G391: Seminar in Political Communication

G391 Seminar in Political Communication Y380 Political Communication I300 Integrator Departments of Communication Studies and Political Science Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis Spring 2007

Instructor: Kristina Horn Sheeler, Ph.D. Office: CA 307B Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Mailbox: CA 309 Phone: 317-278-3161 Office Hrs: T/R 2:00 – 3:30 and by appointment Course Section: 19095, 6:00 – 8:40 pm Tues, IT 163 Email:[email protected]

Course Overview Students and educators work together to create a citizenry interested in the public good, broadly educated and exposed to a variety of opinions and perspectives, and equipped to put forth the personal effort required to sustain democracy. Some have argued that democracy is at risk in the United States. Critics point the finger at a host of culprits: apathetic, disenchanted, or uninformed voters; greedy special interests and inadequate campaign finance laws; corrupt politicians; jaded media corporations who cover politics with an eye toward their business interests. It is impossible to fully assess the political state of our Union (or dis-Union) without considering politics from a rhetorical perspective. Through communication, candidates reveal their character and political agendas. Voters form opinions about politics by watching television, reading newspapers and magazines, going online, and talking with friends and family members. News organizations filter and frame the political information citizens receive. Many Americans form political opinions after viewing communication in alternative contexts such as late night talk shows and comedy programs.

Political Communication is designed to provide students with both an opportunity to understand and to participate in political communication. We shall examine the roles and functions of communication in American politics. “The essence of politics is ‘talk’ or human interaction. Such interaction is formal and informal, verbal and nonverbal, public and private - but always persuasive in nature causing us to interpret, to evaluate and to act. Communication provides the basis of social cohesion, issue discussion, and legislative enactment” (Denton and Woodward).

Course Objectives: This course will  Provide an opportunity for students to engage the Principles of Undergraduate Learning. In particular this course will give students an opportunity to develop, explore, and enhance their communication skills, critical thinking, integration and application of knowledge, understanding of society and [political] culture, and values and ethics.  Provide an environment in which students can learn how to talk about politics in a productive manner.  Expose students to examples of significant political communication from the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing on the ways in which political discourse shapes national, group, and individual identity.  Consider the evolving nature of “political speech,” given changes in audience and technological advances, and evaluate the impact of those changes on the substance and purposes of political communication.  Teach students how to critically evaluate campaign communication and political journalism, so you can become more engaged voters and citizens.

Course Materials . Trent, Judith S. and Robert V. Friedenberg. Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices. 5th edition. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2004. . Additional readings, as noted on the syllabus, will be available on Oncourse or the Internet. . Pen, paper, folder and any other materials you need to stay organized. . Computer / e-mail access. Get used to checking e-mail and Oncourse several times per week. All course materials will be located through Oncourse.

Professionalism, Attendance, and Class Participation All students are expected to conduct themselves professionally. Please plan to prepare your assignments and readings for each class, attend class regularly, arrive on time, stay for the full class period, and participate actively. Your class participation score will be based on your professionalism, attendance, and active participation. In addition, professional behavior includes: o Actively listening while someone else has the floor. o Completing all assigned homework, readings, and reports carefully and thoughtfully. o Doing additional outside readings to enrich classroom discussion. o Participating in class discussions carefully and thoughtfully. o Waiting until the speaker has finished before asking questions. o Treating other students and the instructor with respect. o Turning off cell phones, alarms, or other distractions while in class. o Waiting to be dismissed before packing personal belongings. o Doing your own work and only taking credit for the work you do. o Attending class and participating appropriately during student presentations. o Upholding the IUPUI Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.

The classroom must be a safe and supportive environment for everyone. Talking during presentations and lectures, reading, working on other material, passing notes, or any other disruptive and rude behavior will not be tolerated. Each member of the class is expected to conduct him/herself professionally.

Learning is an active process in which we all participate. Viewing learning as an active process implies several significant distinctions between many traditional classroom interactions and what I hope this course will become for each of us. First, an active process suggests the importance of understanding and experiencing ideas as they relate to our own lives, rather than just remembering a list of facts. This course should provide us with plenty of material upon which to reflect as we consider the pervasive influence of political communication on our daily public and civic participation. Second, a process continually evolves with no clear beginning or end. Hence, this course should become a dialogue among all of us as we reflect upon the material presented and its relevance in our experiences. Such a conversation includes responsibilities to which we must all agree. Clearly, one initial responsibility involves being in class regularly. But merely being in class is not enough to create a climate in which we can all learn. Being prepared for class is an additional commitment that is necessary from each of us. A quick reading of the assigned material will do little to prepare for class. The nature of the material presented in this course invites critical reflection upon the ideas and a willingness to share our insights and perspectives on personal and potentially controversial topics. A final and vitally important responsibility involves a willingness to be open to and consider the thoughts and ideas of others in the classroom. If there are twenty of us in the course, then there may be at least twenty different perspectives. No one experience or viewpoint is more important or more valuable than any other. You may not agree with the views expressed by others in the course, but we must all agree to respect each individual’s right to have and share their own experiences. Hearing and listening to the perspectives of others should do nothing more than create greater understanding of the diversity of experience in contemporary American society.

Attendance Because class interaction and discussion are central to accomplishing the goals of our course, regular attendance and participation are required. Since illnesses and emergencies do arise during the course of the semester, 1 “free” absence is allowed. Provided it is not a presentation or examination day, no explanation is required for the missed day; however the student is responsible for obtaining any lecture material, handouts, or announcements covered in class. I will be available during office hours to cover missed material after you have obtained the notes from a classmate. In-class activities and class participation may not be made up for any reason.

Penalty for unexcused absences: After the “free” absence has been used, each unexcused absence will result in a 10 point per absence deduction from the student’s final course grade. I reserve the right to deduct for partial absences and late arrivals.

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of the class period. If you are late to class or tardy, it is your responsibility to inform the instructor you have arrived. Please do so at break or the end of class.

10 points (NOT percentage points) will be added to your final course grade for perfect attendance. Perfect attendance means perfect, no absences (excused or unexcused); you are in class at all times, arrive on time, and stay the full class period.

Administrative Withdrawal Students who miss more than 50% of class meetings during the first four weeks of the semester will be administratively withdrawn. For the complete policy go to .

Deadlines All assignments are due at the beginning of the assigned class period unless noted otherwise. If you are absent, your written assignment is still due and may be submitted by a class member, as an attached file in Microsoft Word format via e-mail, or to the appropriate Oncourse drop box before class time. If you have an emergency, contact me immediately at [email protected] or via Oncourse. Computer problems do not constitute emergencies for which lateness is excused. Print your assignment early enough so that if printer, disk, or word processing errors occur, you will have time to fix them.

Late papers will be given a grade lower than the one earned. For example, an “A” paper submitted late will be given a “B.” Excessive lateness (more than four calendar days) may result in further grade deductions. If you are not prepared for an oral presentation on the assigned day, your grade will be reduced and you will only be allowed to make up the presentation if time permits.

A Special Note about Academic Misconduct Any form of plagiarism is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. You are expected to uphold the IUPUI Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. Read the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct to discover what constitutes academic misconduct and how IUPUI handles academic misconduct cases. Committing any form of academic misconduct listed in the Code will result in an F for the course. You may find the code at http://bulletin.iupui.edu/2004- html/intro/conduct.html

Special Needs Students with disabilities and other special needs should feel free to contact me privately if there are services or adaptations which can be made to accommodate specific needs.

Assignments and Grading Professional-quality work is expected from students in this course. All assignments should be word-processed unless otherwise noted. Below is a brief listing of assignments and point values.

Class Participation/Professionalism (in class and on Oncourse) 10% 50 pts ______Includes “Reading Reactions” and “This Week in Politics” Book Review: Paper and Presentation 10% 50 ______Talking Politics Self Assessment 10% 50 ______Semester Project, 70% of course grade consisting of: Project Proposal 10% 25 ______Annotated Bibliography 15% 100 ______Final Paper 25% 125 ______

Final Presentation 20% 100 ______TOTAL 500

Grading Scale A 465 - 500 A- 450 - 464 B+ 435 - 449 B 415 - 434 B- 400 - 414 C+ 385 – 399 C 365 - 384 C- 350 - 364 D+ 335 – 349 D 315 – 334 D- 300 – 314 F below 300 Class Participation: In addition to the information provided earlier on professionalism and class participation, it is important to note that participation may take various forms. The most obvious is participating in class discussions, answering questions, providing feedback, or answering questions. While I expect that everyone will do this, there are additional ways to participate. You might participate in Oncourse forums, during which you will be asked to respond in writing to a public communication event in the news, or you might initiate a forum yourself. You might bring a newspaper or magazine article to class or to my office hours and initiate conversation about it. I want to see that you are interacting with the course ideas and making efforts to think critically about course materials. This is especially important since the emphasis in this course is on discussion and application of ideas instead of traditional exams or quizzes. Students are expected to use ideas, concepts, theories, and terms from the readings to demonstrate their knowledge.

Two additional ways you will be asked to participate will be to provide your reaction in response to the assigned readings for a particular week and to provide a summary of the week in politics. Each of these will involve a short, one page, paper as well as an oral presentation in which you: Reading Reaction: 1) articulate your position on a particular issue discussed in the readings, why you take the position you do, and what elements of political communication concepts, theories, strategies, etc. help to substantiate your position. This Week in Politics: 2) summarize the week in local/national politics for the class, highlighting three big issues as well as the communication phenomena involved, your assessment of the communication phenomena, and what elements of political communication concepts, theories, strategies, etc. help to substantiate your assessment.

Each student will sign up to participate in one Reading Reaction and one Week in Politics.

Book Review – Each student will review one peer-reviewed academic book on a topic related to political communication. Several possibilities are listed on the course calendar, but you may choose one not listed as long as you secure instructor approval. Books will be assigned on a first- come-basis and no overlap is allowed. Ideally, this book should also relate to the topic of your semester project.

Book reviews have both an informative and an evaluative component. Your review should provide an argumentative thesis evaluating the book as well as a summary of the contents of the book for the audience. Samples will be provided. Your review should be 3-5 well-written, double spaced pages and you should plan to present your findings to the class in a 5 minute presentation. Book review papers will be due following spring break and specific presentation dates will be assigned once each student has selected a book for review.

Talking Politics: Self-Assessment – Prepare a 2-3 page position paper that assesses your orientation to politics. Please read the Oncourse reading “Political Socialization” before completing this paper. Consider the following questions: . Do you have a political affiliation? If so, how did you come to affiliate with a particular political party? If not, what factors have prevented you from forming a political affiliation. . How do you feel about politics currently? Interested? Excited? Inspired? Curious? Bored? Confused? Overwhelmed? Dejected? Dispassionate? Identify specific sources of your feelings. . Do you enjoy talking about politics with friends, family members, and/or classmates? Why or why not? If politics is discussed in your family, how and where do these discussions usually take place? . What questions about political communication do you hope to have answered by the end of this semester? . This should be a well-written paper, with paragraphs and even source citations when appropriate. It should be evident that you have read “Political Socialization.” Writing should reflect that this is a junior-senior level college course.

Semester Project – You will choose a topic related to politics and communication. You might choose some aspect of primary elections, political campaigns, the media, political campaign ads, speechmaking, campaign news coverage, governing, etc. You may decide to select a rhetorical artifact, event, speaker, movement, campaign, issue or theorist not covered during the course but that relates to issues raised during this course. You may choose to analyze a candidate, campaign, film, song, newspaper or other print media. All project topics must be approved by me well in advance. Topics will be available on a first come-first served basis.

Special Note to Communication Studies Majors enrolled in G391: If you plan to count this course as your capstone course, you are required to make original research a part of your semester project. Please see me for additional information.

Write a formal proposal for your project. This should consist of significant preliminary research and a research question that you hope to answer or hypothesis you hope to explore as a result of your semester project. Discuss your plan for accomplishing the project, sources you still must consult, ideas you still must explore. The proposal should be well written and be 2-3 pages in length plus a bibliography. I expect that this is a well developed, researched, thoughtful and thought-provoking paper. Do not wait until the last minute. It will take considerable time to develop a topic that is neither too narrow nor too broad to accomplish during the semester.

Annotated Bibliography: Once your topic has been approved your task is to determine what the academic literature has to say on your topic. Survey the academic literature in communication, political science, and other relevant literature. Compile an annotated bibliography on your subject consisting of at least 10 academic sources. Academic = peer-reviewed. If you have chosen wisely, you may include the book you reviewed as one of your 10 sources.

Please include an introduction and thesis which frames and unifies your annotated bibliography. This annotated bibliography should provide a solid foundation for the context in which your project occurs. There is no limit on the number of sources you might find, but you should consider ten academic (peer-reviewed) sources the minimum for this assignment. I suspect that your annotated bibliography will consist mostly of peer-reviewed journal articles and a minimal number of books; however your topic will dictate the types of sources most useful to you. Please ask if you need guidance. An annotated bibliography is a list of fully referenced sources that includes short summaries and evaluations for each work cited. Most commonly, annotated bibs are used to demonstrate the breadth of writing on a particular topic, issue or field of study. Whether ten or 100 sources long, all annotated bibliographies have the same general purpose: to offer the reader a complete description of a work’s location and contents. In order to achieve this, each annotation will include these two elements:

 a complete citation of each source according to either APA or MLA style.  an exhaustive yet brief summary and evaluation of the source, usually called an annotation

Regarding the citation, APA and MLA help sheets can be downloaded from the Writing Center’s web site. Arrange all sources in alphabetical order.

Regarding the actual annotation, there are two basic types of summarization. An informative summary is descriptive and non-evaluative. It adopts the tone of the original work, presenting it in a shorter form. An evaluative summary does the same thing as a descriptive or informative summary but also includes an evaluative judgment about the work answering questions, such as:  How extensive is the discussion of the topic?  How objective is this source?  Does the author have a slant or bias?  How dated is the source?  Is that a problem for the topic?  How qualified is the author?  What have been his or her sources?  What are the potential shortcomings of the research?

Your annotations should include both evaluative and informative information. You will have 10 annotations. I suspect your annotated bibliography will be a minimum of four pages in length, but this depends on your topic area.

Final Paper and Presentation: Once your proposal has been approved and you complete your annotated bibliography, you will develop an in-depth research-driven description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of your topic. Discuss the implications of your findings and conclusions. All topics should address issues of political communication significantly and specifically.

. Each student will write an 8-12 page research paper (plus bibliography) on some aspect of political communication. All essays should be typed, double-spaced and adhere to an accepted style manual. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you do not know how to cite sources correctly, please plan to have your essay evaluated by Writing Tutorial Services. . All essays should be written in clear, quality prose. Again, go to Writing Tutorial Services for help. This is an upper level seminar course and basic, college-level writing competency is expected. Essays that do not meet this minimum standard will not be scored. . Consider the final paper and corresponding presentation your final exam. As such, it should demonstrate clear course learning, synthesis of ideas, and relevant and meaningful conclusions. I expect to see you using course concepts thoroughly. . Your essays will themselves be examples of persuasion (most likely on questions of fact and/or value). You will want to make a convincing, persuasive case as to the accuracy and power of your analysis and evaluation. To that end, all essays should have an argumentative thesis or research question. . All written work submitted on or before the due date is eligible for one revision. Revisions are due one week after feedback has been returned to you, and you have the opportunity to earn back up to half the points you missed. Late work is not eligible for revision. For example, if you earned 80/100 on a paper (submitted on time) and you submit a revision one week after receiving feedback, you can earn back up to 10 points with an A quality revision. When you submit a revision, the original with my comments must also be submitted. The revision policy does not apply to oral presentations. . Each student will conduct a 15 minute (may be adjusted depending on course enrollment) interactive and exciting presentation, developed from the research paper. At the conclusion of your presentation there should not be silence, but inspired conversation about the issues you’ve raised. . The project will require external support. If you critique a speech, do research about how the audience responded and received the speech as well as to understand the context in which it was delivered. If you analyze a political campaign, undertake research about the candidate, the campaign, and its efforts. Ultimately, you need to prove rather than assert your cases. Include at least 10 sources documented correctly in MLA or APA style. These should be sources in addition to those listed as assigned course readings. . Tie your paper and presentation into relevant ideas from the course—reference theorists, recall applications, mention or counter readings, refer to position papers or other presentations. Careful thought should be evident throughout.

In know this is a long document, but it is an important document and understanding its contents will be important to success in our course. If you are still reading, then please e-mail me to let me know. Specifically, e-mail [email protected] and in the subject line please write: Go Colts! Win the Superbowl! Tentative Weekly Calendar: I reserve the right to modify the following tentative calendar based on class interest and student needs. All changes will be announced in class or on Oncourse and will be your responsibility. Readings should be completed before class. Readings are from your textbook, Political Campaign Communication, noted as PCC. Other readings are located on Oncourse (look under the Schedule tab) or the Internet as indicated. Also be prepared to volunteer to complete your Reading Reaction and This Week in Politics (see Class Participation above) during your chosen date.

T Jan 9: Defining Our Terms: “The essence of politics is talk” Course Introduction: Syllabus  “Politics Is Communication,” by Thomas Hollihan in Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in the Media Age. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. Located on Oncourse under the Schedule tab.  The Field As It Stands Now: http://news.aol.com/dailypulse/010807/_a/rate-their- chances/20070108105709990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001  Just for Fun: Fantasy Congress: www.fantasycongress.com log in and play—join my team: IUPUI poli comm

T Jan 16: Political Campaigns and Communication: Are we in a perpetual campaign?  PCC Chapter 1: “Communication and Political Campaigns: A Prologue”  PCC Chapter 2: “Communicative Functions of Political Campaigns”

T Jan 23: The Evolution of Political Campaign Communication: It’s Not your Father’s Stump Speech Anymore  PCC Chapter 6: “Public Speaking in Political Campaigns”  PCC Chapter 7: “Recurring Forms of Political Campaign Communication” President Bush’s State of the Union address is scheduled for tonight at 9 pm EST. Please plan to watch the address. State of the Union Resources: http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/history.html http://stateoftheunion.onetwothree.net/index.html http://www.c-span.org/executive/stateoftheunion.asp

Book Review Suggestions: Karlyn Kohrs Campbell and Kathleen Hall Jamieson Deeds Done in Words Thomas Hollihan Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in the Media Age

T Jan 30: The Rhetoric of Politics and Political Theories of Rhetoric: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Evolution of the Study of Political Communication but Were Afraid to Ask! Talking Politics Self Assessment Paper Due  “Political Socialization” by Thomas Hollihan in Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in the Media Age. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001, located on Oncourse (Schedule tab)  “Rhetoric and Politics” (135-154) by Bruce Gronbeck in Handbook of Political Communication Research (2004) edited by Linda Lee Kaid available on ebrary

T Feb 6: Political Campaigns: What the Research Says and Where Do We Go From Here? (Now that we’ve read Gronbeck) Semester Project Proposal Due to Oncourse drop box by midnight Book Review Choices Due no later than tonight

 PCC Chapter 3: “Communicative Styles and Strategies of Political Campaigns”  PCC Chapter 4: “Communicative Mass Channels of Political Campaigning”

T Feb 13: Campaign Discourse: The Language of the Campaign and Why We Should Care  PCC Chapter 8: “Debates in Political Campaigns”  Commission on Presidential Debates http://www.debates.org/  http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/debates.html  Chapter 1 from Campaign Talk: Why Elections are Good for Us by Roderick P. Hart http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s6797.html

Book Review Suggestions: Roderick P. Hart Campaign Talk: Why Elections are Good for Us John Buell Liars! Cheaters! Evildoers!: Demonization and the End of Civil Debate in American Politics available on ebrary Kathleen Hall Jamieson Everything You Think You Know About Politics and Why You’re Wrong

T Feb 20: Political Advertising: Issues vs. Image Tonight’s class will be delivered online.  PCC Chapter 5: “Communicative Types and Functions of Televised Political Advertising”  PCC Chapter 10: “Advertising in Political Campaigns”  http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/jamieson.html  Go to www.ammi.org, click on Online Exhibitions, click on The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials 1952- 2004. Watch some of the ads and be ready to interact in discussion. Specific instructions will be announced in class and posted to Oncourse.

Book Review Suggestions William Benoit A Functional Analysis of Presidential Television Advertisements E.D. Dover Images, Issues, and Attacks: Television Advertising by Incumbents and Challengers in Presidential Elections John G. Geer In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns Kathleen Hall Jamieson Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction, and Democracy

T Feb 27: Cyberpolitics: Technology’s Impact on Political Campaign Communication Tonight’s Class will be delivered online.  “Changing the Channel: Use of the Internet for Communicating About Politics” (507-532) by John Tedesco in Handbook of Political Communication Research (2004) edited by Linda Lee Kaid available on ebrary

Book Review Suggestions Robert E. Denton Jr, editor, The 2004 Presidential Campaign: A Communication Perspective Richard Davis The Web of Politics: The Internet’s Impact on the American Political System

F Mar 2 Last day to withdraw with an automatic W Annotated Bibliography Due to Oncourse drop box by midnight

T Mar 6 Race and Gender on the Campaign Trail: Could Hillary Rodham Clinton Really Become President?  Altar, Jonathan. “Is America Ready for Hillary or Obama?” Newsweek, December 25, 2006 – January 1, 2007 issue (available on Oncourse)

Book Review Suggestions Nichola Gutgold Paving the Way for Madam President Molly Wertheimer Inventing a Voice: The Rhetoric of American First Ladies of the Twentieth Century Brenda DeVore Marshall and Molly Mayhead Navigating Boundaries Molly Mayhead and Brenda DeVore Marshall Women’s Political Discourse: A 21st Century Perspective Karrin Vasby Anderson and Kristina Horn Sheeler Governing Codes: Gender, Metaphor, and Political Identity

Spring Break March 12 - 18

T Mar 20: News Media and Public Opinion: Can We Really Trust What We Hear on the News? All Book Review Papers Due Tonight to Oncourse drop box 1/3 Book Review Presentations Tonight  Part III: News Media Coverage of Politics, Political Issues, and Political Institutions (pp. 237-338) in Handbook of Political Communication Research (2004) edited by Linda Lee Kaid available on ebrary. Yes, I know this is a long assignment. We’ll cover what we can—it’s all good stuff.

Book Review Suggestions: Shawn Parry-Giles and Trevor Parry-Giles Prime Time Presidency Dennis W. Johnson No Place for Amateurs: How Political Consultants are Reshaping American Democracy Gary C. Woodward Center Stage: Media and the Performance of American Politics Kathleen Hall Jamieson The Press Effect: Politicians, Journalists, and the Stories that Shape the Political World

T Mar 27: Politics and Popular Culture: Should We Really Be Laughing? 1/3 Book Review Presentations  “The Comedian-Talk Show Host as Political Commentator: Dennis Miller, Bill Maher, and John Stewart” by Jeffrey P. Jones in Entertaining Politics: New Political Television and Civic Culture. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005.

Book Review Suggestions: Jeffrey P. Jones Entertaining Politics: New Political Television and Civic Culture

T Apr 3: Interpersonal Communication on the Campaign Trail: Does Face to Face Communication Matter Anymore? 1/3 Book Review Presentations Final Paper Buddy Check Bring your rough draft to class  PCC Chapter 9 “Interpersonal Communication in Political Campaigns”

F Apr 6 Final Paper Due to Oncourse drop box by midnight

T Apr 10: So What Now? Political Campaign Communication in an Era of Divisive Politics  PCC “Political Campaign Communication: An Epilogue”  “Epilogue: Reinventing Politics in America” by Hollihan in Uncivil Wars located on Oncourse

T Apr 17: Final Presentations

T Apr 24: Final Presentations

Final Exam: Final Presentations T May 1 5:45 – 7:45