Teaching

Fall Quarter, 2009-2010

Comm 162/262, PoliSci 323S

Analysis of Presidential Campaigns

comm162.stanford.edu

This course examines the theory and practice of American political campaigns. First, we will attempt to explain the behavior of the key players -- candidates, journalists, and voters -- in terms of the institutional arrangements and political incentives that confront them. Second, we will use the 2008 primary and general election campaigns as "laboratories" for testing generalizations about campaign strategy and voter behavior. Third, we examine selections from the academic literature dealing with the immediate effects of campaigns on public opinion and voter behavior as well as more long-term consequences for governance and the political process.

Spring Quarter, 2008-2009

Comm 360g

Seminar in Political Communication

comm360g.stanford.edu

The seminar is designed to provide an overview of research in political communication with particular reference to work on the impact of the mass media on public opinion.

Winter Quarter, 2008-2009

Comm 160/260, PoliSci 323R

The Press and the Political Process

comm160.stanford.edu

This course examines the role of the mass media in the democratic process. We begin by considering the "public service" responsibilities of the press -- to inform and engage citizens -- and the various policy regimes for implementing these responsibilities. Second, we examine the determinants of news coverage, including market forces and the internal workings of press organizations. Third, we discuss the ways in which news programming affects the audience -- both the mass public and political elites. Fourth, we explain the design and evolution of media-based campaigns, with particular emphasis given to the strategic interplay between reporters, candidates, and voters. We also document the gradual extension of "going public" and related techniques to the policy-making arena. Finally, we assess the potential of new technologies to alter the landscape of media politics.