The Art of Public Speaking: Clear and Pe

MIA and MPA Policy Skills Core II. Public speaking is an essential skill for public policy leaders. This course treats public speaking as a craft that can be learned, practiced, and improved, rather than a talent some people are born with and others lack. We speak in public more often than we think, not only from a podium but when we speak to small groups or explain a decision to our colleagues. Even raising your hand in class is public speaking (and we will talk about that too!).

Using a wide range of sources, from classical texts on rhetoric to great speeches that introduced important policies and shaped public opinion, we will learn to explain, persuade, and move listeners, whether your audience is an auditorium full of thousands, a small group, or on-camera. In addition, we will examine common emotional impediments to public speaking and learn how to convert nervous energy into presence and drama that elevates your presentation rather than holding you back.

This is an experiential course. Like many public speaking courses, we will learn what makes an effective presentation and discuss classic rhetorical techniques, empirical studies about persuasion, and review some of history’s greatest speeches. But we will also talk openly about the emotions we all face when speaking publicly; we will put what we learn into action by speaking in front of the class and in breakout groups; and we will give and receive constructive feedback that will also help us understand and improve our own speaking.

Together, we will find our voice.