FRS 002 — Sec. 012 —
(2 units) — CRN 92623 — W 10:00-11:50am — 109 Olson
Political Persuasion and Presidential Leadership
Instructor: Stuart Hill, Department of Political Science, College of
Letters and Science
Description: Political persuasion has been a relatively undeveloped
area of study in political science. Winning elections and generating support for
new policy initiatives were believed to depend on something more substantial than
political rhetoric. Voters’ partisanship, their perceptions of the state
of the economy, and their ties to larger political coalitions determined political
outcomes. A politician’s ability to attract the attention of and convince
a skeptical audience presumably had little effect. The discipline of political
science and especially the field of American politics now admit that rhetorical
efforts by political leaders make a difference. This course will examine what
we have learned about political persuasion from politicians who make speeches
to win control the government and once elected seek to maintain and expand their
power to influence the policy making process. We will focus on understanding efforts
at political persuasion by individuals who campaign to be president of the United
States and who seek to govern effectively in that role. Key speeches and political
debates from the last twenty years will provide a wealth of examples to illustrate
specific propositions.
Format: The class will meet for two hours each week. Students
will be given selected readings to prepare for each class (typically two articles
or book chapters per week). The instructor will lecture at the beginning of the
first three or four classes to review the major propositions about the tactics
of political rhetoric and the susceptibility of voters to political appeals. Extended
video clips of speeches (inaugural address, state of union speeches, 9/11 speech,
etc.) and campaign debates from the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections will
be presented to provide examples of major points and stimulate class discussion
and analysis. Instructor has an extensive library of political speeches and events
(from mid 1980s to present) and the technology to digitize and edit this information
for presentation from a laptop computer to the classroom projection system. Students
will select a major speech from a past presidential campaign or term in office
during the last 50 years. They will identify its principal tactics and political
goals and evaluate how effectively it sought to persuade U.S. citizens to vote
for a particular candidate or support a new policy initiative. The minimum length
of the paper will be six pages. Grading: The paper and
class presentation of students’ research will count 50%. Class participation
will make up the remaining 50% of the grade.
About the Instructor: Stuart Hill is a member of the faculty
in the Department of Political Science. His research interests include the politics
of protests and riots, the American policy process, and the role of the media
in agenda setting.