POLS 3045: Humor and American Politics SPRING 2017, Dr. Baumgartner Meets Tues. & Thur., 9:30-10:45, in Brewster, D-202

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1 POLS 3045: Humor and American Politics SPRING 2017, Dr. Baumgartner Meets Tues. & Thur., 9:30-10:45, in Brewster, D-202 Office Phone: Office: Brewster A-114 Office Hours: WWW: Mon & Fri, 8:30-10:30; Tues & Thur, 8:30-9:15; or by appointment INTRODUCTION In this course we will examine the role of humor in American politics. The course provides an overview of the history and various forms of political humor, what types of messages are typically contained in political humor, and the mechanisms involved in how political humor shapes political behavior. Our examination will include political humor in various media, but because of its prevalence in the modern world the focus will be on televised political humor. We will be paying special attention to political humor as it is targeted at political leaders, especially presidents and presidential candidates. More generally, the course will give you an understanding of the social science discipline of political science. You will learn the content of one of its sub-disciplines, how political scientists do research, and the relevance of that research to general knowledge. After taking the course, you should have developed the skills to: Appreciate the unique role humor has played as political commentary throughout history; Understand and identify examples of different forms of political humor; Discuss the increased prevalence of political humor in the past few decades; Decode humorous political messages; Understand the differences between political comedy and political satire; Identify the ways in which late night televised political humor has changed in the past few years; Discuss the role of political humor in the 2016 presidential election; Understand how, and in what ways, humor may affect political engagement. EVALUATION There are a total of 105 points you can earn in this class. Grades will be calculated according to the formula below. Grade Component Percentage of Grade Participation 10 Reading Assignments (see course outline for due dates) 2 Special Assignments (see course outline for due dates) Exam #1 (Thur., Feb. 16) Exam #2 (Thur., March 30) Research Project (due Tues., April 11) Final (Tues., May 2, 8:00-10:30am) 5% 10% 5% 15% 20% 30% 20% Page 1

2 Final grades will be calculated based on the following ranges: A: 93 and above A-: B+: B: B-: C+: C: C-: D+: D: D-: F: Below 60 COURSE MATERIALS: TEXT, READINGS & WEBSITE The following book has been assigned for this course (as REQUIRED reading) and is available at one of the local bookstores: Lichter, S.R., Baumgartner, J., and J. Morris Politics is a Joke: How TV Comedians are Remaking Political Life. Westview. Other readings and materials are posted on the class website: The readings are in PDF format and are labeled according to the week for which they are assigned. PLEASE NOTE: NOTHING in this class is posted on Blackboard. Lectures and discussion are designed to COMPLEMENT the readings, so a careful reading of the text as well as regular class attendance are BOTH necessary for a satisfactory grade in this course. SHORT WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS There are 10 short written assignments based on the weekly readings. These assignments are posted online on the class website ( in addition there are 2 other short written assignments throughout the semester, also posted on the website. You are also responsible for printing and completing a syllabus quiz (found on the website). This quiz is due Tues., Jan. 17. You receive no credit for completion, but 3 points will be deducted from your final grade if you do not (1) turn it in on time and (2) receive a grade of >90%. EXAMINATIONS Exams will be multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and short answer format. All exams must be taken at the scheduled time unless you provide a medical excuse BEFOREHAND. Failure to do so will result in a 0 for that particular exam. If you know you cannot be here on the day of an exam, I MAY be able to arrange for you to take it early. But I do not give make-up exams, so please don t ask. PARTICIPATION Preparation and participation are required in this course. This includes (at minimum) a careful reading of course materials prior to class and regular contributions to class discussion. Regular class attendance will be extremely helpful for your participation and overall grade. You should also know that your participation grade will include several in-class exercises done throughout the semester. ORGANIZATION OF THE COURSE The following will help orient you to what we will be doing throughout the course. It includes readings for each week, as well as important dates. Please note that I reserve the right to make changes to this schedule throughout the semester. Page 2

3 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Week 1 (Jan. 10 & 12): Introduction to Political Humor Read: Politics is a Joke, Chap. 1 (pgs. 1-8) Read: More than Laughing (Compton) Due Thur., Jan. 12: Reading Assignment #1 Week 2 (Jan. 17 & 19): Introduction to Political Humor Read: When Politics is a Laughing Matter (Rose) Read: Risky Business (Oring) Read: Political Humor, Deference, and the American Revolution (Olson) Due Tues., Jan. 17: Reading Assignment #2 Due Tues., Jan. 17: Syllabus quiz Week 3 (Jan. 24 & 26): History, American Political Humor & Political Cartoons Read: Political Cartoons (Nilsen & Nilsen) Read: Muhammad Cartoon Controversy (Various authors) Read: The Butter Battle Book (Geisel) Due Tues., Jan. 24: Reading Assignment #3 Due Thur., Jan. 26: Special Assignment #1 Week 4 (Jan. 31 & Feb. 2): Political Humor on the Internet Read: Editorial Cartoons 2.0 (Baumgartner) Read: No Laughing Matter (Baumgartner) Due Tues., Jan. 31: Reading Assignment #4 Week 5 (Feb. 7 & 9): Political Humor on Prime Time Television Read: A Culture War in TV Land? (Francia) Due Tues., Feb. 5: Reading Assignment #5 Week 6 (Feb. 14 & 16): Topic TBA Feb. 16: Test #1 SECTION 2: POLITICAL HUMOR ON LATE NIGHT TV Week 7 (Feb. 21 & 23): History Read: Politics is a Joke, Chap. 2 Due Tues., Feb. 21: Reading Assignment #6 Week 8 (Feb. 28 & March 2): The Golden Age Read: Politics is a Joke, Chap. 3-5 Due Tues., Feb. 28: Reading Assignment #7 Week 9 (March 14 & 16): The Golden Age Read: Politics is a Joke, Chap. 7 Due Tues., March 14: Reading Assignment #8 Page 3

4 Week 10 (March 21 & 23): The New Breed Read: The Fey Effect (Baumgartner & Morris) Read: The Role of Humor in Political Argument (Smith & Voth) Due Tues., March 21: Reading Assignment #9 Due Thur., March 23: Research Paper data Week 11 (March 28 & 30): Topic TBA March 30: Test #2 SECTION 3: LATE NIGHT POLITICAL HUMOR & ELECTION 2016 Week 12 (April 4 & 6): Topic TBA Read: TBA Week 13 (April 11 & 13): Topic TBA Read: TBA Due Tues., April 11: Research Paper Week 14 (April 18 & 20): Topic TBA Read: TBA Due Tues., April 18: Special Assignment #2 Week 15 (April 25): Topic TBA Read: Losing Our Religion (Peterson) Due Tues., April 25: Reading Assignment #10 FINAL: Tues., May 2, 8:00-10:30am POLICIES & MUTUAL EXPECTATIONS Attendance. There is no formal attendance policy in this class. Therefore, if for some reason you are not in class you are not required to bring me any type of documentation that explains your absence. You should not, however, take the lack of an attendance policy as a license to not attend class. In fact, I can absolutely guarantee that those who miss class will not do as well as those who attend. Moreover, you should understand that you are responsible for everything we do in class (including video that we watch, etc. ) regardless of whether you are present or not. Classroom Decorum. The classroom is a learning environment. All students are expected to observe some basic rules of courtesy. In particular: Please arrive to class on time and do not leave before class is dismissed; Please do not carry on private conversations with others in the classroom while someone else is speaking. Electronics. You may not use computers, tablets, smartphones, or any other electronic devices during class. If you think you need to use one of these during class you are welcome to come and talk to me about it. In addition, please turn your phones OFF during class. Page 4

5 In fact to simplify things, I ask that you keep ALL electronic equipment (yes, including phones) OFF OF YOUR DESKTOP. If I see it, I will ask you to remove it. Please do not force me to single you out like that. Blackboard. This course is NOT on Blackboard. Formatting of Written Work All written work should be word processed only: No pen, pencil, etc., marks should be on the paper; Use only Times New Roman, 12 point font; For papers of more than 3 pages, pages should be numbered, with the first page of text numbered as page 1; Text should be double spaced; Margins should be set at 1 (one inch) all around top, bottom, left, right; There should be no automatic spaces between paragraphs; For papers of more than 1 page, pages should be stapled (not paper clipped, no special folders, etc.). PLEASE take this seriously. There will be an (minimum) automatic 10-point penalty for not following any of these guidelines. I reserve the right to increase this penalty for repeat offenders. Sources, Citations & Quotations ALL written work should be IN YOUR OWN WORDS. You may NOT use ANY quotes (quotations) NONE - direct or otherwise, in any written work in this class, for any reason. You should cite sources for all ideas, arguments, data, facts, etc., to which you refer to in the text of any written work, using APA or APSA style; All citations should be included in a bibliography at the end of the paper, using APA or APSA style. If you do not COMPLETELY understand what all of the above means, PLEASE ask. Late Work. All assignments in this class are due at the START of class on the day they are due. Any work turned in AFTER I HAVE COLLECTED THE ASSIGNMENT is considered late. Late work MAY be accepted at my discretion, but will be assessed a minimum penalty of 10 points for each day it is late (and, I reserve the right to increase the penalty for repeat offenders). Academic Integrity. The university code of academic integrity will be strictly enforced in this course. According to the East Carolina University Honor Code, violations of academic integrity include the following: Cheating. Unauthorized aid or assistance or the giving or receiving of unfair advantage on any form of academic work. Plagiarism. Copying the language, structure, ideas, and/or thoughts of another and adopting same as one s own original work. Falsification. Statement of any untruth, either spoken or written, regarding any circumstances relative to academic work. Attempts. Attempting any act that if completed would constitute an academic integrity violation as defined herein. Page 5

For more information about university policies concerning academic integrity, please visit the web at <http://www.ecu.edu/studenthandbook/iii.htm>.

6 For more information about university policies concerning academic integrity, please visit the web at < If you violate the Honor Code you will be reported to the Academic Integrity Board for disciplinary action. The penalties for violating the university code of academic integrity range from failure in the course to expulsion from the university. Communication I ask that you follow the following (very standard) protocol in any communication. Send ALL to jodyb@jodyb.net Include a subject line that reads as follows: FROM: [Your Name], RE: [Subject Matter of ]. Address Dear Prof. Baumgartner In the first line, identify yourself ( My name is [Your Name] ) and what class you are taking from me. Sign the with your name. See the example below. Communication (More): As per federal law, I do not respond to inquiries about grades. I do not accept any assignments by . You must turn all work in yourself, in class. Special Needs. East Carolina University seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a covered disability must go to the Department for Disability Support Services located in Slay 138 to verify the disability before any accommodations can occur. The telephone number is RESEARCH PROJECT In this course you are asked to explore and describe a portion of the televised late night political humor landscape as it appeared on YouTube during the presidential campaign of Page 6

7 You have the following late night talk show choices to focus on (each involves approximately the same amount of work in case you were wondering): Choice #1: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Choice #2: Jimmy Kimmel Live Choice #3: Late Night with Seth Meyers Choice #4: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, AND The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Choice #5: Last Week Tonight, with John Oliver, AND Real Time with Bill Maher, AND Full Frontal with Samantha Bee The class website has links to each of these YouTube channels. IMPORTANT: You will very likely have to do this research access these channels from a regular computer (desktop or laptop) rather than a mobile device. STEP ONE: Go to "SOCIALBLADE.COM" ( and search for your television program(s)/youtube channel. When you find it, record the following statistics for the channel(s): Number of subscribers Date channel started Number of videos Rank Make sure you record (and report) the date that you gathered these statistics, because they are continually changing. STEP TWO: Go to the channel(s) you are investigating and make sure the videos are sorted by date from NEWEST to OLDEST. There s no easy way to do this next part; it may take a few minutes. You are focusing on videos posted to the channel from October 1 through November 1 (including these dates). You must therefore first identify the videos that correspond to these dates. If no video was posted on one or both of these dates, use the following rule: Use the FIRST video in October as the start, and the LAST video in October as the end. STEP TWO: Count the number of videos posted during this period; record this number. STEP THREE: Identify ALL campaign-related videos from this time period, using the following rule: It should be clear from either the TITLE or the PICTURE that the clip is related to the 2016 presidential campaign, in some fashion. For each campaign-related video, record the following: Title Date each was posted Time (duration) of clip Number of views for each It is very important to do this step on a single day, as the number of views each clip gets will change daily. Page 7

8 Type ALL of this information - including the (short) channel name if you are doing more than one channel - in the following order: Channel: Title of Clip, Date, Time (mm:ss), number views. See the fictitious example below: Fallon: Hillary and Trump get Married, Oct. 1, 2016, 4:32, 554,321 views All of this information the entire list must be included as an appendix to your paper. Finally, make a note of the day you collected your data. This listing of your data sources must be turned into me is due on Thur., March 23 STEP FOUR: Calculate, record, and include in your presentation the following information: Number of total videos during the specified time period Number and percentage of campaign-related videos during the specified time period Average time of campaign-related videos Average views for campaign-related videos Minimum time of campaign-related videos Maximum time of campaign-related videos Most popular campaign-related video (including date posted and number of views) Number and percentage of videos targeted at each candidate See the class website for a worksheet you may use to keep track of your data if you like. STEP FIVE: Present and discuss your findings in a paper that is 6 pages OF TEXT (not including cover page, tables (if any) or appendix). You should at minimum present your findings, but your discussion may be framed in any way you desire, and the paper itself may go in any direction you see fit, assuming it is appropriate to a scholarly paper (in other words, fact, not opinion). Notes The paper should be a minimum of 6 full pages in length. DO NOT EXPECT a good grade if you do not have 6 SOLID (not fluff ) pages of material. Please see and follow the section in the syllabus, above, on Formatting of Written Work. No sources whatever are required for this paper and if I were you, I would not. BUT, if you DO decide to use sources, make sure you include in-text citations and a bibliography listing all the sources used. Writing In my evaluation of your paper, I will weighting how well the paper has been written VERY HEAVILLY. This means that you will benefit from proofreading your paper at least a few times before you turn it in. You might also benefit from consulting the package titled A Guide to Preparing an Academic Research Paper, found on our class website, and/or the University Writing Center. The paper is due TUES., APRIL 11, at the START of class The paper must be turned in DIRECTLY to me No electronic copies will be accepted. I reserve the right to request an electronic version of your paper at any time. Page 8

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HISTORY 3800 (The Historian s Craft), Spring :00 MWF, Haley 2196

HISTORY 3800 (The Historian s Craft), Spring 2008. 9:00 MWF, Haley 2196 Instructor: Dr. Kenneth Noe, 314 Thach. Telephone: 334.887.6626. E-mail: . Web address: www.auburn.edu/~noekenn.