Teaching the social contract tradition to students can be frustrating. Works by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau may seem arcane, abstract, or irrelevant to students. Yet, it is important for students to think about what processes or mechanisms would make consent and dissent legitimate. To address this problem, this paper explains how to use a short…

Ideological and Political courses are compulsory lessons for Chinese students throughout their schooling, which also are taken for granted as Citizenship Education courses by the authority. What's the real state of the lesson? Here we show you one example of the lesson. The lesson was recorded in September 2013, in a special classroom with two…

This article provides an example of a social studies lesson from Turkish educational context in order to facilitate comparison with examples of social studies lessons from other parts of the world. This lesson was recorded in a 7th grade class at a middle school in one of the metropolitan neighborhoods in Istanbul. According to the current…

History or social studies teachers are constantly striving to make the past come alive for their students and to help them see that not only does the past relate to the present, but it can also give insights into the future. The recent passing of former President Gerald R. Ford provides social studies teachers with just such an opportunity. Ford's…

Discusses recent trends in the development of American political theory and reviews four themes found in current anthologies and monographs which can be used to supplement college political theory courses. The themes include the founding of America, the Lincoln literature, religion, and the neoconservative phenomenon. (AM)

Reviews STUDIES IN PLATONIC POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (Strauss, 1984). Describes Platonic political philosophizing and argues that it is indispensable for the teaching of political science. (JDH)

Describes a college course which examines fundamental issues concerning governmental regulation. Topics covered include: the development of regulatory agencies, their functions, both intended and unintended impact, and suggested reform of federal regulation. (RM)

Designed to accompany the course syllabi, this five-section bibliography cites over 1,500 books, textbooks, and journal articles for teaching political sociology at the university level. Section I, on general works, contains two categories of resources: materials on the theory of political sociology and general collections and texts. Section 2…

Describes the grading system and examination practices of the British polytechnic schools. Explains the role of the external examiner and the board of examiners. Compares the benefits and drawbacks of this system with grading practices common in United States higher education. (JDH)

Shows how the "nominal group technique" can be applied in the initial meetings of discussion groups in university courses to clarify group norms and climate and to exemplify productive discussion behaviors. (Author/RM)

Suggests that having political science college students perform in class Machiavelli's play "Mandragola" is an excellent way to expand student's appreciation of Machiavelli. Article provides a synopsis of the play, discusses Machiavelli's intent, examines the meaning of the play, and presents classroom logistics. (RM)

How an introductory political science course called "The Elements of Political Theory" is taught using Plato's "Republic," Hobbes's "Leviathan," the "Declaration of Independence," and the "Communist Manifesto" is discussed. In the course, students contrast the way ancients and moderns differ in…

College students enrolled in a senior level political science seminar were assigned to read books and then write essays that uncovered one critical flaw in the work. The class was divided into teams to debate the value of the critiques. A mock trial format was used for the debates. (RM)

Breaks were imposed in the game Monopoly, at which times the players, college level students, elected one person and gave him or her the power to change the rules. Behavior similar to political behavior in the real world resulted. The students discovered the resemblance and wrote papers on what had occurred. (RM)

Ten elements and techniques which can be used very effectively in a college level political science course are animation and enthusiasm; costumes; skits; motion; humor; perks; personality and mood changes; voices, puppets, and imitations; the personalization of material; and state of mind. (RM)