Political campaigns are as old as democracy itself but the methods have changed quite dramatically over the past 30 years. This balances the theories of democratic participation and historical context of elections with an understanding of what it takes to design and execute a campaign in today’s political environment. In addition to weekly readings, you will gain experience through course projects focused on candidate selection, campaign planning, traditional and digital media, analytics and polling, and mobilizing voters on Election Day. We will cover the shift in campaign financing, which has expanded the participation and influence of groups unaffiliated directly with candidates. We will host several guest speakers who will share their professional campaign experience.