This course is an exercise in practical politics, designed to teach the different elements of political campaigns. The class will provide you with the tools to understand, analyze, and assess political campaigns at the national, state, and local level. In addition, you will learn some of the skills needed to work in a political campaign and other persuasion and advocacy careers.
Participation in this class is through the lens of analysis, not advocacy. Although we each walk into the room with opinions on candidates and issues, this class is not a place for partisan advocacy or ideology. Instead, it is a place where we will learn the strategies and tactics used in campaigns and use that knowledge to analyze and assess the decisions made by campaign professionals to get candidates elected and
measures passed on the ballot. The course will draw on a host of sources and expertise for the class material, including campaign practitioners and professionals, journalists, and political scientists. The class
will examine the impact of key campaign events and strategies from the different perspectives of decision-makers within the the campaigns and political science research conducted outside of the campaigns.
Subfield: American Politics
Instructor: Ms. Katie Merrill
Email: kamerrill@berkeley.edu
Students must have completed PS 1. Priority will be given to juniors and seniors.