This course is designed to introduce you to the power and the role of language and communication in American politics. Our basic premise in this course is that language and images are sources of power, in themselves, and therefore whoever can influence or control the language and images of politics has power in the political process. We will be examining the linkage between words and perceptions, images and meaning, propaganda and deception, popular entertainment and discrimination, as well as the dominant forms of political rhetoric as used by elected politicians and political candidates.

ASSIGNED TEXTBOOKS (available in limited quantities from Textbook Rental):

Graber, ed., Media Power in Politics (Fifth Edition) [referred to below as "Graber Reader"]

Graber, McQuail & Norris eds., The Politics of News; The News of Politics [referred to below as “G-McQ-N Reader”]

Jowett & O'Donnell, Propaganda and Persuasion (Third Edition)

Lakeoff, The Language War

Nimmo & Combs, Mediated Political Realities (Second Edition)

Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four [This title in located in the English Dept. section of Textbook Rental]

All other reading assignments (noted '*') will be distributed in class.

POL 307 Web Pages: The information in this Syllabus -- together with other course-related materials -- can be found on these Web Pages.

READING ASSIGNMENTS:

ONE: POLITICAL ICONOGRAPHY

1.      Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (Click here for Assignment Guidelines)

2.      Nimmo & Combs, “Introduction: How Real is Politics? The Mediation of Political Realities”

3.      *Strate, “Beer Commercials: A Manual for Masculinity”

4.      *Wood, “Gendered Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender”

5.      *Engelhart, “Logo or Libel? Chief Wahoo, Multiculturalism, and the Politics of Sports Mascots”

6.      Manheim, “Strategic Communication” (Graber Reader, 422-432)

7.      Nimmo & Combs, chapter 2, “A Man for All Seasons: The Mediated Contests of Presidential Campaigning”

8.      *Mueller, “Distorted Communication”

9.      Orwell, “The Principles of Newspeak” (an appendix to the novel)

TWO: POLITICAL NARRATIVE:

10.  *Oats, “The Myths of Lincoln”

11.  Nimmo & Combs, chapter 3, “The Re-Presentation of History in Popular Culture”

12.  Nimmo & Combs, chapter 5, “The Vision from Sunset Boulevard: The Political Fantasies of Hollywood”

THREE: THE CONSTRUCTION OF POLITICAL “REALITY”

13.  Lakeoff, chapter 1, “Language: The Power We Love to Hate”

14.  Lakeoff, chapter 2, “The Neutrality of the Status Quo”

NOTE: Readings #15-44 will be the basis for the “Theory & Research (First) Group Report” Assignment (see below). Although only a few of you will make each oral report, each student is responsible for studying all of the articles used for this Assignment:

Group 1:

15.  Pfetsch, “Government News Management” (G-McQ-N Reader, pages 70-93)

16.  Kedrowski, “How Members of Congress Use the Media to Influence Public Policy” (Graber Reader, pages 235-45)

17.  Farnsworth and Litchel, “The Struggle over Shaping the News” (Graber Reader, 243-251)

Group 2:

18.  McQuail, “The Influence and Effects of Mass Media” (Graber Reader, 19-35)

19.  *Ang, “The Nature of the Audience”

20.  *Just, Crigler & Neuman, “Cognitive and Affective Dimensions of Political Conceptualizations”

Group 3:

21.  Putman, “Framing Environmental Conflicts” (Graber Reader, 66-75)

22.  Delli Carpini and Williams, “Constructing Public Opinion: The Uses of Fictional and Nonfictional Television in Conversations about the Environment” (Graber Reader, 154-166)

23.  Page, et al., “What Moves Public Opinion?” (Graber Reader, 98-113)

Group 4:

24.  *King and Schudson, “The Press and the Illusion of Public Opinion: The Strange Case of Ronald Reagan’s ‘Popularity’”

25.  Hindman, “The Real Lessons of Howard Dean” (Graber Reader, 192-201)

26.  Hess, “I am on TV Therefore I Am” (Graber Reader, 262-269)

Group 5:

27.  Mayer, “In Defense of Negative Campaigning”-- Click Here for PDF File

28.  Brooks & Geer, “Beyond Negativity: The Effects of Incivility on the Electorate” -- Click Here for PDF File

29.  Mutz & Reeves, “The New Videomalaise: Effects of Televised Incivility on Political Trust” -- Click Here for PDF File

Group 6:

30.  *Gamson, “Media Discourse as a Framing Resource”

31.  Nelson, et al., “Media Framing of a Civil Liberties Conflict and Its Effect on Tolerance” -- Click Here for PDF File

32.  *Bing & Lomdardo, “Talking Past Each Other about Sexual Harrassment”

Group 7:

33.  Althaus & Largio, “When Osama Became Saddam”-- Click Here for PDF File

34.  Jacoby, “Issue Framing and Public Opinion on Government Spending” -- Click Here for PDF File

35.  West, “Television Advertising: Learning about the Candidates” (Graber Reader, 169-180)

Group 8:

36.  *Edelman, “The Influence of Rationality Claims on Public Opinion and Policy”

37.  Lee & Spano, “Technical Discourse in Defense of Public Virtue”-- Click Here for PDF File

38.  Terkildsen, et al., “Interest Groups, the Media, and Policy Debate Formation” (Graber Reader, 349-360)

Group 9:

39.  Brader,  “Striking a Responsive Chord: How Political Ads Motivate and Persuade Voters by Appealing to Emotions”-- Click Here for PDF File

40.  Hayden, “Bill Clinton, the Empathy Candidate and the Living Room Campaign” (Graber Reader, 211-219)

41.  de Vreese & Semetko, “The Impact of Referendum Campaigns” (Graber Reader, 220-228)

Group 10:

42.  Gilliam & Iyengar, “Prime Suspects: The Influence of Local Television News on the Viewing Public”-- Click Here for PDF File

43.  Alexseev & Bennett, “For Whom the Gates Open: News Reporting and Government Source Patterns in the United States, Great Britain and Russia”-- Click Here for PDF File

44.  Lipman & McFaul, “Managed Democracy in Russia” (Graber Reader, 412-432)

FOUR: POLITICAL ORATORY:

45.  *Shakespeare, “Tragedy of Julius Caesar”, Act III, Scene 2 (excerpts)

46.  *Orwell, “Politics and the English Language”

47.  *Noonan, “Speech! Speech!”

NOTE: Readings #48-52 will be the basis for the “Lakeoff (Second) Group Reports” Assignment (see below). Although only a few of you will make each oral report, each student is responsible for studying all of the chapters assigned below:

48.  Lakeoff, chapter 3, “'Political Correctness' and Hate Speech: The Word as Sword”

49.  Lakeoff, chapter 4, “Mad, Bad, and Had: The Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas Narrative(s)”

50.  Lakeoff, chapter 5, “Hillary Rodham Clinton: What the Sphinx Thinks”

51.  Lakeoff, chapter 7, “Ebonics—It’s Chronic”

52.  Nimmo & Combs, “Conclusion: The Age of Fantasy: Fictions, Facts and Pipedreams”

FIVE: POLITICAL PROPAGANDA

53.  Jowett and O'Donnell, Propaganda and Persuasion (as assigned)

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS:

(1) Political Communication Journal: You are required to keep a “Political Communication Journal” during the semester. The means you use to keep the Journal is up to you -- wire notebook, computer file, loose leave sheets, whatever – but you will need to be able to include images directly in your submission. You are required to submit your Journal, as part of the requirements of this course, on the following dates:

The contents of the journal are to be your observations of political communication in your average, daily use of the media, advertising, magazines, etc. Seven (7) specific assignments will be required. But: the more comprehensive and thoughtful your journal is, the more it will count in your final grade. More information on the Political Communication Journal will be available in class and on the Course Web Pages (see above).

(2) Oral Reports: Two grouped-based oral reports are required, as follows:

            (A) Theory & Research (First) Group Reports:    CONCLUDED

            (B) Lakeoff (Second) Group Reports: Each student will be assigned one of the chapters from Lakeoff (readings #37-40, above) and the concluding chapter of Nimmo & Combs (reading #41). Students assigned the same Lakeoff readings are expected to work together to prepare a roundtable discussion – and criticism – of Lakeoff’s observations and arguments relying of the other readings and materials from the course. The Group Discussions are scheduled to take place during Weeks 11-12 of the semester. A detailed schedule and guidelines for these discussions will be forthcoming.

(3) Essays and Exams:

All of the assignments given below are best treated by you as formal essays. Exams will be completed on a take-home basis. All submitted written assignments must be typed, double-spaced, with appropriate references.

(A) Orwell Review Essay: CONCLUDED

(B) Political Speech Content Analysis Essay: CONCLUDED

(C) Examinations: Two (2) written examinations are required to complete this course. Both exams will be taken on a take-home basis, and will be given as follows:

(3) OPTIONAL EXTRA-CREDIT PAPER: In order to give you flexibility -- as well as to encourage you to write about our topic -- you are offered several options for a single Extra-Credit Project for this course.

First Option -- Research Paper: Define a current or historical issue, problem or question within the broad field of Political Communications and research it. Your selection of a research topic must be approved by the course instructor in order for the Paper to be accepted as extra-credit. This option would involve library work, a literature search and (where applicable) either interviewing field work or quantitative data analysis. You would be required to submit a formal research essay, with bibliography and footnotes, on or before 12:00 noon, Wednesday, December 17. Extra Credit: 15 percent.

Second Option -- Review Essay: Read a selected number of books and/or academic articles on a topic within the broad field of Political Communications. This selection must have the approval of the course instructor in order for the Essay to be accepted as extra-credit. This option would involve a close and critical reading of these works. You would be required to submit a critical essay reviewing all of the selected works on or before 12:00 noon, Wednesday, December 17. Extra Credit: 10 percent.

Third Option -- Book Review: Read a recently published book or five academic articles about some aspect of Political Communications. The book or articles to be reviewed must be approved by the course instructor in order for the Book Review to be accepted as extra-credit. This option would involve a close and critical reading of the book or articles selected in comparison with the assigned readings of the course. You would be required to submit a critical Book Review Essay on or before 12:00 noon, Wednesday, December 17. Extra Credit: 5 percent.