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Syllabus: Political Episodes 

GOVT 496/696: Politics in the TV Age

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In the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s disastrous June 27 debate against GOP nominee Donald Trump, Betsy Fischer Martin, executive director of AU’s Women and Politics Institute, worried that there wouldn’t be a second one that she could discuss in her fall class on TV coverage of politics.

“I wasn’t thinking he’d drop out,” says Fischer Martin, SPA/BA ’92, SOC/MA ’96. “When he did, it provided a big entrée into talking about the significance of televised debates and TV coverage of politics.” 

Biden’s decision to bow out of the race was one of many impactful political episodes that Eagles tuned into during the course. During their discussion of the September 10 debate between Trump and Harris, David Axelrod, a former top aide to President Barack Obama, joined students on Zoom to answer their questions.  

The class also studied televised debates from previous generations, such as the 1960 showdown between the sweaty and uncomfortable Richard Nixon and the telegenic and relaxed John F. Kennedy—a contrast that helped JFK eke out a victory.

“I like to keep the class a bit loose to be able to react to what’s going on in the news in real time,” says Fischer Martin, the former managing editor of political programming at NBC News.

Students watched debate footage, campaign appearances, political ads, and even late-night comedy shows to examine how political figures have used TV to influence public opinion and outcomes. They also engaged with guest speakers—including political strategists, journalists, and news anchors—to discuss the mass medium’s massive impact on elections and governing.

Fischer Martin hopes students—many of whom are studying political science and political communications—become more discerning consumers of TV news in this era of extreme polarization. “[Teaching] the class during the fall of an election year makes it even more dynamic and relevant.”