Our Blog and the Work of Political Scientists

First of all, I want to applaud your work on the blog so far this summer.  When I returned from my trip to the first National Park this side of the Mississippi, I found a community of media-literate young people; asking critical questions and engaging in purposeful discussion about politics and government in the United States.

Second of all, I realized we didn't establish ground rules for the blog.  While disagreement is both valuable and necessary, I also ask you to maintain civility by avoiding personal attacks and sarcasm.  Not everyone brings the same background knowledge or opinions to this blog, so let's continue to make this a safe place for critical analysis, deep questions and authentic learning.  I also am interested in hearing your opinion on additional ground rules for the blog.  Please post your thoughts as comments below.

Finally, I want to offer you a challenge.  Currently, I am taking classes to prepare to teach AP U.S. Government and Politics.  During this week-long training, one of the goals of the class has become clear to me.  This class is about more than having an opinion.  Of course, we support certain policies and parties because they make the most sense to us; but the nature of political science and the real work of political scientists is different from simply supporting or opposing a candidate.

As you continue to study the news and post about politics and government, consider multiple perspectives and think critically about how we as citizens get our information.  Think about American political culture and the political beliefs of Americans.  In addition, continue to develop your ideas about what the role of government should be.  Why do we need government?  What has the role of government been in the past?  And what should the role of government continue to be?  There are no right or wrong answers here.  But there are connections to be made.

Keep up the good work.