Politics and Profits
12:30 Seminar
As its name implies, this seminar is designed to address political issues in general and to focus on the intersection of politics and business in its effort to explore how various interpretations of "good society" concepts as they relate to productivity and economic growth might be implemented. First, students will be introduced to the fiscal and social dimensions of the contemporary political policy debate. The positions of the extreme left and right on contemporary issues impacting the way business is conducted and impacting our economy's productivity will be identified and analyzed. The positioning of the major political parties and interest groups will be presented. Next, the major personalities inspiring, informing and leading political movements in this country and, to a lesser extent, around the world will be analyzed. This section will include a brief look at some champions of various political stripes, including some personalities functioning in non-governmental venues.
Students will be asked to write and defend position papers on topics such as Affirmative Action, global warming, insider trading and healthcare access as we delve into these contemporary topics. Students will take sides and conduct research to defend their personal views and be challenged by their peers and the instructor on these issues that should be important to us all.