This course will analyze the strategic use of Political Communications in key political institutions in society; in particular, the course will examine how politicians use communications for gaining and maintaining political support.  

One two-hour seminar held weekly for 10 weeks.

One essay 1000 words worth 30%, one essay 5000 words worth 70%

· To outline and subject to critical scrutiny the role of communications in the political sphere;

· To define and assess the notion of strategic communications in the comparative study of political institutions;

· To define and analyze strategies of electoral campaigns communications;

· To provide an overview of central research methods (including content analysis) in the field of political communication.
· To develop the specialist analytical skills needed by political communication specialists (for parties, media outlets, governments, military, etc.).

By the end of the course, students should be able:
· To understand the interaction between the political and media spheres and the public;

. To understand the key role played by various institutions such as parties and political offices in shaping political communication;
· To assess the relative impact of communications on elections;
· To identify and evaluate the potential of the agenda setting for political strategies;
· To understand how political communications are embedded within different political frameworks;

· To analyse the relationship among the media, the public, the military and the government in times of national events (such as wars, natural disasters, etc);

· To advance reasoned and factually supported arguments both orally and in writing.

Successful completion of assessed components