Politics, Media and Campaigning

Whether you want to advocate for a single political issue or you consider to become a politician, this is the right course for you. Politics is all about sending the right message at the right time. In this course you are going to learn how to get your message across, not only in an appealing but also in a strategic way.

What are the secrets of decision making? How do you effectively influence decisions? How do you bring people along during a crisis? And how do you influence the public opinion? In the course we will reveal the secrets of politics and campaigning, illustrated by historical and current cases. The course will introduce you in the world of international, national and local politics, media and campaigning. You are going to learn about the history of politics, the main political ideologies, different political systems and campaign strategies. During the course we are going to practice a variety of personal skills. After the course you will be able to bring forward strong arguments in a debate, deliver persuading speeches, defend a political position in a media interview and negotiate to a mutual beneficial outcome.

Course leader

Arno Bonte Arno is a Dutch politician. Currently he is Alderman for Sustainability, Climate Adaptation and Transportation in the city of Helmond. From 2018 till 2022 he was Vice Mayor for Sustainability, Clean Air and Energy Transition in Rotterdam.

Target group

Young professionals and university students with intermediary level of English

Course aim

Acquired skills:
Basic knowledge of the history of politics
Understanding the working of different political systems
Using the right arguments in a debate
Negotiate to a mutual beneficial outcome
Delivering a convincing speech
Develop a sound campaign strategy

Schedule
Day 1 Introduction to politics - History of politics / Political issues (economy, inequality, climate crisis) / Group exercise: lower house debate
Day 2 Debating - Debating theory / Analyzing famous debates (Kennedy - Nixon, Trump - Biden) / Individual exercise: presidential debate
Day 3National politics - Political systems / Main ideologies / Political parties / Group exercise: parliamentary debate
Day 4 Local politics - Crisis management (Case study: Covid-19) / Resilient cities / Civic participation / Negotiation techniques / Group exercise: negotiation
Day 5 International politics and geopolitical conflicts - The Cold War / The New Silk Road / World powers (USA, European Union, China) / International diplomacy / Group exercise: negotiation
Day 6 Political speeches - The secrets of speechwriting / Analyzing speeches (Reagan, Thatcher, Blair, Obama) / Individual exercise: write your own speech
Day 7 Personal performance - Public speaking / Media training / Individual exercise: deliver your speech
Day 8 Campaigning - Campaign strategies and tactics / Analyzing political campaigns / Group exercise: develop a campaign strategy
Day 9 Campaign advertising - Voter’s values / Target groups / Analyzing political ads / Group exercise: make a political video ad
Day 10 Evaluation and presentation - Reflection on the course / Question time / Group exercise: presenting and showing the video ads