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…

Students' readiness to learn politics is an important thing to consider nowadays. By encouraging positive emotions and good intrinsic learning motivation, students can prepare themselves well to learn this discipline. This study examines how self-regulated learning, competence, autonomy, relatedness, positive emotion, and intrinsic learning…

Today's political environment continues to become more polarized as Americans find themselves taking sides on controversial issues. While this is certainly not new to the American democratic experience, the way we as a country are combating it is. With the nation engulfed in a political maelstrom, people are forgetting how to have a civilized…

In the light of recent attempts to construct 'literature pedagogy' for cosmopolitan, 'globalizing', political ends, this article provides here some stark reminders about the educational, not to say political, risks of confining the aims and purposes of literature to the aims and purposes of politics, or using a literary-political aesthetic as…

This article employs "banality of evil" to explain the actions of insurrectionists at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. We discuss the responsibility teacher educators and professors of political science bear to teach students the role both have in preparing future teachers, political and government leaders, and all college graduates to be…

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…

In recent years, political theory has benefited from a neo-republican perspective that brought to the fore the conception of a 'republican democracy' which assumes a robust public sphere, civic involvement, and vigilance, as well as a neo-Roman conception of liberty understood as the absence of arbitrary power. Neo-republicanism, however, has not…

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…

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the cities and municipalities decide which streets are being refurbished, which educational services are offered, or where sewers will be laid. The cities and municipalities have financial resources at their disposal for this purpose. However, these resources are, with a view to Rhineland-Palatinate,…

This article reports a quasi-experimental study that assessed whether purposeful political engagement efforts in the general education classroom, coupled with co-curricular programming, enhances student interest in politics and political efficacy. The subjects of the study were students in political science general education courses at a…

Social and political change is occurring in Aotearoa New Zealand and tikanga, matauranga, te reo Maori (the Maori language) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) are increasingly being recognised in diverse political and legal contexts. This article explores whether the political science discipline in Aotearoa New Zealand is keeping pace…