It is helpful if the instructor can develop a classroom culture that encourages open discussion in a thoughtful and respectful manner. I believe I have developed teaching skills in this area and that they are consistent with the liberal arts goals of Drake University. Students are forced to confront the dilemma that arises when facts alone cannot provide the basis for a political decision. This exercise encourages respect for the complexity of the social and political phenomena, as well as the system of compromise on which U.S. politics and policy making relies. Academic life should produce responsible and productive citizens.
Democratic society is as much a responsibility as it is a source of freedom.
I offer students a chance to earn extra credit for letters published in major newspapers. The results, letters published in local daily papers, the U.S.A. Today , and the New York Times , demonstrate to the writers of those letters, and their fellow students, that the clear articulation of their ideas can translate in tangible acts of democratic citizenship.