Undergraduate Programs
Road to the Whitehouse
The is a Spring 2024 6-credit course (3 credits for the seminar about presidential campaigns and 3 credits for the presidential primary internship) that includes an internship on one of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary campaigns in South Carolina.
Click to read students' reflections as recorded in their Internship Papers, Journals, Blogs, as well as photos from the presidential campaign trail.
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Objective: To study the history and politics of U.S. presidential campaigns, including an intensive internship in South Carolina leading up to the first-in-the-nation primary.
In our seminars we will discuss topics such as the history of the presidential nominating process, the national conventions, voter turnout, campaign finance, third party and independent candidates, the electoral college, and the nature of presidential campaigns. Traveling from February 16-25th, 2024 students will experience the campaign process firsthand.
For news and updates, visit our
Application Information
The course has limited availability, and there are course fees to cover the costs of travel and lodging.
Please contact Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan after October 3rd, 2023 for more information about the course/logistics.
Student Blogs
| Student | Campaign |
|---|---|
| SCDP | |
| TRUMP | |
| TRUMP | |
| SCDP | |
| TRUMP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| TRUMP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| HALEY | |
| HALEY | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| TRUMP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP | |
| SCDP |
news
- USF News/ February 14th, 2024
- Florida Politics/ February 14th, 2024
- Southeast Politics/ February 14th, 2024
- Bay News 9/ February 14th, 2024
- WUSF/ February 23, 2024
- Bay News 9/ March 5th, 2024
- Newsmax/ Febraury 25th, 2024
- WRDW/ February 18, 2024
- Tampa Bay Times/ March 27, 2024
Students experience the frontlines of presidential campaign trail in ‘Road to the Whitehouse’ course- USF College of Arts and Sciences/ March 21st, 2024
Previous Courses
2020
The Road to the White House 2020 is a Spring 2020 6-credit course (3 credits for the seminar about presidential campaigns and 3 credits for the presidential primary internship) that includes an internship on one of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary campaigns in New Hampshire.
Travel dates are February 2-12, 2020.
The course has limited availability, and there are course fees to cover the costs of travel and lodging.
Please contact Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan after September 15th for more information about the course/logistics.
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Objective: To study the history and politics of U.S. presidential campaigns, including an intensive internship in New Hampshire leading up to the first-in-the-nation primary.
In our seminars we will discuss topics such as the history of the presidential nominating process, the national conventions, voter turnout, campaign finance, third party and independent candidates, the electoral college, and the nature of presidential campaigns. Traveling from February 2-12, 2020 students will experience the campaign process firsthand.
To learn more, read about how by WMNF.
Please .
| Student | Campaign |
|---|---|
| BIDEN | |
| BIDEN | |
| BIDEN | |
| BIDEN | |
| BUTTIGIEG | |
| BUTTIGIEG | |
| KLOBUCHAR | |
| KLOBUCHAR | |
| NH GOP | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| TRUMP | |
| TRUMP | |
| WARREN | |
| WARREN | |
| WARREN | |
| WARREN | |
| WARREN | |
| WARREN | |
| WARREN | |
| YANG | |
| YANG |
News
- – The Crow’s Nest / James Bennett / February 3, 2020
- – WMNF / Seán Kinane / January 30, 2020
- – USFSP News / January 29, 2020
- – Bay News 9 / January 28, 2020
2020 CAMPAIGN INFORMATION
POLITICAL PARTY RESOURCES
Address 1: 420 E. Jefferson Street; Tallahassee Florida 32301
Address 2: PO Box 311; Tallahassee, FL 32302
Phone: (850) 222-7920
Email
Internship Phone: 202-863-8630
Internship Email
Republican National Committee
Address: 310 First Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Phone: 202-863-8500
Email
Office Address: 4707 140th Avenue North – Suite 208, Clearwater, FL 33762
Phone: (727) 539-6009
Email
North Carolina, Charlotte- August 24th-27th, 2020
Mailing Address Committee on Arrangements: PO Box 1809, Tampa, Florida 33601
Location of Convention: Spectrum Center, 333 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Address: 430 South Capitol Street Southeast Washington, DC 20003
Phone: (202) 863-8000
Internships
Address: 214 South Bronough Street; Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: (850) 222-3411
Email
Office: Pinellas County Headquarters, 2250 1st Avenue North, St Petersburg, FL 33713
Phone: (727) 327-2796
Email Office
Email Info
CANDIDATE RESOURCES
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
– US Senator from Colorado
Email
| |
The Land of Flickering Lights: Restoring America In An Age Of Broken Politics by Michael
Bennet
– Former Vice-President and US Senator from Delaware
Email
| |
Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics by Joe Biden
– US Senator from New Jersey
| |
United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good by Cory Booker
– South Bend, Indiana Mayor
Email
||
Shortest Way Home: One Mayors Challenge and a Model For America’s Future by Pete Buttigieg
– Governor of Montana
| |
– Former Mayor of San Antonio Texas/Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
| |
An Unlikely Journey: Waking up from My American Dream by Julián Castro
– Mayor of New York City
| |
– Former Member of Congress from Maryland
Email
| |
The Right Answer: How We Can Unify Our Divided Nation by John K. Delaney
– U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district
| |
Is Today the Day? Not Another Political Memoir by Tulsi Gabbard
– US Senator from New York
| |
Off the Sidelines: Speak Up, Be Fearless, and Change Your World by Kirsten Gillibrand
– US Senator from California
| |
The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris
– Former Governor of Colorado
| |
The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics by John Hickenlooper
– Governor of Washington
| |
Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy by Jay Inslee and Bracken Hendricks
– US Senator from Minnesota
| |
The Senator Next Door: A Memoir from the Heartland by Amy Klobuchar
– Mayor of Miramar Florida
| |
– US Representative for Massachusetts
| |
Called to Serve: Learning to Lead In War And Peace by Seth Moulton
– former Member of Congress from Texas
Email
| |
Dealing Death and Drugs: The Big Business of Dope in the U.S. and Mexico by Beto O’Rourke
and Susie Byrd
– Member of Congress from Ohio
| |
Healing America: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Recapture the American Spirit by
Tim Ryan
– U.S. Senator from Vermont
Email
| |
Where We Go from Here: Two Years in the Resistance by Bernie Sanders
Joe Sestak – Former Member of Congress from Pennsylvania
– Member of Congress from California
Email
| |
– U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
||
A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren
– Author/Activist
Email
| |
A Politics of Love: A Handbook for a new American Revolution by Marianne Williamson
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
– President of the United States
Business Owner/Re-Running
| |
Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again by Donald Trump
– former Governor of Massachusetts
| |
Email
2016
The Road to the White House 2016 is a Spring 2016 6-credit course (3 credits for the seminar about presidential campaigns and 3 credits for the presidential primary internship) that includes an internship on one of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary campaigns in New Hampshire.
The course has limited availability, and there are course fees to cover the costs of travel and lodging.
Please contact Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan at your earliest convenience for an application and for more information about the course/logistics.
Please .
Course Information
Course Objective: To study the history and politics of U.S. presidential campaigns, including an intensive internship in New Hampshire leading up to the first-in-the-nation primary.
In our seminars we will discuss topics such as the history of the presidential nominating process, the national conventions, voter turnout, campaign finance, third party and independent candidates, the electoral college, and the nature of presidential campaigns. Traveling from January 31, 2016 to February 10, 2016 students will experience the campaign process firsthand. Fore more information, view the 2016 Course Syllabus and the 2016 Course Field Work Syllabus.
23 undergraduate students working on 7 campaigns.
Democrats: Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, and Bernie Sanders
Republicans: Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump.
View the students’ campaign placements.
Campaign Information
POLITICAL PARTY RESOURCES
Address 1: 420 E. Jefferson Street; Tallahassee Florida 32301
Address 2: PO Box 311; Tallahassee, FL 32302
Phone: (850) 222-7920
Email
Internship Phone: 202-863-8630
Internship Email
Office Address: 4707 140th Avenue North – Suite 208, Clearwater, FL 33762
Phone: (727) 539-6009
Email
The Republican National Committee Convention – Cleveland- July 18-21, 2016
Mailing Address Committee on Arrangements: PO Box 1809, Tampa, Florida 33601
Location of Convention: Quicken Loans Arena 1 Center Ct, Cleveland, OH 44115
Address: 430 South Capitol Street Southeast Washington, DC 20003
Phone: (202) 863-8000
Address: 214 South Bronough Street; Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: (850) 222-3411
Email
Office: Pinellas County Headquarters, 2250 1st Avenue North, St Petersburg, FL 33713
Phone: (727) 327-2796
Email
The Democratic National Committee Convention – Philadelphia July 25-July 28 2016
Location of Convention: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street, PHL
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Lincoln Chafee - Former US Senator and Governor from Rhode Island
Against the Tide: How a Compliant Congress Empowered a Reckless President by Lincoln Chafee
- Former U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Senator and First Lady
Phone (National): 646-854-1432
| Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton
- U.S. Senator
Address (National): PO Box 905 Burlington, VT 05402
| The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle
Class by Bernie Sanders
Martin O’Malley
Address (National): 1501 St. Paul Street, Ste 115, Baltimore MD 21202
Phone (National): 443-552-3526
|
Jim Webb – Former ߲ӰԺSenator
Address: PO Box 11742 Burke, VA 22009
| A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America by Jim Webb
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
- Former Governor of Florida
Address (National) : PO Box 440641 Miami, FL 33144
|
– Physician
| One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America’s Future by Dr. Ben Carson
|
– US Senator from Texas
Address: PO Box 25376 Houston, TX 77265
| A Time for Truth: Reigniting the Promise of America by Ted Cruz
Carly Fiorina – Businesswoman and Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
| Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey by Carly Fiorina
Lindsey Graham – US Senator from South Carolina
Address: PO Box 2732 Columbia, SC 29202
Phone (National): 703-542-3282
|
– Former Governor of Arkansas
Address: PO Box 3357 Little Rock, AR 72203
| God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy by Mike Huckabee
Address: PO Box 5101, Baton Rouge, LA 70821
| Leadership and Crisis by Bobby Jindal
George Pataki
Where I Come From by George Pataki
Phone (National): 202-735-5323
| Taking a Stand: Moving Beyond Partisan Politics to Unite America by Rand Paul
Rick Perry – Former Governor of Texas
| Fed Up!: Our Fight to Save America from Washington by Rick Perry
– US Senator from Florida
Address: PO Box 558701 Miami, FL 33255
Email
| American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone by Marco Rubio
Address: PO Box 238 Verona, PA 15147
Phone (National): 515-216-0105
Email
| Blue Collar Conservatives: Recommitting to an America That Works by Rick Santorum
Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again by Donald Trump
- Governor of Ohio
Stand for Something: The Battle for America’s Soul
John Gilmore - Former Governor of Virginia, former Chair of the RNC
*Please note: this information was compiled in June 2015 when course development was underway.
Student Blogs
| STUDENT | CAMPAIGN |
|---|---|
| BUSH | |
| BUSH | |
| CLINTON | |
| CLINTON | |
| CLINTON | |
| CLINTON | |
| CLINTON | |
| CRUZ | |
| Yaite Ruiz | CRUZ |
| O'MALLEY | |
| RUBIO | |
| RUBIO | |
| RUBIO | |
| RUBIO | |
| RUBIO | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| SANDERS | |
| TRUMP |
2012
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Objective: To study the history and politics of U.S. presidential campaigns, including a presidential primary campaign internship in Florida.
View photographs from the internship on the .
At the Campaign Internship Job Fair students had the opportunity to hear from representatives of the campaigns of
- President Barack Obama
- Florida Democratic Party caucus organization
- Speaker Newt Gingrich
- Governor Jon Huntsman
- Congressman Ron Paul
- Governor Rick Perry
- Senator Rick Santorum
- Republican Party of Pinellas County County
- Governor Gary Johnson
Students in 2012 were placed on the campaigns of President Barack Obama, Governor Mitt Romney, Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senator Rick Santorum, Congressman Ron Paul, and Governor Gary Johnson.
To study the history and politics of U.S. presidential campaigns, including an intensive internship in Florida in advance of its front-loaded presidential primary.
In our seminars we discussed topics such as the history of the presidential nominating process, the national conventions, voter turnout, campaign finance, third party and independent candidates, the electoral college, and the nature of presidential campaigns.
21 students interned for the Obama, Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, Paul and Johnson campaigns. View the students’ campaign placements.
Student Blogs
| STUDENT | CAMPAIGN |
|---|---|
| FDP Caucus | |
| FDP Caucus | |
| Gingrich | |
| Johnson | |
| Obama | |
| Obama | |
| Obama | |
| Obama | |
| Obama | |
| Obama | |
| Obama | |
| Obama | |
| Paul | |
| Paul | |
| Romney | |
| Romney | |
| Romney | |
| Romney | |
| Romney | |
| Romney | |
| Santorum |
2008
Course INFORMATION
COURSE OBJECTIVE: To study the history and politics of U.S. presidential campaigns, including an intensive 10-day internship in New Hampshire leading up to the first-in-the-nation primary.
Students had the opportunity to intern for one of the presidential campaigns in NEW HAMPSHIRE, home of the first-in-the-nation primary. Students learned first-hand about presidential campaigns and the presidential nominating process.
Seminars were led and internships arranged and supervised by Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, a former White House staffer and veteran of several presidential campaigns who has extensive political experience in New Hampshire.
In our seminars we discussed topics such as the presidential nominating process, the national conventions, voter turnout, campaign finance, third party and independent candidates, the electoral college, and the nature of presidential campaigns.
- 19 Undergraduate and Graduate Students
- 11 Campaigns
- 3 Cities
Students interned for the following presidential campaigns: Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney.
- of the students from their experiences
- Course Syllabus
- New Hampshire Itinerary
- Students’ campaign placements
News
Student Blogs
| STUDENT | CAMPAIGN |
|---|---|
| CLINTON | |
| CLINTON | |
| CLINTON | |
| CLINTON | |
| CLINTON | |
| EDWARDS | |
| EDWARDS | |
| Maggie Bratcher | GIULIANI |
| GIULIANI | |
| HUCKABEE | |
| JOURNALIST | |
| Paul Mena, en espanol | JOURNALIST |
| MCCAIN | |
| OBAMA | |
| PAUL | |
| PAUL | |
| RICHARDSON | |
| ROMNEY | |
| ROMNEY | |
| ROMNEY |
2004
Course Information
Course Objective : To study the history and politics of U.S. presidential campaigns, including an intensive 10-day internship in New Hampshire leading up to the first-in-the-nation primary.
Seminars led and internships arranged and supervised by Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan , a former White House staffer and veteran of several presidential campaigns who has extensive political experience in New Hampshire .
In our seminars we discussed topics such as the history of the presidential nominating process, the national conventions, voter turnout, campaign finance, third party and independent candidates, the electoral college, and the nature of presidential campaigns. Fore more information, view the 2004 Course Syllabus.
21 students interned on seven campaigns: the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign and the Democratic campaigns of General Wes Clark, Governor Howard Dean, Senator John Edwards, Senator John Kerry, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and Senator Joe Lieberman.
News
Not only did students have the opportunity to meet the presidential candidates and the various celebrity surrogates that came to New Hampshire to stump on their behalf, but also our students began to feel like celebrities themselves! They were interviewed by journalists from newspapers such as the Boston Globe, the Manchester Union Leader, the Hartford Courant, and the Weekly Standard.
Students experienced media coverage while working on campaigns.
Friends and family called them on their cell phones telling them that they had again been spotted on TV, on programs including
- NBC’s ”The Today Show”
- NBC’s “Nightly News”
- NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”
- Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show”
- ABC news
- FoxNews
- MSNBC
- CNN (including the documentary on the Dean campaign that aired after our return, “True Believers”)
- C-Span
- Discovery Channel
Our students also appeared on New England television stations, such as
- WMUR (ABC, New Hampshire)
- New England Cable News
- Vermont's News 7
Coverage wasn’t limited to the United States. Our students were also interviewed by journalists from
- France
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- South Korea
- Japan
Here in Tampa Bay, our students were featured in
- St. Petersburg Times*
- Tampa Tribune
- The Crow's Nest
- Tampa Bay’s 10 (CBS)
- Ch. 28 (ABC)
- Fox News
- 89.7 WUSF
- 970 WFLA
*This story was picked up by the Associated Press State and Local Wire Service and was reprinted in papers across the state of Florida, including the Tallahassee Democrat, the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the Bradenton Herald, and the Miami Herald.
Select news reports about The Road to the White House
- News Channel 10 Report
- WUSF News Story
- News Channel 10 Story
Student Blogs
| STUDENT | CAMPAIGN |
|---|---|
| Bush/Cheney Re-Elect | |
| Bush/Cheney Re-Elect | |
| Bush/Cheney Re-Elect | |
| Wes Clark | |
| Wes Clark | |
| Wes Clark | |
| Gov. Howard Dean | |
| Gov. Howard Dean | |
| Gov. Howard Dean | |
| Gov. Howard Dean | |
| Gov. Howard Dean | |
| Gov. Howard Dean | |
| Gov. Howard Dean | |
| Gov. Howard Dean | |
| John Edwards | |
| John Edwards | |
| John Kerry | |
| John Kerry | |
| John Kerry | |
| Dennis Kucinich | |
| Joe Lieberman | |
| Ted Haynie |