Dept Sem:Presidential Debates

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

The course will examine how the general election Presidential Debates, relatively recent additions to the electoral process, have become the most watched, and arguably most impactful, events in Presidential campaigns in the United States. It will review the history of these debates, how they have changed over time, and the impact that the debates have had on particular elections. Additional focus will be on how the candidates prepare for debates, how they recover from mistakes made in the debates, and how they seek to negotiate the debate format to their advantage. The course will also examine offshoots of the general election debates, such as primary debates, Vice Presidential debates, and American-style debates in other counties. Finally, the course will look at calls for reform of the debates, and examine the prospects for these changes, and what impact they might have on future debates. Course materials will include transcripts and videos of debates, and also scholarly and popular writings about the debates. This course has been renumbered, effective Fall 2014. A student who earned credit for GOVT 378 Dept Sem: Presidential Debates in a prior term should not enroll and cannot earn credit in this class.