Welcome

Welcome, and thank you for visiting the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication. This year marks our tenth anniversary of advancing the conversation and connecting with University of Delaware students and the community. 

This is also a presidential election year and a high stakes election year in Delaware. And while the pandemic continues to impact society, Americans are reckoning with racial injustice. How do we address the relevant political issues for an electorate that is facing this uncertainty and unrest? The CPC team is meeting that challenge. 

The fall 2020 National Agenda speaker series flips the focus from the candidates and issues to the voter. "We Are the People" frames the conversation for this extraordinary year on the individual's strength in a democracy. It guides initiatives like Voices of UD, which offers a platform for members of the UD communication to share stories of how major political and societal issues in America affect them personally. 

Delaware Debates will be in the spotlight along with the Delaware voters' survey, tracking public opinion on issues and candidates running for office in the First State. I am proud to say the University of Delaware and the CPC provide the only professional-caliber debates for Delaware and the most comprehensive survey of Delaware voters. 

This year, the CPC celebrates ten years of advancing political communication research. Our research by affiliated faculty and our CPC-sponsored polls are recognized nationally in academic journals and media publications. The scope of these efforts reflects the CPC's mission as a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary center fostering public engagement and academic research.  

The past decade saw an evolution in the political process from candidates' use of Facebook to reach voters, to tweets from the White House. This decade begins a new chapter in political communication, and the complexity of the 2020 election season underscores the value of the CPC. I have no doubt it will be interesting to see what unfolds and what comes next. The CPC strives to meet the challenges of this extraordinary era in political communication with diverse and compelling initiatives and programs. I encourage you to take a few moments and explore our website, YouTube playlist, and National Agenda podcast. And stop back to check out the details of our fall events.