Welcome

Welcome and thank you for visiting the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication, where academic research fosters public engagement and relevant political issues top the agenda.

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 the CPC website, especially the 2019 National Agenda program, our YouTube playlist, and our Direction Democracy podcast. 

Our podcast delves into hot-button political issues with the wealth of knowledge among University political experts. One episode provides a firsthand view of the campaigning in Iowa featuring David Redlawsk, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations. He travelled throughout the state while on sabbatical tracking what works and what doesn’t for the democrats. Trust me, it is fascinating.

In 2019, the National Agenda series welcomed Dan Pfeiffer, a Delaware native who worked with the Obama administration as communication director and is a co-host of the popular political podcast Pod Save America. A trip inside the mind of editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers wowed a nearly packed theater as he demonstrated his step-by-step process. To the audience’s delight, he spontaneously drew a cartoon of National Agenda series director Lindsay Hoffman with former Vice President Joe Biden. 

New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie, Republican political commentator Tara Setmayer, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics John Della Volpe each tackled the theme Direction Democracy. You can read more about each event on our National Agenda page, where you will find links to YouTube videos, podcasts, transcriptions, and news coverage. 

The CPC took on the mission of advancing the conversation among students, staff and faculty on campus with Free Intelligent Conversations (FreeIC), a national movement which encourages meaningful dialogue between strangers through simple but provocative questions like  “What do you hate that you wish you loved?” The results inspired those asking “Can we talk?” and those saying “Yes.”

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. And, as always, the fall will feature a slate of informative and engaging speakers for National Agenda 2020.

Our polls and affiliated faculty research projects, sponsored by the CPC, 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.

Ten years ago, when social media and its use by decision-makers had just begun, the CPC was created to examine the impact of new technologies on political discourse. Today, tracking social media feeds is as common as checking news headlines. The CPC was and has remained at the forefront of understanding the intersection of political communication methods and influence, and, as CPC director, I am proud of how our efforts are informing and engaging University of Delaware students and our broader community.