Business & Entrepreneurship

Community & Government

Games & Digital Media

Get Familiar With Finance & Investing

Grow as a Community Leader

Level Up Your Digital Presence

Manage Online & Social Media Engagement

Navigate News With Media Literacy

Study Domestic & International Affairs

Teach Campaign Strategy and Messaging

David Axelrod and Karl Rove

Meet your new instructors David Axelrod and Karl Rove. In your first lesson, they share how they each found politics, how their unlikely friendship began, and why they are passionate about democracy.

1. Introduction

Introduction

Karl and David lay out what a campaign team needs to consider at the start of a race. Learn why you need to take stock of the electorate--and your candidate--to develop a theory of why you can win.

2. Starting a Campaign

Starting a Campaign

Knowing your candidate inside and out is essential to a winning campaign. Both instructors illustrate why you must uncover every strength and weakness: to identify lines of attack and develop your message.

3. Assessing Your Candidate

Assessing Your Candidate

Karl delves into the whys and hows of conducting opposition research, and addresses the ethical concerns of this practice.

4. Researching Your Opponent

Researching Your Opponent

Both instructors teach you how to decide which candidate to work for, the different roles on a campaign team, and the role of key decision-maker.

5. Working on a Campaign

Working on a Campaign

Karl explains why you need a campaign plan, what it should include, and how to follow-through and evolve as the race progresses.

6. The Campaign Plan

The Campaign Plan

Karl teaches you how to determine which parts of the electorate your campaign should target and how to go about it, while David shares his advice on the importance of addressing what constituents care about most.

7. Understanding the Electorate and Targeting Voters

Understanding the Electorate and Targeting Voters

David and Karl trade off teaching the importance of polling and focus groups, while also highlighting the limitations of these types of research.

8. Polling and Focus Groups

Polling and Focus Groups

Karl breaks down what you need to include in a comprehensive campaign budget, how to figure out how much money you can raise, and the different ways you can go about raising it effectively.

9. Budgeting and Fundraising

Budgeting and Fundraising

Using effective ads from past successful campaigns, David and Karl teach you the different types of messages you can create for your campaign, from biographical content to positive, comparative, and negative ads.

10. The Campaign Message

The Campaign Message

David walks you through the entire media campaign for an Iowa governor’s race to demonstrate how to develop and evolve your campaign message.

11. Campaign Messaging Case Study

Campaign Messaging Case Study

David discusses the importance of the campaign launch, the fundamentals of the stump speech, and why candidates must be aware that all their actions are under scrutiny in a campaign.

12. Public Appearances

Public Appearances

Karl and David analyze the ever-changing media landscape and teach their most effective ways to use television and the internet to disseminate your candidate’s message.

13. Getting Your Message Out

Getting Your Message Out

David and Karl explain how essential social media is to modern campaigning. Learn how to use social media to spread your message, target voters, solicit donations, and find volunteers.

14. Harnessing Social Media

Harnessing Social Media

Karl breaks down why direct mail continues to be a valuable tool to reach voters during your campaign.

15. Direct Mail

Direct Mail

Using his experiences in the 2008 Obama presidential campaign, David offers his unique perspective on the power of slogans and logos.

16. Slogans and Logos

Slogans and Logos

Karl and David teach you strategies to support your candidate during the grueling election cycle, from finding ways to preserve their energy, to delivering tough feedback.

17. Supporting Your Candidate

Supporting Your Candidate

An expert in “the ground game,” Karl teaches how to use volunteers to reach potential voters during your campaign. David and Karl also discuss why volunteering can be an excellent entry point into working on campaigns.

18. Mobilizing Volunteers

Mobilizing Volunteers

Using examples from historic debates, David and Karl break down the tactics candidates can use to effectively win a debate.

19. Debates 

Debates 

David illustrates how to successfully emerge from the inevitable mistakes and negative attacks that happen during the course of any campaign.

20. Keeping the Campaign on Track

Keeping the Campaign on Track

Karl teaches you how to identify and leverage the organizations and individuals who can positively influence your campaign.

21. Identifying Influencers

Identifying Influencers

The closing weeks of a campaign are the busiest part of the election cycle. David and Karl lay out what to prioritize as you race toward the finish line.

22. The End of the Race

The End of the Race

Karl and David discuss their perspectives on the highly polarized current state of politics in America, and the future they see for the country.

23. The Current State of Politics

The Current State of Politics

David and Karl offer a call to action, encouraging you to get involved in politics and start making a difference.

24. Parting Words

Parting Words

David Axelrod and Karl Rove Teach Campaign Strategy and Messaging

variant_1

Enjoy 7 days free

The promo may be over, but your opportunity isn't. Dive into the full experience, worry-free, with our 7-day money-back guarantee.

The offer has ended

Amount charged now

Your 7-day free trial starts today

Proof you've trained with the world's best

Leadership and Decision Making Under Pressure

Get this certificate.

Proof you’ve learned from the best.

Brand Strategist

Ana M. Gómez Sanabria

Founder

Karl Baron

Service Design & Design Strategist

Meghan Preiss

R&D Manager

Morten Refsgaard Drost

Chief Technical Advisor

Doug Needham

Service Manager

Ólafur Már Símonarson

Get 50% off an annual membership of MasterClass

Congratulations, you purchased an annual standard membership of MasterClass. A confirmation has been sent to your email. You will now be able to access 200+ classes in addition to your Certificate course.

You're all set!

Build practical AI skills that matter. Learn how to think with AI, make better decisions, and prove you’re ready for what’s next.

AI as Your Copilot (4 min)

Prompting: Speak So AI Listens (8 min)

Step inside The Moonshot Factory to see how teams prototype new concepts in hours, pinpoint the riskiest part of any idea, and turn bold thinking into real-world breakthroughs.

This Is Where Bold Begins (12 min)

"What If" Before "What Is" (8 min)

Learn from five former SEALs, including Medal of Honor winner Command Master Britt Slabinski (Ret), and hear how they tackle issues, recognize stress early, and use quick resets to regain composure.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.

Intro to High-Stakes Leadership (10 min)

Strategic Readiness Starts With You (6 min)

Pre-enroll and save 20% on this Negotiations course. Available Summer 2026.

ni-preenrollment

Pre-enroll and save 30% on this AI Strategy course from NVIDIA. 

nvidia-preenrollment

From TIME ©2022 TIME USA LLC. All rights reserved. Used under license.

Times

Wirecutter

Reviewed - USA Today

Teaches Economics and Society

Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman Teaches Economics and Society

Mastering the Markets

Ray Dalio

Meredith Whitney

Joel Greenblatt

Seth Klarman

Devon Rodriguez

Draw and Paint Realistic Portraits

Teaches the Power of Resilience

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton Teaches The Power of Resilience

Marques Brownlee

Make Compelling Videos That Go Viral

NINJA

Become a Streamer

Teaches Spray-Painting & Abstract Art

Futura

Futura Teaches Spray-Painting & Abstract Art

Independent Thinking and Media’s Invisible Powers

Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky Teaches Independent Thinking and Media’s Invisible Powers

Teaches Strategic Decision-Making

Mellody Hobson

Mellody Hobson Teaches Strategic Decision-Making

On the Power of Personal Branding

Kris Jenner

Kris Jenner On The Power of Personal Branding

Teaches Investigative Journalism

Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward Teaches Investigative Journalism

A Documentary by Andrea Nevins

The Cowboy and the Queen

A Documentary by Academy Award Nominee Andrea Nevins

Teaches Poker

Daniel Negreanu

Daniel Negreanu Teaches Poker

Teaches How to Think Like an FBI Profiler

John Douglas

John Douglas Teaches How to Think Like an FBI Profiler

Teach Diplomacy

Madeleine Albright & Condoleezza Rice

Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice Teach Diplomacy

Teaches Science and Problem-Solving

Bill Nye

Bill Nye Teaches Science and Problem-Solving

Teaches Dance Music

Armin van Buuren

Armin van Buuren Teaches Dance Music

Lessons from Influential Black Voices

Angela Davis

Cornel West

Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw

Nikole Hannah-Jones

Sherrilyn Ifill

Jelani Cobb

John McWhorter

Black History, Black Freedom, and Black Love

Teaches Building a Fashion Brand

Diane von Furstenberg

Diane von Furstenberg Teaches Building a Fashion Brand

Business Leadership

Howard Schultz

Howard Schultz Business Leadership

Teaches Inclusive Leadership

Bill Clinton

President Bill Clinton Teaches Inclusive Leadership

Teaches Writing

Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing

Teaches Purposeful Communication

George Stephanopoulos

George Stephanopoulos Teaches Purposeful Communication

Menu

What brought you to this class today?

What brought you to this class today?

Skills You'll Learn

Download