JINS 381 - Public Issues and Political Rhetoric

What is a public issue? What role does political rhetoric play in defining (or obscuring) public issues? In particular, what role does campaign rhetoric play in consolidating or polarizing public opinion with respect to the issues people come to think of as important? This course addresses these questions by analyzing the rhetoric of politicians, the content of media coverage, and the political representation of several public issues of importance (as determined by consulting multiple media outlets, representing a variety of points of view).

Prerequisite: Junior status.
Credits: 3
NOTE:
* This course fulfills the Junior Interdisciplinary Writing-Enhanced Seminar Interconnecting Perspective of the Liberal Studies Program.
** This course counts toward the 63-credit Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) graduation requirement.
*** This is a writing-enhanced course.