Political Communication Analysis (COMM 3393)

(Tentative Syllabus—Check with instructor to confirm.)

Instructor: James L. Heflin, Ph.D.
Website: http://www.cameron.edu/~jamesh/
Email: jamesh@cameron.edu

Office: 112 Music Building
Office Phone: 581-2426
Office Hours: Posted on website


TEXT BOOK

Powell, Larry and Cowart, Joseph.  Political Campaign Communication:  Inside and Out.  Boston Allyn and Bacon, 2003

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Principles and methods of critical analysis will be examined, both historical and contemporary.  Students will interpret and evaluate political persuasion.  Emphasis will be given to speeches, campaigns, debates, and movements.  Lecture.  Three hour credit.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

  1. The student will review basic principles and practices of political campaign communication.
  2. The student will study specific historical speeches in American history for their impact on the social, political, religious, economic and medical structure of the American culture.
  3. The student will study methods f rhetorical criticism relevant to the study of political communication in America.
  4. The student will study media methods, studies, and impacts on message development political communication in America.
  5. The student will study political social, and religious movements relevant to the American Culture.
  6. The student will research an approved area of political communication in the American political campaign process.
  7. The student will develop a notebook for the collection and preservation of course materials for university assessment objectives.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

1.      The student will take five exams taken from lecture materials, textbook readings, and assigned articles and books

2.      The student will write a research paper on an approved topic area in political communication in America.

3.      The student will prepare a notebook to include lecture notes, handouts, exams, research materials, and research paper.

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS

1. Exam # 1

 

100 points_____

2. Exam # 2

 

100 points_____

3. Exam # 3

 

100 points_____

4. Exam # 4

 

100 points_____

5. Exam # 5

 

100 points_____

6. Research Paper

 

400 points_____

7. Notebook

 

100 points_____

 

TOTAL

1000 points

A = 900 - 1000
B = 800 - 899
C = 700 - 799
D = 600 - 699
F = 0 – 599

COURSE PARAMETERS

1.      The student will attend class as defined by Cameron University.

2.      The student will participate in class discussions, assignments, and activities.

3.      The student will respect the diversity of political positions held by others.

4.      The student will carefully evaluate and understand cultural diversity and special interest messages within the American culture.

5.      The focus of this course is a study of political communication within the American Culture.  Though ideologies will be studied and discussed, the emphasis of this course is the study of communication techniques and strategies used in American political Campaigns.

6.      Political communication is a vast and ever changing field of study.  New concepts often emerge during each election period.  With the impact of technology, this trend is expected to continued for the next decades.

Page maintained by James L. Heflin.