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Department of
Communication Studies

John P. Koch

Director of Debate
Principal Senior Lecturer

John Koch is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Debate. His primary research interests include argumentation and debate, citizenship, democratic theory, and presidential rhetoric. Other areas of interest are public memory and the intersection of political culture, rhetoric, and sports.

Professional Societies

National Communication Association
Rhetoric Society of America
American Forensic Association

Specializations

Typical Courses

Fundamentals of Public Speaking


Representative publications

Young, Kelly M., John P. Koch, et al. “Restoring Balance: An Academic Review of Arguments For and Against the Restriction of Presidential War Powers.” Contemporary Argumentation and Debate 34 (2013-2014): 51-128.

Koch, John P. “Sinners and Saints: Civil Religion, Public Memory, and the Presidency at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.” In The Rhetoric of American Civil Religion: Symbols, Sinners, and Saints (Eds.) Jason Edwards and Joseph Valenzano, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2016.