Spring Semester 2019

This course will be an intense examination of lobbying in Washington with particular attention given to the role of money and campaign finance in the operation of what has become a highly sophisticated and poorly under-stood network of advocacy and influence. It will provide a basic understanding of three different but interrelated knowledge sets: the Congress, political money and lobbying by interest groups. Student should understand that while the lectures are focused on those individual subject areas and that the semester is divided into three separate sections for that purpose, the readings later in the term will often relate to earlier lectures. This is done with the intent of “connecting the dots” among all these somewhat diverse topical areas. 

Draft Syllabus

What is the difference between “fake news’ ’and journalism? Does objectivity exist? Why does President Trump call the news media the “enemy of the people.? This seminar explores the rapidly evolving relationship between the news media, governing and politics. Washington is the perfect backdrop for such a course, with the opportunity to visit iconic institutions, such as the National Press Club and the Newseum, and the chance to witness the work of journalists and public officials at the top of their profession. The class features lectures, discussions, field visits and guest speakers. Students will complete a major research project on a newsworthy topic which will be written in journalistic form in addition to shorter writing and speaking assignments. The course is aimed particularly at students interning at news organizations, political press offices, speechwriting groups, public relations firms or anyone with a passion for writing or politics.

Draft Syllabus

This course will put the current presidency in historical and theoretical context, drawing on a variety of readings and approaches. At its core, this class is about the problem of executive power in democratic government. We will study and reflect not only on the details of what the presidency is in theory and practice, we will also consider how it (and other parts of the system) might be changed to overcome the problems of governance that have plagued the U.S. The goal is to understand the work of the presidency and some of the different perspectives by which we might analyze presidents and their administrations.

Draft Syllabus

This course is for the bold and the brave, for the student who wants to examine effective communication methods that influence public opinion and public policy in today’s political environment and experientially test those methods. Students will leave this class smarter on how Congress works in a digital age and on theories of political representation, advocacy, legislative behavior, and the American voter. Additionally, students will learn strategies and tips from guest speakers and experts on Capitol Hill as well as those attempting to influence Capitol Hill; the applied component of the course will inevitably build public speaking and leadership skills aimed at influencing public policy. 

Draft Syllabus

This seminar is designed to help you to engage critically and think systematically about crucial questions of international and global affairs. Through discussion of current events, student-directed research projects, and course readings, we will engage with a wide range of issues and problems that are international or global in scale. In so doing we will seek to identify and understand the nature and behavior of major actors in the international political arena of the 21st century. This is a research seminar with an applied approach that focuses on understanding and resolving pressing problems of foreign policy and international affairs.

Draft Syllabus