POL S 299 B: Special Topics in Political Science

Instructor:                  Cathy Allen (cathy@connectionsgroup.org)
TA:                               Julia Wejchert (jwejch@uw.edu)

Time and location:      T/TH 4:30 – 5:50 pm, SMI 105

Office hours: Cathy: Zoom calls on Tuesdays (2-4 pm), Thursdays (2-4) and on Fridays (by appointment- link will be posted soon); In-person appointments (Gowen 48) on Tuesdays (3-4) and Thursdays (2-4) are still available, but you must give us 24 hour notice so we can make sure we are there for you. Please arrange through Julia.

Julia: Zoom calls on Tuesdays (1-3 pm): https://washington.zoom.us/j/99170572296 ;In-person Tuesdays (2-3 pm) is an option with 24 hours notice.

Longtime local political consultant Cathy Allen (Democrat) has assembled a list of campaign professionals, elected officials and former Poli Sci students now in politics to present students an opportunity to learn about the key components of political campaigns today and gain practical experience putting to use what they learn in class on an actual campaign.

The course is grounded in current campaign practices, so you'll be asked to choose an active candidate to monitor so you can 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:

• Making communications your friend, by seeing that no matter what crisis knocks you off balance, successful campaigns need to be centered on a relevant, inspiring, and brief central theme from which the campaign grows. Find out how a candidate identifies, develops, and stays on their messages to advance that theme.
• Seeing (and hearing) how the role of image and voice grows more important in candidate success, as our post-COVID environment continues to change behavior (such as the reality that many voters see and evaluate candidates more often on tiny screens than other mediums).
• 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 twelfth term, 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 short weekly assignments 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%): Distributed at the end of the Thursday class in week 4, based on first four weeks of lectures. Quiz is due before the Thursday class in Week 5.
• Quiz #2 (25%): Distributed at the end of the Thursday class in week 8, based on lectures from weeks 5-8. Quiz is due before the Thursday class in Week 9. 
• Final Presentation (20%): Appointments will be scheduled in 15-minute time blocks for individual presentations during finals week. Dates: December 9th, 10th, and 11th.

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 instructor 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.

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.

Religious accommodations policy: “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..” 

Main Reading

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. The readings students need will be listed in Canvas by chapters assigned.

Other required reading materials will be available electronically or will be provided by the instructor.  

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).

Course Curriculum/ 2024 Fall Political Science 299

CLASS ONE: (Thursday, Sept. 26^th) Class Curriculum Outline/ Introductions/ First Impressions. The importance of first impressions, good introductions, and an overview of the classes to come.

Assignment#1: Short poll on what you think about Politics and this cycle’s elections. Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 8, Research & Polling, Pages 139-156. Due Tuesday, Oct. 1^st.

CLASS TWO: (Tuesday, Oct. 1^st) History of Political Campaigns. A quick overview of 200 years of political evolution, from the beginning of parties, the advent of written campaign plans and political media, broadcast ads, campaign finance reform, record-breaking fundraising, and now the age of social media.

Analyze our current political election season, looking for a candidate to support from statewide politics, local politics, legislative races, federal Congressional and US Senate races, and initiative campaigns here in WA State.

Assignment #2: Choose a candidate to follow through this quarter, explaining why you chose this race, the difference between your candidate/the opponent; your candidate’s message (one page); Due October 8^th, before class

CLASS THREE: (Thursday, Oct. 3^rd) Image, Voice and Self-Confidence. How do you sound to others when you speak? How do you look? Are you likeable, authoritative and a good listener? In a growing worldwide spectrum, how do you rate in looking and sounding like a leader?

Readings before class: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 10, Image and Speeches, Pages 171-190; Give Your Elevator Speech A Lift, Lorraine Howell, the entire booklet.

Assignment #3: Prepare a page analysis of your candidate’s image, voice and speech style. Due: Oct. 10^th What could be improved?

CLASS FOUR: (Tuesday, Oct. 8^th) The Importance of Political Debates: Given our very partisan times, and the number of voters who remain “undecided” so close to the election, let’s take a look at our State’s most recent debates of our top two Gubernatorial candidates, Bob Ferguson and Republican Dave Reichert.

Assignment #4: There have been two debates, watch one or both and be ready to discuss in class on Oct. 8^th.  (We will add links to each of the governor’s debates ahead of the assignment).

CLASS FIVE: (Thursday, Oct. 10^th) Voter Contact Plan and Budget. Guest speaker and popular local political consultant Sheila Stickel examines how much you need to compete – and win. Will you budget brochures to send to voters, or put your hard-earned dollars to work on TV spots? What’s your social media budget – and what kind of a budget will you have for staff?

Reading before class: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 4, Campaign Plan, pages: 33-62

Assignment #5: Put together a Voter Contact Plan for Your Candidate, with Budget on the draft sheet on campaign budgets handed out. Due Oct. 15^th, before class

CLASS SIX: (Tuesday, Oct. 15^th) Targeting: The Key to Winning. Guest: Frank Girolami, Aristotle Industries. The science of campaigning is determination of whom you are going to target to get your message to the most likely people you might persuade to vote for your candidate. Learn from the best in the country. Aristotle’s top targeting guru can help you determine who are the most efficient voters, most likely supporters, and how to reach them.

Assignment #6: Determine the number of voters you need to win, where they will come from, and how you will reach them. Follow the formula of historic presidential year turnout, plus expected 2024 turnout, plus unexpected GOTV, and some safety votes in last minute pushes or press. Due Oct. 22^nd.

CLASS SEVEN: (Thursday, Oct. 17^th) Issue Politics: Guest Speaker Reuven Carlyle, former WA State Senator and author of the most progressive Climate Control bill in the nation. That law now faces an initiative on the November ballot to rescind our landmark legislation. Learn the role that lobbyists play in legislating and how one still can get needed work passed – and often how it has to be continually protected.

CLASS EIGHT: (Tuesday, Oct. 22^nd) Political Parties: Guest Chris Vance, former chair of the Republican party and now leader of the Republicans for Kamala Harris WA Campaign. Democrats or Republicans: their power, their support, their over-reaching tenor, and their limitations. Parties have been losing strength with each generation coming of age to vote. What is their role in today’s political environment? And when and how do you decide they go too far from where you are?

Readings before Class Nine: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 6, Fundraising, pages 93 – 128.

CLASS NINE: (Thursday, Oct. 24^th): Fundraising: The Mother’s Milk of All Campaigns. Guest Speaker Senator Manka Dhingra (now senior ranking WA State Senator) just finished raising $1.3 million dollars for her campaign. How do you ask for money in a way that is not begging? How much do you ask for – and from whom? What happens if someone says “no”? In a fundraising plan, who do you mail, e-mail, call, ask in person, or have someone else ask?

TAKE HOME QUIZ ONE: To be released on Canvas after class: Due Thursday, Oct. 31^st

CLASS TEN: (Tuesday, Oct. 29^th) Politics in the Courts. Guest Speaker Rob McKenna, former Attorney General and defender of legislation in our courts including the “Top Two” candidates General Election rule, several rescinding of state tax bills and watchdog of the political reality of our courts. 

Assignment #7: McKenna talks of the power of our courts fulfilling the “balance” of American power in its three-part leadership of our country (executive, legislative and judicial). Take an example of court intervention in a political issue and explain its importance, or judicial influence in the public policy affected.

 CLASS ELEVEN: (Thursday, Oct. 31^st) Bridging the Political Divide: Our country has never been more divided, which has happened through the news we choose to watch, how we get our information, choosing parties instead of issues or individual candidates. All and more of this results in diminishing trust in our government and leaders, as well as limited work getting done. How do we bridge the growing divide?

CLASS TWELVE: (Tuesday, Nov. 5^th) ELECTION DAY: We’ve asked a team of reporters from Fox  News to join me and my point-counter-point TV partner Randy Pepple on this  politically-sparked day . The TV folks want to know what our students are thinking about the issues, the candidates, the parties. You’ll be asked to sign permission slips so your comments can be used on the evening news.

Reading: Eight Charts to Explain American Politics Ahead of the Election - US News. Please read this article before class on Election Day.

Extra Credit: Stop by at a Campaign night watch party or celebration, take a few photos – some with you in them, catch the scene and be ready to explain what happened? One page and a photo, please, to be ready to share on Thursday. If you cannot get to a campaign, watch TV and give me interpretations of what you see.

CLASS THIRTEEN: (Thursday, Nov. 7^th) ELECTION RESULTS: Who won? Post Election review of winners and losers and what happened that was beyond expectations? Politics never ends: what do the results from Election 2024 prompt in next actions? Guest Speaker Enrique Cerna, local TV news analyst, will join us to help us figure out what happened.

Be ready to talk about the changes we might see based on the results.

CLASS FOURTEEN: (Tuesday, Nov. 12^th) The Power of the Media in Politics – Guest Speaker/John Carlson, longtime local radio talk show, conservative guru John Carlson joins us to size up the state of our diminishing press corps. Calrson, also a former WA gubernatorial candidate also will speak on the status of Republican goals in WA ever-blue state.

Assignment #8: How do you get the media to notice, be interested in, and report on your candidate? Explain how you would approach a reporter and what you would pitch as a good opportunity to meet, campaign with, and learn about your candidate that would be newsworthy.

Reading: Taking Back Politics, Chapter 14, The Press, Pages 273-294. Due: Nov. 19^th, before class

CLASS FIFTEEN: (Thursday, Nov. 14^th) Identity Politics: Women, LGBTQ, Minorities, Tribes, Geography Demographics. Starting with a woman running to be our first US President, 2024 was a strong year for young voters, candidates of color and women voters to turn up the heat in turning out and voting for candidates that represent them by culture and similarities. Guest Speaker: Sue Hammell, former Women’s Minister/Provincial leader from British Columbia, Canada. Sue helped craft one of the most successful world programs to bring women’s representation to 56% in her party – and province in less than a decade.

CLASS SIXTEEN: (Tuesday, Nov. 19^th) Opposition Research. The rules for negative attacks are changing as are the mediums we use to present them. We review the tactics for combatting the negative attacks our candidate might face, and determine the message, the budget and the strategies we need to get back to our own message going into the end of the campaign.

Be able to talk about the weak points of your candidate that you and your opponent know or suspect to be true. What’s the oppo research you should do on your own candidate? How about your opponent?  How should you prepare your candidate to be ready for negative hits?

CLASS SEVENTEEN: (Thursday, Nov. 21^st) The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media

What works, what doesn’t, what wastes money and doesn’t get votes or money? What is overrated? How do you handle the high- tools in a campaign with a tight budget? We review the tactics for combatting the negative attacks our candidate might face, and determine the  message, the budget and the strategies we need to get back to our own message going into the end of the campaign.

Take home Quiz Number Two: To be released on Canvas after class: Due Tuesday, Nov. 26^th.

CLASS EIGHTEEN: (Tuesday, Nov. 26^th) Election Reform

The world of campaign vote counting has changed dramatically in the past 10 years; centralized election vote-counters are taking over the world of vote-processing, yet the public is suspect, the parties are in one vendor’s corner or the other and there is no central set of goals and standards for what is a good vote-counting approaches to tallying results.

Assignment #9: There are more than 30 different election reform techniques and voter access changes being contemplated throughout the country. Pick one you think is particularly good – and one that is particularly bad and explain your reasons for choosing them.

CLASS NINETEEN: Ethics in Politics You’ve heard from candidates, campaign managers and consultants, political press corps folks, winners and losers, elected, appointed, judicial and other people who make up our political environment. Now explain your values in relation to winning and losing … what would you be willing to do – and what would you not do in the name of winning.

Assignment #10: Would you ever want to be a candidate? Why or why not? What about a campaign manager? What are the assets you have that would make you a good campaign leader? Please put your resume together, along with a good photo for a - (no more than a page and a half) summary of your experience and skills to be a political professional. (Due Friday, Dec. 6^th by close of business).

CLASS TWENTY: (Thursday, Dec. 5^th) The Future of Politics as we know it.

What have we learned? What should be different in how we approach ideas, candidates and campaigns? Be prepared to have your photo taken if you do not have a good one for your resume due tomorrow, Dec. 6^th).

FINAL EXAMS: To be scheduled individually for 5 to 10 minute presentations on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, December 9^th, 10^th and 11^th) from 11 am to 3 pm. Sign-Up sheet will be provided after 2^nd Quiz.