Presidential Campaigns

Catalog description

This course examines the history of presidential campaigns, focusing on the institutions, individuals, and events involved in such contests. Using a variety of texts, ranging from debate transcripts, journalistic accounts, and scholarly works, students will analyze and understand how campaigns have come to take their current form. In addition to our focus on the early, formative contests of the 19th and 20th centuries, this course will also evaluate the impact that federal election laws, especially related to campaign finance and voting rights, have had on presidential candidates and their campaigns.