Week One:  Overview & The First Campaign—Communicating From a Blank Slate

Week one will provide an overview of the semester, discussing the general differences between campaigning and governing, and delve into the realities of a candidate’s initial attempts to gain the White House.  Running as a challenger (or in an open election) allows presidential candidates to introduce themselves to the American people without the burden of compromise or the weight of an executive branch record that needs to be defended.  Candidates and campaigns are not constrained by the realities associated with policy implementation, allowing them to propose new and novel ideas in an attempt to differentiate themselves from their competitors while illustrating their vision for a new direction for the country.  We will examine the tactical and messaging advantages associated with challenger and open-seat candidates while looking at historical examples of when this unconstrained style of campaigning has, and hasn't, worked.

Room: Faculty Dining Room, HKS

***All study groups are off-the-record and not for media coverage***