Skills for Winning Campaigns and Elections
Fall 2024
Tuesday/ Thursday 12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
Course Objectives:
The principal objective for this course is to build civic skills around running campaigns and elections. Whether working for an elected official, government agency, or nonprofit organization, many civic leaders at one point in their career will be working on some sort of campaign. This course will help prepare the next generation for managing a successful one. Students will put their learning into action and work in teams to create a campaign plan for a mock candidate or for an issue they care about. Students will present their plans at the end of the semester.
Learning Objectives:
As a result of attending this course, students will be able to:
- Understand how campaigns are managed;
- Build effective campaign teams;
- Craft a campaign message that resonates with decision-makers;
- Know how to use polling data to achieve goals;
- Utilize earned media and paid media, including TV ads and direct mail;
- Develop a digital media plan, including social media and text messages;
- Produce an effective field strategy; and,
- Create a successful fundraising plan.
Class Format
Classes will be a mix of presentation, discussion, reflection, and learning directly from active political professionals or civic leaders. Almost 50% of the class will include guest speakers. On the days that speakers or trainers will be in attendance, that class will be open to the public and will be promoted as a speaker series event hosted by The Patman Center for Civic and Political Engagement. On the days when we do not have a speaker event, students will debrief their learning through class discussion and will be given time to work in their teams on their campaign plans.