The University of Akron Wayne CollegeDistinguished Student Program Proposal -

The Information Superhighway and American politics: the rise of the internet, social media, and the transformative role of the computer, 1996-2016

Credit Hours: 2Spring, 2016 – TBD

Wayne College and Boyer HPE Bldg C126Office Hours: Before & after class and by appointment Office Phone: 330-684-8700 (main phone line for messages)Email: jmcquiston@uakron.eduWebsite: http://www.kent.edu/polisci/people/~jmcquist/

Description

Mass media has been a considerable force in providing cues for the American electorate from the days of the Federalist papers. The rise of television lead to an entirely new dimension of the electability of presidential candidates. In the 1960 Presidential election debates, the media through which a citizen listened to the speeches of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon influenced perceptions about the victor of the night.

The increasing prevalence of the internet meant that 22% of the citizens in 1996 used the internet. This number increased to 68.9% of the population in 2006, and 84% in 2015. With an exponential increase in the amount of news services available online, a greater proportion of citizens receive their news from this service than ever before. In the last few years, two new technologies – smartphones and social media services – have changed the way campaigning operates. This course examines the usage of the internet, social media, and smartphone technologies and how they supplant and support earlier forms of political mobilization.

Instructional MethodsThis class will be taught using lecture, question-response, small group settings, paper presentations, primary and secondary sources, and additional media (internet, newspapers, radio).

Important information about the course will be sent to your Akron e-mail.

Classroom Etiquette: Electronic devices – mp3 players and cell phones – represent distractions that could prove disastrous for a student looking to do well in this course. Cell phones and electronic devices are to be left in bags for the entirety of the class period. I will ask that a student leave the class if they are utilizing electronic devises.

Attendance and tardy policy: According to the University attendance policy (BOT Rule 3359-20-05D), [a] student is expected to attend all meetings of all classes for which the student is enrolled. A student may be dropped from a course by the dean if absences are repeated and the instructor recommends this action; a student can gain readmission only with the permission of both dean and instructor. A student dropped from a course receives an “F” which counts as work attempted whenever grade-point ratio calculations are made. Late Entry Policy: The course will begin precisely at the assigned time. Students should arrive at the classroom a few minutes early to prepare their materials. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class.

Withdrawals: You may drop a full semester class through the 14th calendar day (second week) of the fall or spring semester (or proportionally equivalent dates during summer session, intersession, and other course terms). A "drop" will not appear on your transcript.

You may withdraw from a full semester class after the 14th calendar day through the 49th calendar day (seventh week) of the fall or spring semester (or proportionally equivalent dates during summer session, intersession, and other course terms). If you withdraw, a "WD" will appear on your transcript. You should know that a withdrawal may affect your financial aid, eligibility for on-campus employment and eligibility for insurance. Speak with your adviser for details. If you quit attending your classes due to a medical you must contact student services 330-684-8900 as soon as possible. In any case, IF YOU DO NOT DROP OR WITHDRAW, YOU WILL RECEIVE A GRADE IN THE CLASS (usually a failing grade). Students who need to withdraw from all courses for extraordinary non-academic reasons, (e.g., medical treatment or convalescence, military service, etc.), must obtain the permission from the dean of their college. The withdrawal policy is located at http://www.uakron.edu/ssc/withdrawal-policy.dot

Plagiarism and academic dishonesty: Plagiarism is the act of representing directly or indirectly another person’s work as your own. It can involve presenting someone’s speech, wholly or partially, as yours; quoting without acknowledging the true source of the quoted material; copying and handing in another person’s work with your name on it; and similar infractions. Even indirect quotations, paraphrasing, etc., can be considered plagiarism unless sources are properly cited. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The University of Akron Wayne College policy for academic misconduct can be found in the Code of Student Conduct.

Library: All university libraries may be used by all students. The Wayne College library is located in the Main Class Room Building. Contact for the libraries are: http://www.uakron.edu/libraries/

Title IX and Discrimination: The University of Akron is committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. This includes instances of attempted and/or completed sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, gender-based stalking, and sexual harassment. Additional information, resources, support and the University of Akron protocols for responding to sexual violence are available at uakron.edu/Title-IX.

Additional help: Your instructor is available for a reasonable amount of individual help outside of class. For additional help, tutoring is provided by the Smucker Learning Center at (330) 972 or 684-8960. If you attend the Akron Campus, the Department of Developmental Programs Tutoring Lab in Bierce Library room #68 (330) 972-6552 offers tutoring. Do not delay in seeking help, as it takes some time to set up the tutoring.

Students with disabilities: : In pursuant to University policy #33-59-20-01 subsection C, The University of Akron Wayne College recognizes its responsibility for creating an institutional atmosphere in which students with disabilities have the opportunity to be successful. Any student who feels he/she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility Services Disability Specialist .The office is located in The Smucker Learning Center. After the student’s eligibility for services is determined, his/her instructors will be provided a notification which will outline the student’s accommodations.

Appeal Process: If you find yourself in a situation where you disagree with your instructor about one of these policies or another issue, it is very important to immediately follow these steps, in the order given:

1. Discuss with your instructor the nature of your concern. This is where 99% of any disagreements are resolved, so give this initial step your full attention and cooperation.

2. If after talking to your instructor you feel that the situation has not been resolved, inform the instructor of your feeling and that you will be contacting the Area/Technical Coordinator. The coordinator for this class is Indicate your department /technical coordinator and her/his contact information is: Telephone: (330) 684-coordinator’s extension e-mail: Akron email for coordinator

3. If, after talking to your instructor and Area/Technical Coordinator, you feel that the situation has not been resolved, contact the Director of Instruction and Program Development, E-242F. Affirm that the instructor has had the opportunity to discuss your situation with you before working on a solution.

4. In the unusual case that you are still not satisfied, the next step is to contact the Wayne College Associate Dean of Instruction. Again, the Associate Dean will ensure that the instructor, the Area Coordinator, and Director of Instruction have discussed your situation with you before proceeding with a solution for your complaint.

The later in the semester you work through the above steps the fewer options for resolution that exist.

Additional college policies: Students should visit: http://wayne.uakron.edu/syllabus-policies/ for important policies (including student rights and responsibilities) and college information.

Assessments: Students have an important, active role in assessment practices at Wayne College to allow for systematic measurement of student performance and the fulfillment of program outcomes. These provide an understanding of the effectiveness of different teaching techniques and tools to support students as they grasp key concepts, skills, and/or information in a given course/program. Therefore, students should give their best effort to their role in assessment.

Grading:

Make up policy: Notify the Instructor by email (preferred) or phone either ON OR BEFORE the exam day as to the reason you cannot be present for the test. If you provide an acceptable excuse, you must take the exam within one week of the scheduled test date unless compelling reasons dictate otherwise.

Late work: It is critical that you complete and turn in assignments on time. If work is turned in late for legitimate reasons, I will allow one class grace period. A 10% reduction in your grade for this assignment will be given.

Return of exams: My goal is to have all graded work back to you within one week of submission. When returned to you, save the exams for future reference. If there is a disagreement about your final grade, we will need to refer to them. If you do not keep a copy of the exam, we will adopt that my records for grades are correct.

Attendance and Participation 200 points

Students are expected to attend class every day and participate in the discussions that occur during our sessions. A student that is present but not active will not receive a good grade in attendance and participation. It is important to ask questions, add your own insight, and enter into discussions with your fellow classmates.

Short Paper 100 pointsStudents are required to submit one 5-6 page short paper (12 point, double-spaced) that addresses one of the topics that we have discussed in class. Paper topics will be required by Tuesday, March 7th.

Exams (4) 400 pointsPart of successful learning involves regular evaluation of student knowledge. Throughout the semester, there will be four tests that will utilize an array of prompts (True/False, multiple choice, essay) regarding the material that has been covered previously in the test.

Grading ScaleA 93 - 100 C 73 - 76A- 90 - 92 C- 70 - 72B+ 87 - 89 D+ 67 – 69B 83 - 86 D 63 – 66B- 80 - 82 D - 60 - 62C+ 77 - 79 F 0 - 59

Readings and Assignments:

I reserve the right to change the syllabus throughout the semester. I will inform the class of any changes well in advance.

Week 1 : Syllabus and Historical Introduction Week 2 : Mass Media – Newspaper, Telephones, and CanvassingWeek 3 : The History of the Internet – DARPA to TorWeek 4: Early pioneers of political campaigning online, 1996-2004Week 5: Case study: Barack Obama, 2008Week 6 : A normalized internet as political campaign tool, 2006-2012Week 7 : Social media (Facebook, Twitter) and campaigningWeek 8 : Case study: Rand Paul, 2016 Week 9 : The 2016 Presidential campaign cycle Week 10 : Political usage of the internet at the local/state levelWeek 11 : Case study: Ohio politiciansWeek 12 : Politics writ small: mobile applications Week 13 : Contextualization of the role of the internet vis-à-vis traditional campaign toolsWeek 14 : A full toolbox: a look at the online and offline options currently available to politicians.Week 15 : Future technologies and the campaign cycle: Voat, Periscope