Political Campaigns
Select an example of a documentary or hard news coverage of political campaigns, governing, or elite communication campaigns (e.g., public relations, advocacy groups). This example should be at least 30 minutes in length and should be an informative (not persuasive!) investigation of the process of political persuasion and information among elites to the public. Examples could include: The War Room (regarding Clinton’s 1992 campaign), Taking on the Kennedys (political advertising in campaigns), Primary (regarding the 1960 primary campaign), Journeys with George (regarding Bush’s 2000 campaign), The Persuaders (second half on political campaigns), or a choice of your own (please see me if you have questions). If you choose a longer documentary, you can focus your response on the 30 minutes that are most relevant to the class and/or most interesting to you.
After selecting and watching your political campaigns, you will turn in a 2-3 page paper (double-spaced) to Blackboard. In this paper, you should begin by briefly summarizing (1-2 paragraphs maximum) the story covered in this example. What political campaign were they focusing on? Which political elites were involved in the campaign effort? What techniques were being used to persuade or inform the public about a particular viewpoint or issue? How do these techniques relate our class discussions?
