PRESS (Randy and guest speakers)
READING:
Taking Back Politics, The Press, p. 273-293.
Journalism funders, don’t be fooled into letting newspapers die | The Seattle Times
Q&A with freedom of information advocate Jeff Roberts | The Seattle Times
An article from each of our speakers will be provided prior to Week 6.
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.
Week Seven
Tuesday
ELECTION REFORMS, FROM VOUCHERS TO IN ELECTION LAWS
READING:
Democracy Voucher Program Info & Links from Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission
Election 2020: Controlling Chaos; Kim Wyman, p. 320 -336.
Thursday
PLOWING THE FIELD: Tactics for directly delivering your message (Randy)
READING:
Taking Back Politics, Chapter 11: Field Operations, p. 191-222
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 May 16.
Week Eight
Tuesday
KNOW THY ENEMY: The World of “Oppo” (Randy)
Thursday
HANDLING NEGATIVE ATTACKS (Cathy)
READING:
Taking Back Politics: Chapter 18, Damage Control, p. 345-355.
Week Nine
Tuesday
THE POWER OF PARTIES & IE’S: Who is behind campaigns anyway? (Randy & guest speaker)
Thursday
ETHICS: The Politics of Your Values, from Aristotle to Today’s Voters (Cathy)
The Steven Schmidt Case Study
High school students learn how to spot misinformation at UW's 'Misinfo Day' event, GeekWire
Why we’re all vulnerable to sharing mis- and disinformation; Misinformation, Disinformation & Malinformation: MisinfoDay presentation, featuring UW’s Center for an Informed Public’s Dr. Kate Starbird and CIP postdoctoral fellow Maddy Jalbert.
Week Ten
Tuesday
VIEW FROM THE CANDIDATE (Randy & guest speaker)
Thursday
WHAT DID YOU LEARN THAT WE MISSED – AND PREP FOR YOUR FINAL (Cathy and Randy)
Proposed Final Schedule
Individual presentations about your chosen campaign – 5 minutes each, followed by Q&A.
Monday, June 5, 11 am - 3 pm, and Tuesday, June 6, 11 am - 3 pm
(15-minute time blocks, with arrival 15 minutes before your scheduled start time)