Simulations have become a staple of political science education due to their effectiveness and creative nature that contributes to learning success. In this contribution, we argue that simulations can also offer new insights not only into student engagement and active learning, but also into the sociology of political processes. In this case it is…

Since first airing on HBO in 2011, "Game of Thrones" (GOT) has proven to be a fruitful text for teaching and studying politics. In 2022 the prequal to GOT-House of The Dragon (HOTD) debuted on HBO. This paper conducts discourse analysis on the entire first season with two goals in mind. First, we demonstrate how pop culture is impacted…

What is a good working definition of "Postmodernity" for the undergraduate in Political Science? "Postmodernism?" What are the differences? This article provides a number of definitions designed to help faculty and undergraduates understand the terms "Postmodernity" and "Postmodernism." The purpose of the…

This article presents a memorable method to introduce new students to the concept of political needs. Using an adaptation of Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" to one of "Hierarchy of Political Needs" the instructor presents how needs for "physiological survival," safety, belonging, "recognition," and…

This article describes the results of a game ("Zombie Federalism") created for a lower-level political science elective, State and Local Politics. This game was created to improve both retention of course material and enthusiasm in a historically underperforming course. In the game, students play the roles of officials in different…

In this paper, we propose the use of postcards as a learning activity in courses dealing with urban politics. The intended learning outcomes of the postcard assignment were: (1) to exhibit memory of previously learned material ("introduction to urban policy" readings) and apply acquired knowledge (selecting the postcards); (2) to make…

In the modern American politics classroom, ideological and partisan conflict have the capacity to interfere with a healthy classroom environment. This problem is increasingly apparent when students engage questions at the heart of U.S. Constitutional design. By asking students to inhabit fictional roles with preferences and attitudes that may…

Gerrymandering is a controversial practice in American politics, and one that has generated a significant amount of legal, academic, and political interest. While gerrymandering is an important and timely topic, this issue receives relatively little attention in most introductory courses in American government. This omission is compounded by the…

Although we may not always know how best to approach sensitive issues in the classroom, our responsibilities to our students are fairly straightforward. By enrolling in our classes, students essentially sign a contract. They will read, we will provide expertise, all will discuss, and all will learn, at least in theory. In this politically charged…

During four intensive summer weeks, 28 students were exposed to the daily life of top political leaders (ministers and city mayors), acting as their political advisors. Real-life assignments were planned in cooperation with liaisons from the personal offices of these political leaders. The cases brought the hectic, complicated and uncertain life…

This article describes public records request assignments in courses in political science and in Asian American Studies. Beyond commonly known activities like voting, volunteering, signing petitions or peacefully protesting, students should gain experience in exercising their rights to an expansive set of government records that fall within the…

Films, like printed academic works, can capture and communicate compelling theoretical arguments pertaining to world politics and the way it operates. Moreover, the unique audiovisual features of the cinematographic medium can, from a pedagogic perspective, increase students' understanding and internalization of some of the most elusive concepts…

This article describes various iterations of a Supreme Court simulation that we developed for undergraduate political science classes. We address when simulations should be used to introduce a topic to students, and when simulations should be used to develop students' understanding of a topic after introducing it. In the simulations, we played the…

Over the last year and a half, a number of scholars, pundits, and journalists have criticized college campuses for coddling students by constructing environments that protect them from offensive opinions and evidence that disconfirms their prior attitudes. In this article, I suggest two pedagogical techniques that can help students encounter and…

In terms of gamification within political science, some fields-particularly international relations and American politics--have received more attention than others. One of the most underserved parts of the discipline is research methods; a course that, coincidentally, is frequently cited as one that instructors hate to teach and students hate to…