POLI 273 - Political Speaking and Speechwriting

This course provides opportunities for students to develop their skills in informal political speaking and formal political speechwriting - skills essential to effective citizenship and democratic participation. During the first half of the semester, students learn about effective oral communication principles and practice speaking for the political contexts in they are most likely to find themselves in their lives - as engaged citizens, as employees in NGOs or government bureaucracies, as staffers for political candidates or elected officials, or as political leaders themselves. The second half of the term is devoted to a study of formal political speechwriting on behalf of others. Students will learn to write in another person’s “voice,” to identify the recurring contexts in which remarks are made, as well as the unique norms of particular communication context, and to adapt the prepared remarks to those constraints, norms, and expectations. Every year. (4 Credits)