Sam Pullan explains how a chance encounter has helped him to improve his introduction to the modern themes and founding documents of US politics. Working with a professional historian whom he met, by chance, over dinner, he was able to produce lessons at the cutting edge of subject knowledge to grab the attention of his Year 11 pupils. This…

Simulations are an excellent tool for teaching and have been used in many disciplines including in various subfields of political science, notably in international relations. We focus on the value of employing simulations in the classroom to complement the pedagogy surrounding political theory and related fields such as professional ethics and…

The authors describe the theoretical preparation provided to students in advance of a limited-duration experiential learning experience in Washington DC in a Master's level course for students in Business or Public Administration. The students consider theoretical perspectives from economics, political science, and public administration with…

In his seminal work "Bridging the Gap: Theory and Practice in Foreign Policy", Alexander George (1993) lamented the great divide between academia and the foreign policymaking community, arguing that greater interaction between scholars and policymakers would produce better policy. We share George's belief that scholars and practitioners each have…

Engaging students in the design, administration, and postelection analysis of an exit poll can be an excellent experiential learning activity. Lelieveldt and Rossen (2009) argue that exit polls are a "perfect teaching tool" because they provide students with a cooperative (rather than competitive) learning experience; help students…

How can philosophical instruction inform practical analysis and decision making among college students in a way that demonstrably benefits them as individual members of our polity and economy? I pose this question because each year, I introduce classic political theory to first- and second-year college students who simultaneously confront a fiscal…

This paper discusses the role of a writing centre in creating spaces for talk about and change in disciplinary writing pedagogy. It asks how collaborative partnerships between disciplinary academics and Writing Centre practitioners might be established and nurtured sustainably. Drawing on insights from two collaborations with academics in…

This document describes a public administration internship course. The paper illustrates how student intern experiences can be used as a base in a public administration internship course to teach about public administration, and to show how students' practice can help them learn, understand, and remember theory. In the course the students worked…

Discusses an extra-credit project offered to students in introductory U.S. government courses. Describes a student journal to be kept throughout the semester over one of four specified topics. Concludes that the project allowed the student to connect material over the entire semester while learning about sources covering politics and the tension…

Contends that in order to make political science scientifically based, people within the discipline must reach a consensus on what a scientifically based discipline is, and communicate that information to the students. States that teaching about the scientific method may focus on a set of principles within the grasp of undergraduate students. (CMK)

Describes an undergraduate course on democratic theory where that theory was modeled and incorporated into the course design. Students choose the curriculum, means of instruction, and methods of evaluation. The positive results demonstrate that most students are capable of assuming more responsibility for their own education. (MJP)

Reports on a class project that combined an examination of social class and political power with an introduction to sociological research. The project consisted of compiling biographical profiles of cabinet members from the Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton administrations. Introduces students to issues of conceptualization,…

Asserts that public choice theory, a perspective most closely associated with economics and political science, could be used in social studies education to provide new insights into the behavior of students and teachers. Includes a table applying public choice theory to two curriculum and instruction problems. (CFR)

Presents a thoughtful and balanced analysis of the effects of public opinion polling on elections and the political power structure. Generally refutes the revisionist criticism that polling acts as a preemptive strike curtailing political expression in favor of the power elite. Considers issues related to the tyranny of the majority. (MJP)

Argues that while gender and political research are not necessarily done by individuals with feminist goals, their application in the classroom potentially helps answer the question of how to make democracy more accessible and "safe" for women. Places the specific act of mainstreaming gender into the broader perspective of theory. (MJP)