Women are underrepresented among American legislators and political science majors. One explanation is that gender imbalances propagate through space and time. In this paper, we introduce a paired experiment aimed to assess the downstream attitudinal effects of priming the issue of women's representation. At one predominantly male university and…

As colleges and universities push to offer more online offerings, particularly during this current pandemic, concerns about upholding standards of excellence surface. As a result, programs like Quality Matters (QM) have flourished in an attempt to make courses not only easily accessible, but also tied to learning outcomes. This paper takes a look…

Scholars and journalists alike have pointed out the poor state of political discourse in contemporary American politics. Younger generations echo these concerns, reporting that they choose to avoid engaging in political discussion because it is too partisan and riddled with rhetoric to be productive. While many offer little hope that the level of…

In a 2016 survey, just 26% of Americans were able to name all three branches of government, and 31% failed to name even one branch. In 2011, the American Bar Association's (ABA) Commission on Civic Education in the Nation's Schools called the progress of civic education "worrisome" and said, "there is reason to be alarmed at the…

In the era of smartphones and 24-hour news networks, the State of the Union address is a major event. All national media outlets--in print, on television, on the Internet--report on the address, some almost exclusively in the days leading up to and after the speech. In this article, considering their experiences teaching about the address, and…

In order to understand the complex workings of the three branches of American government, young citizens need early exposure in the elementary years to hands-on lessons that include real life examples and opportunities for students to apply what they have learned. To that end, the authors designed a five-day, inquiry-based unit for fourth grade…

Role playing Congress provides high school American government students with a unique opportunity not only to learn the workings of the Congress, but also to be active participants in the learning process. Research studies have shown that students enjoy those classes in which they are actively participating. (RM)

In this activity for high school American government classes, students examine and discuss six documents concerning the transfer of power to Lyndon Johnson after the Kennedy assassination. The objective of the lesson is to help students understand how power is gained and used. (AM)

This guide will help secondary teachers use the 1984 elections as a tool to teach about American government and politics. Students use their town, county, or city as the classroom. Newspapers, community resources, campaign materials and activities, and the broadcast media are their textbooks. (RM)

Suggestions for incorporating consumer awareness into the usual civic or government courses are made with reference to values clarification and the needs and experiences of the student. (JH)

Offers a lesson which is designed to help twelfth grade American Government students understand the process and dilemmas of congressional reapportionment or redistricting. Includes objectives, teaching procedures and a map of an imaginary state showing districts and their populations. (JDH)

Every state in the United States is divided into smaller units of local government. For example, Georgia has 159 counties. Proponents of reducing the number of counties argue for consolidation on the basis of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Activities are suggested to help secondary students explore this issue. (RM)

American government should be taught using an experiential approach. Activities are suggested. For example, student representatives to school boards can be given responsibility for researching student attitudes and involving others in interaction with the board and administration. (RM)

Presents an activity for senior high government classes about Vice President Johnson's approach in using power to get the civil rights legislation passed. Students analyze transcripts of phone conversations between Vice President Johnson and Press Secretary Ted Sorensen and discuss how presidential power may be used to influence Congress. (AM)

Teachers ought to be doers as well as teachers. A government teacher discusses how participating in the political process helped his teaching. Learning activities are suggested. (RM)