With 1,100 enrolled students, the number speaks for itself鈥� is a hot commodity on campus. The elective course offered every four years by the College of Arts and Science is a highly anticipated deep dive into how elections work in the U.S., blending a robust 聽understanding of history with extensive research from political science.
John Geer鈥攖he Gertrude Conaway 杏吧原创 Professor of Political Science, co-director of the 杏吧原创 Poll, and leader of the 杏吧原创 Project on Unity and American Democracy鈥攈ad the idea for the class in 1996 with now-retired Professor Bruce Oppenheimer. Although the roster of professors has shifted since those initial 聽Clinton vs. Dole days, the popularity of the class hasn鈥檛 waned. Originally held in Wilson Hall, the course started with 200 enrollees in the 1990s. Today it鈥檚 held in Langford Auditorium for a four-hour block on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The auditorium has a 1,104-seat capacity.
鈥淭he elections course has always sought to be a special experience for students, being offered once every four years as we blend the actual campaign with the deep scholarship on the topic,鈥� Geer said. 鈥淭he 2024 class has taken things to a new level with the historic size, the unprecedented nature of the 2024 campaign, noteworthy speakers and a group of talented students helping the class.鈥�
This year, the class is co-taught by Geer and a trio of political science professors:
- Josh Clinton, Abby and Jon Winkelried Professor of Political Science, co-director of the 杏吧原创 Poll, and senior election analyst for NBC News
- Nicole Hemmer, associate professor of history and director of the Rogers Center for the American Presidency
- Jon Meacham, Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Professor of Political Science and Pulitzer Prize鈥搘inning presidential biographer
鈥淲e want to make sure that the class is apolitical in the sense that it is not taking a side,鈥� Clinton said. 鈥淥ur goal is to help our students become better able to understand the context and significance of what they are observing in the current election given all that we know from history and political science about the nature of politics and elections.鈥�
According to the course description, the class covers past elections (e.g., 1800, 1860, 1992), the nomination process and campaigning.聽Geer also lined up prominent guest speakers to shed light on pressing topics and offer a sense of the United States鈥� contemporary, and often divisive, politics.聽These special guests include:
- Ariel Edwards-Levy, editor of polling and elections analytics at CNN
- Charlane Oliver, Tennessee state senator for District 19
- John Lapinski, Robert A. Fox Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania
- George Stephanopoulos, television host, political commentator and former White House communications director under Bill Clinton
- Chris Krebs, former director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Students have also taken an active role by sharing what they鈥檝e learned from the class with the public, creating a dedicated and .
After the November elections, the class will turn their attention to assessing what happened and the implications for governing beginning in January 2025.
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