Experts Guide

Diana Carlin

On leave through June 2008

Expertise

• Political communication
• Political campaigns and debates
• Women in politics
• Political speeches
• Civic engagement: youth engagement in politics

Background
Member: Advisory board for the Commission on Presidential Debates, 1987-2000; created DebateWatch for the CPD
Author of books and journal articles on political debates, first ladies, presidential speechwriters, public reactions to political messages.
Interviewed on CNN, C-SPAN, Fox, NPR, PBS-Charlie Rose, ABC and CBS radio.
Newspaper interviews include New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Los Angeles Times, Kansas City Star, Topeka Capital-Journal, New York Post, Lawrence Journal World, Associate Press, Reuters, and international press from Germany, France, Sweden, Italy and South Korea

Comments on research
"My research is based on gaining a better understanding of how the public processes political messages ? speeches, debates, advertising ? and how candidates and officeholders construct messages to achieve their goals. The majority of my research has centered on political debates from two perspectives: candidate strategies and public reaction. My more recent research is geared toward gaining a better understanding of why people do and do not participate in the political process, especially young voters. I have also begun to work in emerging democracies to help them develop political debate traditions."

Courses
Political Debates
Women as Political Communicators
Speechwriting