Search

This paper introduces and explains the application possibilities of a software-based redistricting simulation, Gerryminder, made for undergraduates studying elections and representation with specific pedagogical application for redistricting, elections, Congress, and incumbency. Included are results from survey-based student feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the contemporary landscape of efforts to improve civic engagement among college students and offers preliminary data from honors students in Introduction to US Government courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper that I am proposing reports the second year results of a funded NSF-CCLI grant to improve instruction in the (political) sciences. There were several goals associated with the original proposal: to improve the retention of statistics materials by undergraduate students in political science; to strengthen their ability to think analytically by being able to work through complex statistical problems; to create a learning environment that was less threatening to novice data analysts while maintaining academic rigor; to develop two manageable and longitudinal data sets from the General Social Survey and the American National Election Studies; and, finally, to introduce students to computer driven data analysis using sophisticated, command driven statistical software. The goals of the project were to be accomplished, at least partially, as a result of the use of work-partners, a learning approach that may be likened to lab partners, though there are some differences. Mastery of analytic thinking skills is enhanced by making explicit the steps necessary to solve complex problems. Work partners are directed to work in a fashion that facilitates the explicit resolution of problems. Each time work partners work together, one is assigned the role of problem solver and the other the role of recorder. The solver is expected to lay out, in an orderly fashion, the steps necessary to solve the assigned problem (ranging in difficulty from creating frequency distributions to solving problems of bivariate regression). The role of the recorder is to follow the directions of the solver, making recommendations only when it becomes apparent that the solver is confused. Work pair assignments are determined at the beginning of the semester using a pretest of problem solving skills (the problems in the pretest are not statistics problems). The top scoring students are paired with students with low scoring students, the pairing moving in from the extreme scores. The two data sets develop for the course allow students to work with national quality data and to encounter the sorts of problems faced by political scientists as they conduct analyses with these sorts of data. The data analysis package is STATA. Two years of the three year grant have been completed and data from these two grants lend support to the efficacy of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential learning offers students opportunities to learn in real-world settings outside the classroom. In political science, such experiences have been found to enhance knowledge of the political process, positively impact subsequent academic performance, and develop more robust understandings of civic values. While these research findings have led universities to increasingly mandate service-learning courses, many experiential learning opportunities such as internships and study abroad programs are voluntary and demand student initiative. The purpose of this paper is to explore why students choose to engage in such voluntary experiential opportunities in order to identify how more students might be persuaded to take the initiative as well. The two-part research question that guides this study asks: Why do students take the initiative to participate in voluntary experiential learning and what do they hope to gain through their participation? This question is addressed through a grounded theory analysis of the application essays of sixteen Bryant University students who participated in a ten-day experiential learning program on the 2009 Presidential Inauguration at The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines university students? political (and cultural) knowledge and discusses the implications student political knowledge has in the teaching of political science [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does active learning improve student retention of course materials? This paper is a case study pertaining to undergraduate research as a tool for improving student retention of course materials in a course on political science research methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the impact of the Grutter decision on undergraduate and law school admission, recruitment and shcolarship policies and decisions in terms of the quest for diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper offers explanations for why students do not utilize the writing center and offers innovative approaches for professors to encourage their students to use the writing center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

critical part of a good liberal arts education consists of analytical and quantitative skills. Being able to read and evaluate claims made on the basis of statistical evidence and being able to use quantitative data to answer questions and draw conclusions are skills that will benefit students in their careers, in future studies, and as citizens in an increasingly data-saturated world. Looked at quite instrumentally, such skills are particularly useful in the present economy, where post-college employment is increasingly competitive; numerous reports suggest that employers place high value on computing and analytical skills in prospective employees. This paper evaluates the long-term benefits of a Syracuse University class offering, Maxwell 201: Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences (MAX 201). MAX 201 was developed by an interdisciplinary faculty team in 1995, and represents an effort to meet both the core requirements of the liberal arts curriculum and the realities of the contemporary job market. The class integrates lecture and “hands on” lab time -- where students use Microsoft Excel and SPSS to analyze and interpret data on political, social, and economic issues. This mix of theory and practice enhances undergraduate education by encouraging students to confront alternative and sometimes competing viewpoints and to bring analysis to bear on competing claims. Two data sources help inform the authors’ evaluation of the long-term benefits of learned MAX 201 skills. The first source contains pre and post test information collected over the course’s 16 semester run, and reflects both student perceptions and evaluations of various aspects of the course and on the impact of the course on a number of student attitudes and experiences having to do with quantitative and computer knowledge. The pre and post tests each contain eleven indicators of knowledge, experience and comfort levels for personal computers and word processing, spreadsheet software applications, and mathematical equations and variables (students self-report scores for these indicators on a scale from 1 to 4; where 1 equals low and 4 equals high). Analysis suggests that students come to the course with diverse experiences with computing and data analysis, and that this variance decreases upon completion of the course. The second source of data comes from a questionnaire sent to a random sample of ninety-five MAX 201 alumni, who have had a chance to apply learned practical and theoretical skills outside of the classroom. The questionnaire includes closed and open ended questions about the student’s course work and work history since taking the course and about the opportunities they have had to use the specific analytical skills taught in MAX 201. The analysis of questionnaire data will also help explain how the significant increase in students’ level of knowledge of and comfort with computers and word processing and spreadsheet software applications benefit students outside of the classroom experience. This is also important because this level of follow-up moves beyond typical academic course curriculum evaluations, which usually terminate at the semester-end evaluation. The lessons learned from this study may be used for curriculum improvement for MAX 201. More broadly, the authors believe this course could easily serve as a model for other universities that would like to develop cross-disciplinary, skills-based, quantitative analysis courses in the social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks the question: why do students get involved in local politics? During most General Election seasons, students are typically encouraged to register to vote and to show up to vote on Election Day. Yet, during mid-term elections, little effort is made to encouraging student participation in local primary elections. Based on data collected through a grant awarded in 2008 through the U.S. Election Assistance Commission College Student Poll Worker Program, I examine the question of political motivation and mobilization of college students to participate in local politics by working as election inspectors in Dutchess County compared to those who are simply registered to vote through voter registration drives. I consider the question of whether working as an election inspector increases the likelihood that college students will seek information about and vote in mid-term and local elections. The recruitment effort covers three campuses in Dutchess County: Dutchess Community College, Marist College, and Vassar College, with a sample of 270 students. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the relationship between certain political science courses and different measures of civic engagement for college students with the question of the whether these courses may promote more civic engagement. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to better understand the interest and motivational factors of undergraduates in government work and which groups of currently disinterested students may present the best opportunities for universities and government to steer toward public service. Specifically, we take up the question of student interest in government work at a religious-based institution. Using a survey of 200 plus students from a Chicago area Catholic university, we analyze (1) the level of interest among college students for non-teaching government work, and (2) whether the level of religiosity among the students predicts interest in public service. While our conclusions of this pilot study are tentative, and more definitive answers must await a future, multi-campus survey, we find that a healthy percentage of students would consider a career in government service. However, contrary to our expectation, high levels of religious devotion and activism discourages student interest in government service. It appears that the devout and active religious students identify more with private, non-government alternatives to government programs for solving problems. This in turn, we argue, dampens enthusiasm for working in government. College students who are politically engaged and trusting of government express more interest in a government career. Finally, we find that prospects of better pay also raises public service motivation. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is designed to explore the impacts of democratization on people's political attitudes by examining democratic values of two generations of university students who grew up during different stages of democratization in Taiwan. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protracted war can serve as a defining event that helps shape a generation's political participation and views. We investigate whether the war in Iraq might be a catalyzing event for this generation like Vietnam was for baby boomers or World War II for the "greatest generation." Using data from an internet-based survey of randomly sampled college students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, we investigate the relationship between disapproval of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and a variety of forms of political participation including two that are new in this generation: "friending" or joining an online political group or expressing one's political views online. While it is far too early to determine how long the effect will last or how it will change over the course of students' life cycles, at least in the short term, it appears opposition to the Iraq War has served as a catalyst for greater levels of political participation. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Michael Schudeson’s claim is one that echoes in the minds of educators and all civically engaged citizens. As we place our hopes of a better future in the competent hands of future generations, we, those of us who teach in the area of public advocacy and politics, look to our students with great anticipation. Now it is not uncommon for those of us engaged in social scientific research to study attitudes and behaviors of our students. A common practice, students as research subjects/participants, it is often criticized as fallacious, because of limited applicability and generalizability of the knowledge gained. However, for this particular case study, understanding our students’ attitudes about and reactions to political discourse when in a new environment, such as a college or university campus, can lead to a more sophisticated understanding of the dynamics of political socialization for first-time voters and the role we as educators may play in the creation of this environment. The aim of the research is two fold: 1) to gain a better understanding of political socialization for college students; and 2) to explore potential consequences of our own actions as teachers, mentors, advisors, and, of course, civically engaged citizens. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many celebrate 2008 as the year that young voters lived up to their potential. A few weeks after the election, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) offered up sobering facts about rates of youth participation in both the primary and general elections. Education emerged as a clear distinction between youth who participated and those who did not. Given that non-white and poor Americans remain less likely to attend college, discussions regarding youth turnout in the 2008 presidential election should be tempered by a discussion of who the term "youth" references. I argue that within American political discourse, the term youth applies not to all Americans between the ages of 18-29 but has increasingly become a cipher for white college students. Members of the youth demographic who do not fit this description are pushed to the margins of the political landscape. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze data from the Afrobarameter and a structured experiment on university students in Senegal. We find that although many Africans do not vote, they are politically active, and poor economic conditions positively affect participation. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the common, and often untested, assumptions, beliefs, and reasonings about the resurgence of South Korea?s anti-Americanism offered in the existing literature, using data collected from a 2004 survey of Korean college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the 2004 general election, a questionnaire will be distributed to all students at Calumet College of St. Joseph to gauge the success of a voter registration drive and other assumptions regarding youth and voting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study into the effects of teaching rational choice theory to undergraduate students on political orientation and political efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study will assess voting registration trends among registered voters currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at a Historically Black College and University. The study is aimed at assessing students’ understanding of the platform associate ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional view of participation is that turnout is lowest at the beginning of adult life, rises to a plateau in middle life, and declines as maturity fades into old age (Lipset 1960). This is known as the life cycle theory of political participation, and has been used to explain why older people participate in politics at greater rates than young people. According to this theory, young people do not participate in the electoral process because they have not “settled down” in their communities. Older people are more likely to be married, have children, own their own homes, and be less residentially mobile. .x000d..x000d.Using a dataset that captures both college and non-college youth, I investigate whether the life cycle theory of political participation explains multiple forms of political activity, including voting in the 2008 presidential election, volunteering on a political campaign, making a donation, and contributing to a political blog. The data used is from Harvard University’s Institute of Politics (IOP) and includes questions regarding college and non-college youth’s living arrangements, family responsibilities, and marital status. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detrimental effects of the Deficit Reduction Act on TANF recipients attending four-year colleges and universities. Harsh work requirements coupled with the threat of lost benefits have students dropping left and right. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the Iraq War started students in college residence halls looked increasingly to their proximate neighbors to make sense of this national issue. This lead to the development of distinct local normative responses (attitudes) to a national issue. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Study of the Relationship between Follower' Personality and Leadership Ratings of George W. BushByCharles SalterSchreiner UniversityKerrville, TexasMark Green and Malcolm ReeOur Lady of the Lake University of the Lake UniversitySan Antonio, Texas ABSTRACTThis research was designed to test the theoretical relationship between personality and leadership style suggested in past studies. Specifically it was designed to link traits from the 5-factor model of personality (the Big 5) by utilizing the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP), to a followers' perception of the leadership style of George W. Bush, based on Bass & Avolio's (1994) MLQ5X. A voluntary sample was taken consisting of undergraduate and graduate students from three universities in the San Antonio, Texas area. Thus the sample size was N = 303. Respondents who scored high in neuroticism rated the leader as less transformational than those who did not. Also, the ancillary variable Good Leadership had a positive effect on respondent's ratings of the leader as a transformational leader and as a less passive leader, than subjects who did not rate the leader as being a good leader. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess information and knowledge of college-aged students - measure civic engagement and how democratic ideals are fostered in the community college environment. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]