Politics and Personalities
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 we live our lives and conduct business in our economy will be identified and analyzed. The positioning of the major political parties and interest groups will be presented. In the "personalities" portion of the class, the major personalities inspiring, informing and leading political movements in this country and, to a lesser extent, around the world will be assessed. This section will include a brief look at some champions of various political stripes, including several personalities functioning in non-governmental venues. Students will select a personality and deliver an oral and written biographical critique of the selected person.
The "politics" section involves students picking a current controversial topic for further research. Students will present orally and in writing, a research paper presenting two or more perspectives on the chosen issue.