Decisions 2006

Decision 2006

Fall, 2006 Mr. Wimmer and Dr. Ebert

In November, 2006, voters in the New York will elect a new governor, a U.S. Senator, members of the House of Representatives, and holders of important state offices. The outcomes of these elections will have a great impact on the country, state and local communities.

This aim of this course is to provide an opportunity for students to gain a better understanding of the electoral process and our roles as citizens in this process. Our focus will be on the elections, the people running for office, and the issues that are being debated in various elections. Through speakers and discussion, we will examine the ideas of the candidates for the various offices.

We will use several means to examine the electoral process and discuss important issues and the candidates. These include:

1.One of the most important will be through participation in the various elections. Each student will be required to participate in one of the campaigns by volunteering to help. This hopefully will help you learn how campaigns work. In doing this, you will be required to keep a journal of your experiences, which includes a description of what you are doing,, your insights about the campaign and its approaches, and your thoughts about what you are learning in the process.

2.A second way will be through guest speakers. These speakers will be candidates or spokespersons for the candidates; local, state and Congressional representatives; and individuals who can speak about the electoral process or the issues that are important.

3.A third means will be through the formation of campaigns here at the Academy and AAG representing the parties and candidates. This would include having an election for the governor and state wide offices among the students at some point.

4.A fourth way will be through readings, and class discussions, and class presentations and/or debates; as well as through various writing exercises, i.e. short papers.

Goals of the course include having students

•increase their knowledge and understanding of the electoral process, how campaigns work and the role that

citizens have in these

•improve their organizational, and oral and written communication skills.

•participate in and leam more about the group decision-making process.

•meet candidates and leam first hand what the issues are.