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Wake Up To Politics Podcast: Campaigning through the ages

Wake Up To Politics Podcast: Episode #5

Are you overwhelmed by everything that's going on in 2020?

In the latest episode of the Wake Up To Politics Podcast, we dial back a couple thousand years and break down what campaigning and elections were like at the very birth of democracy.

Pepperdine University ancient history professor Philip Freeman offers stories from early elections and the origins of campaigning, shares advice from an ancient Roman "campaign manager," and tells us that politics really hasn't changed much since Athens and Rome.

"I think there’s something comforting in knowing that basic human nature, whether in elections or anything else, doesn’t really change, that people 2,000 years ago were just like we are," Professor Freeman says in the episode.

You can listen (and subscribe) now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or Stitcher! As always, if you have any feedback on this episode or topics we should cover next: please reply to this email or leave a review on the podcast platform of your choice.

Further reading:

  • In the episode, Professor Freeman discusses the advice Quintus Tullius Cicero offered his brother Marcus Tullis Cicero during an ancient Roman election. Most of the advice is surprisingly relevant today — it almost reads like a modern-day campaign memo. You can read Quintus Cicero's full letter in Professor Freeman's book, "How to Win An Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians."