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Political Campaign Strategy

Module description

Do you love the energy and excitement of political campaigns and the thrill of election night? This module studies the origins, evolution and strategies of political campaigns through an interdisciplinary approach that draws together an eclectic mix of practical tools and theoretical insights. Topics include campaign strategy, media management, developing a message, fundraising, the role of consultants, candidates and campaign staff, in addition to locating the craft of campaigning within a broader historic context of democratic government. We chart the history of campaigning from an older retail-style politics of handshakes and neighbourhood mobilisation to current data-driven and consultant-centred campaigns. Far from the lofty pronouncements of political philosophers, a focus on political campaigns sheds light on the complexities of democracy in action. The module is designed for students who want to understand more about how democracy functions and for those who wish to participate in campaigns. It adopts a learn-by-doing approach through which you will design your own campaign plan and develop practical campaigning skills. Each week we will follow the personal journey of a real-life candidate as she runs for office in a key swing-seat of a state legislature, culminating in a nail-biting election at the end of semester.

No prior knowledge skills or experience are required to take this module and it is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students. The module is suitable for students studying Politics, History and International Relations.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to capture the historic, ethical and strategic dimensions of campaigns and locate them within a broader understanding of democratic government. You will explore campaigns as a pivotal site of democracy and examine to what extent campaigns can be understood as a legitimate and effective form of democratic action. You will examine case studies of political campaigns and learn practical campaigning skills through their assignments.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate good knowledge of the role of political campaigns in contemporary democracies through lectures, class discussion and submitted coursework;
• 2. Demonstrate good knowledge of how to develop a campaign plan and how to communicate strategically with constituents;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Demonstrate the capacity, through formative and summative coursework, to assimilate taught materials and utilise them to analyse different political campaigns;
• 4. Demonstrate knowledge of democratic theory and understand political campaigns in the context of democratic government;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Strategic communication skills;
• 6. Project planning skills;
• 7. Demonstrate critical argumentative skills.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• understanding the historical development of political campaigns in the twentieth century
• evaluating the democratic quality of political campaigns
• demonstrating knowledge of the most recent political and technical advances in polling, micro-targeting, political finance and
• understanding the basics of media strategies for election campaigns
• develop their own campaign plan

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Ronald A. Faucheux, Winning Elections: Political Campaign Management, Strategy and Tactics (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003)

Michael John Burton and Daniel M. Shea, Campaign Craft The Strategies, Tactics and Art of Political Campaign Management, 4th Edition, (Praeger Publishers, 2010 )

Michael McNamara, The Political Campaign Desk Reference A Guide For Campaign Managers and Candidates Running for Elected Office 2^nd edition (Outskirts Press, 2012)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

Political Campaigns, Elections, Strategic Communication, Media