The purpose of this course is to provide students with a broad overview of how citizens, politicians and the media interact across Western democracies during both electoral and governing periods. While the course will cover key aspects of political communication in the United Kingdom, the focus will be mostly comparative.

There will be weekly, one hour lectures and weekly, one hour seminars. One of the lectures will be replaced by your individual viewing of a documentary film, for discussion in the seminar. Reading weeks will fall in week six of the Autumn and Spring terms.

Each student will be expected to attend the lectures and prepare for the seminars by reading from among and beyond the suggested reading. Seminars will be based upon individual student presentations and specific practical activities and exercises. Some course materials will be provided via the Internet.