Media & Public Opinion in the 2026 Elections

The nation is poised for a pivotal midterm election cycle that serves as both a battle for control of Congress and a referendum on the current administration. This election punctuates a tumultuous era in American politics, marked by a nearly successful insurrection, dismantling of longstanding political party and congressional roles, unprecedented upheaval in American government, global institutions and alliances, challenges to Constitutional precedents, and profound effects on campaigns and media driven by the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence technology. In this course, we conduct a real-time analysis of the forces shaping the vote, including the roles of money, news, and social media, advertising and artificial intelligence, public opinion polling, and anti-democracy forces. Note: This class will necessarily include some partisan political content. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.