Speechwriting for PublicPolicy

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

It doesn’t matter what you know if you can’t describe it, and it doesn’t matter what you say if no one remembers it. That’s why every student, regardless of policy and career interest, should learn the elements of great speechwriting. In this course, Former White House and Pentagon speechwriter Sean O’Brien identifies the common elements that enabled speakers from Aristotle to Oprah and Roosevelt to Reagan to seize the opportunities presented by the given moment and audience. Students will hear from guest speakers and read key texts that break down the elements of effective messaging, then they will put these ideas into practice by writing talking points, op-eds, testimony and a final keynote address. Students will also learn by critiquing the work of their classmates through intensive classroom and online workshops.