Activism, Protest, and the Politics of Change
How does social and political change happen in Washington? This class will explore the history of grassroots mobilization and advocacy on the national stage. By observing advocacy events and interacting with guest speakers, students will learn about the successes and failures of social groups’ efforts to make lasting change in American politics and society. The class will cover agenda setting and messaging, as well as techniques used to influence public debate such as protests, advocacy campaigns, petitions, and electoral lobbying. Students will learn about and discuss which types of groups and leaders engage in which strategies, and at what stage of the policy process they are most likely to be effective.
Topics
- Students will discuss as part of their class participation how the weekly substance or skills learned applied to the work of their internship or their internship organization’s goals or mission. Students will experience a cultural, historical, policy or other event in the District of Columbia that relates to their course. Students will be able to communicate persuasively in writing and orally. Students will be able to critically examine competing arguments, and use empirical evidence to research and apply theory to practice.
Official catalogue course objectives and student learning outcomes
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027