http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/select_a_candidate/poll.php?race_id=13
This web site linked above, allows political minded students to find out which major candidate for US president in 2008 has views that are most like theirs!!
Take a few minutes, take the quiz,and find your perfect candidate for the Presidency!
Select a Candidate
By answering a series of questions at the site linked above, about major issues, you can quickly learn which candidates are most closely aligned with your views. You'll be able to learn more about each candidate, hear his/her positions on many issues, and find out how your results compare with those of others who take the survey.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Bob Graham to appear at UWF on November 28, 2007
Nov. 16, 2007
FORMER U.S. SENATOR BOB GRAHAM TO VISIT UWF NOVEMBER 28
PENSACOLA - The University of West Florida will host former United States Sen. Bob Graham Nov. 28. Graham will discuss issues including national security, civic education and effective ways for citizens to participate in democracy, at a World Affairs Club forum, media conference and to a freshmen seminar class. These events are open to the public.
{On Tuesday evening, Nov.27, at 5:30 pm, Senator Graham will be speaking on civic and political engagement as guest of the League of Women Voters of Pensacola. This event is being coordinated by Betty Enfinger of the LWV)
Then on Wednesday, Nov 28, Senator Graham will speak oat UWF at the World Affairs Club forum, 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the University Commons Center, Building 22, Room C. A press conference will be held from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. in the University Commons Conference Center Lounge. Graham will conclude his visit with a freshmen seminar class from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. which will be held in the University Commons Conference Center, Room B.
Graham, though retired from public office, is very active, particularly with the newly established Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida:
http://www.graham.centers.ufl.edu/
He is the author of “Intelligence Matters,” released in 2004, as well as his soon-to-be published book, tentatively titled “What Every Citizen Needs to Know to Make Democracy Work for Them.” Graham received his bachelor’s degree in 1959 from the University of Florida and a law degree from Harvard in 1962. A Democrat, his political career began as a Florida State Representative from 1966 to 1971 and a Florida State Senator from 1970 to 1979. He then served as the Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and then as U.S. Senator in Florida from 1987 to 2005.
For more information, contact Chat Sue, University Advising Center, at (850) 474-3177 or e-mail csue@uwf.edu.
FORMER U.S. SENATOR BOB GRAHAM TO VISIT UWF NOVEMBER 28
PENSACOLA - The University of West Florida will host former United States Sen. Bob Graham Nov. 28. Graham will discuss issues including national security, civic education and effective ways for citizens to participate in democracy, at a World Affairs Club forum, media conference and to a freshmen seminar class. These events are open to the public.
{On Tuesday evening, Nov.27, at 5:30 pm, Senator Graham will be speaking on civic and political engagement as guest of the League of Women Voters of Pensacola. This event is being coordinated by Betty Enfinger of the LWV)
Then on Wednesday, Nov 28, Senator Graham will speak oat UWF at the World Affairs Club forum, 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the University Commons Center, Building 22, Room C. A press conference will be held from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. in the University Commons Conference Center Lounge. Graham will conclude his visit with a freshmen seminar class from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. which will be held in the University Commons Conference Center, Room B.
Graham, though retired from public office, is very active, particularly with the newly established Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida:
http://www.graham.centers.ufl.edu/
He is the author of “Intelligence Matters,” released in 2004, as well as his soon-to-be published book, tentatively titled “What Every Citizen Needs to Know to Make Democracy Work for Them.” Graham received his bachelor’s degree in 1959 from the University of Florida and a law degree from Harvard in 1962. A Democrat, his political career began as a Florida State Representative from 1966 to 1971 and a Florida State Senator from 1970 to 1979. He then served as the Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and then as U.S. Senator in Florida from 1987 to 2005.
For more information, contact Chat Sue, University Advising Center, at (850) 474-3177 or e-mail csue@uwf.edu.
Researchers Urge Colleges Promote Political Participation and Suggest Ways to Do It
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
from Chronicle of Higher Education
Researchers Urge College to Promote Political Participation and Suggest Neutral Ways of Doing So
By SARA LIPKA
Community service attracts record numbers of college students, but not so politics. Researchers at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching have been exploring how to change that.
"Young people are strikingly and troublingly ignorant about politics and political decision making," Thomas Ehrlich, a senior scholar at the Carnegie Foundation, said at a news conference on Tuesday. The conference marked the release of the book Educating for Democracy: Preparing Undergraduates for Responsible Political Engagement (Jossey-Bass, 2007), which presents the findings of the foundation's three-year Political Engagement Project and reads as a how-to manual for colleges to promote political learning.
Just a third of students think it is important to keep up with political issues and events, and colleges are largely responsible for that, said Mr. Ehrlich, who is one of the book's authors. "Many campuses across the country make individual volunteer work such as tutoring kids or cleaning up a park an institutional priority," he said. "We could not find a single campus that made political engagement a priority."
The Political Engagement Project did find, however, 21 courses and programs at a wide array of institutions designed to improve students' knowledge of political and public-policy issues. The project studied those models and interviewed students before and after they participated.
The students' experiences increased their political interest and understanding but did not influence their stances, the researchers found.
"Students' political-party affiliation and their political ideology did not change," said Anne Colby, who is also a senior scholar at the Carnegie Foundation and a co-author of the book.
The researchers adamantly denied the claim, popular among some culture warriors, that colleges' political-learning programs are inevitably doctrinaire. "Education for political learning has to be unbiased, and it has to be really deeply committed to political open-mindedness," said Ms. Colby, who called such neutrality "perfectly possible."
The book examines five educational strategies that expand students' political interest, understanding, and participation, drawing on examples from the model programs. The techniques are not just for political-science courses, the authors insist, but have been used in agriculture, engineering, and English. Those strategies are:
1*Discussion and deliberation. Promote face-to-face, Web-based discussions, simulations like the Model United Nations, and writing assignments in which students can argue opinions grounded in evidence.
2*Political research and action projects.
3*Encourage students to join a group like Young Democrats or Young Republicans or to conduct research on or for a political organization or community group.
4*Speakers and mentors. Connect students to people with substantial knowledge of and passion for a certain issue, setting expectations with both parties for the interaction.
5*Placements, internships, and service learning experiences.
*Structured reflection. Assign students reflective essays or journals to allow them to integrate their learning.
Despite common perceptions, today's college students are not apathetic, Mr. Ehrlich said, citing their involvement in Teach for America and AmeriCorps. "The notion that this is the 'me generation' is just not true. They really want to participate."
But many students veer toward projects with more visible impact because they do not believe they can influence broader systems, he said, and they need to be shown otherwise.
In long reflections on civics and democracy, the book urges colleges to commit to educating students for political participation.
"If you want to think about higher education as preparing students to understand the world and their place in it, certainly understanding the system that they live under ... has got to be part of what we mean," Ms. Colby said. "This is a responsibility and an opportunity for higher education."
Highlights from the book and information on how to order it are available on the foundation's Web site.
from Chronicle of Higher Education
Researchers Urge College to Promote Political Participation and Suggest Neutral Ways of Doing So
By SARA LIPKA
Community service attracts record numbers of college students, but not so politics. Researchers at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching have been exploring how to change that.
"Young people are strikingly and troublingly ignorant about politics and political decision making," Thomas Ehrlich, a senior scholar at the Carnegie Foundation, said at a news conference on Tuesday. The conference marked the release of the book Educating for Democracy: Preparing Undergraduates for Responsible Political Engagement (Jossey-Bass, 2007), which presents the findings of the foundation's three-year Political Engagement Project and reads as a how-to manual for colleges to promote political learning.
Just a third of students think it is important to keep up with political issues and events, and colleges are largely responsible for that, said Mr. Ehrlich, who is one of the book's authors. "Many campuses across the country make individual volunteer work such as tutoring kids or cleaning up a park an institutional priority," he said. "We could not find a single campus that made political engagement a priority."
The Political Engagement Project did find, however, 21 courses and programs at a wide array of institutions designed to improve students' knowledge of political and public-policy issues. The project studied those models and interviewed students before and after they participated.
The students' experiences increased their political interest and understanding but did not influence their stances, the researchers found.
"Students' political-party affiliation and their political ideology did not change," said Anne Colby, who is also a senior scholar at the Carnegie Foundation and a co-author of the book.
The researchers adamantly denied the claim, popular among some culture warriors, that colleges' political-learning programs are inevitably doctrinaire. "Education for political learning has to be unbiased, and it has to be really deeply committed to political open-mindedness," said Ms. Colby, who called such neutrality "perfectly possible."
The book examines five educational strategies that expand students' political interest, understanding, and participation, drawing on examples from the model programs. The techniques are not just for political-science courses, the authors insist, but have been used in agriculture, engineering, and English. Those strategies are:
1*Discussion and deliberation. Promote face-to-face, Web-based discussions, simulations like the Model United Nations, and writing assignments in which students can argue opinions grounded in evidence.
2*Political research and action projects.
3*Encourage students to join a group like Young Democrats or Young Republicans or to conduct research on or for a political organization or community group.
4*Speakers and mentors. Connect students to people with substantial knowledge of and passion for a certain issue, setting expectations with both parties for the interaction.
5*Placements, internships, and service learning experiences.
*Structured reflection. Assign students reflective essays or journals to allow them to integrate their learning.
Despite common perceptions, today's college students are not apathetic, Mr. Ehrlich said, citing their involvement in Teach for America and AmeriCorps. "The notion that this is the 'me generation' is just not true. They really want to participate."
But many students veer toward projects with more visible impact because they do not believe they can influence broader systems, he said, and they need to be shown otherwise.
In long reflections on civics and democracy, the book urges colleges to commit to educating students for political participation.
"If you want to think about higher education as preparing students to understand the world and their place in it, certainly understanding the system that they live under ... has got to be part of what we mean," Ms. Colby said. "This is a responsibility and an opportunity for higher education."
Highlights from the book and information on how to order it are available on the foundation's Web site.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Death of Democracy--battle cry quote liked so much by Bob Graham
“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.”
Robert Maynard Hutchens
This quote by the famous educator and president of the University of Chicago is cited by Senator Graham as the appropos warning for all those Floridians who want to work towards getting young voters, as well as other citizens, as a "call to action" for 18-21 year olds more involved in politics and government, as a way to reform and improving these "calcified" American institutions.
Robert Maynard Hutchens
This quote by the famous educator and president of the University of Chicago is cited by Senator Graham as the appropos warning for all those Floridians who want to work towards getting young voters, as well as other citizens, as a "call to action" for 18-21 year olds more involved in politics and government, as a way to reform and improving these "calcified" American institutions.
Mobilize.org's Democracy 2.0 Declaration for Millennial Leaders---that means YOU!!! Check it out!
Dear SLS AFS class members and other UWF students,
This is the story of the Democracy 2.0 Declaration.
Mobilize.org
On October 3, 2007, 47 youth leaders ages 16 to 30 gathered
in Washington, D.C to participate in Mobilize.org’s Democracy
2.0 Summit—part of a national movement known as "Democracy 2.0,"
which was launched to upgrade and renew our political process
in America by providing guidelines for positive social
change that take advantage of both the tremendous passion of
today's youth leaders, and the powerful socialnetworking
and technological tools they are using to create communities.
The text at the bottom is the Declaration that emerged
out of the Summit. The "Democracy 2.0
Declaration" is a visionary
document, designed to call attention to the ways
that our democratic process and institutions are
properly serving - and failing to serve - the
interests of young Americans. The Declaration was
written by youth leaders with the sincere
belief that America's youth are a major source
of untapped political power, energy,
and innovative ideas. Democracy 2.0 is designed
to address the civic participation needs
and interests of the Millennial Generation
(targeting the 16-30 age group).
You can support the Democracy 2.0 campaign by
signing on to the Declaration at http://
www.petitiononline.com/Mobilize/petition.html
If you are interested in getting further involved
in creating the final version of this Declaration
and/or play a role in the local action plans
that will organize around the Democracy 2.0
ideals, we encourage you to apply and attend
the Party for the Presidency and join
us in Hollywood, CA on December 29-31, 2007.
Learn more and apply today!
Keep Mobilizin',
The Mobilize.org Team
Join www.mobilize.org
Democracy 2.0 Declaration
DEMOCRACY IS AN ONGOING PROJECT. ITS TIME WE UPGRADE.
We, the Millennial Generation,
are uniquely positioned to call attention to today’s issues
and shape the future based on the great legacy we have
inherited. Our founding fathers intended for every
generation to build, indeed to innovate, on the American
experience. We realize that as young people we are
expected to be the leaders of tomorrow,
but we understand that as citizens we are
called to be the leaders of today.
We are compelled by the
critical state of our present democracy to establish a new vision.
In a world often damaged by conflict and intolerance, we must
commit to develop common ground through equality and open
mindedness.
In a world often damaged by social isolation and materialism,
we must commit to community at the family, local,
national and global levels.
In a world often damaged by instant gratification,
we must commit to creating sustainable solutions.
In a world often damaged by apathy and disillusionment,
we must commit to civic participation and inclusion of
all voices.
The present state of our democracy impedes opportunity
for real change. We must connect the specific issues
failing our population with their underlying
systemic causes.
Our government seems unable or unwilling to adequately
address our broadest problems, including economic
inequality, America’s role in the world, and
the effect of money on the democratic process.
But we must remember, our government is only as
effective as the sum of its citizens. Low civic
participation means the most disadvantaged people
in society are neglected and we overlook many
potential solutions to our problems.
Our generation
is telling a different story. We are uniquely
positioned to foster community engagement
through social networks of all kinds. It is
our responsibility to use information and
technology to upgrade democracy,
transform communication and advance
political engagement and civic
participation.
We are social networkers, we are multi-taskers,
we are communicators and we are opinionated. The
informality of our generation breaks down
traditional barriers and for inclusiveness
and equality. Most importantly, we are leaders
in a society that yearns for leadership.
It’s our democracy,
it’s time to act.
This is the story of the Democracy 2.0 Declaration.
Mobilize.org
On October 3, 2007, 47 youth leaders ages 16 to 30 gathered
in Washington, D.C to participate in Mobilize.org’s Democracy
2.0 Summit—part of a national movement known as "Democracy 2.0,"
which was launched to upgrade and renew our political process
in America by providing guidelines for positive social
change that take advantage of both the tremendous passion of
today's youth leaders, and the powerful socialnetworking
and technological tools they are using to create communities.
The text at the bottom is the Declaration that emerged
out of the Summit. The "Democracy 2.0
Declaration" is a visionary
document, designed to call attention to the ways
that our democratic process and institutions are
properly serving - and failing to serve - the
interests of young Americans. The Declaration was
written by youth leaders with the sincere
belief that America's youth are a major source
of untapped political power, energy,
and innovative ideas. Democracy 2.0 is designed
to address the civic participation needs
and interests of the Millennial Generation
(targeting the 16-30 age group).
You can support the Democracy 2.0 campaign by
signing on to the Declaration at http://
www.petitiononline.com/Mobilize/petition.html
If you are interested in getting further involved
in creating the final version of this Declaration
and/or play a role in the local action plans
that will organize around the Democracy 2.0
ideals, we encourage you to apply and attend
the Party for the Presidency and join
us in Hollywood, CA on December 29-31, 2007.
Learn more and apply today!
Keep Mobilizin',
The Mobilize.org Team
Join www.mobilize.org
Democracy 2.0 Declaration
DEMOCRACY IS AN ONGOING PROJECT. ITS TIME WE UPGRADE.
We, the Millennial Generation,
are uniquely positioned to call attention to today’s issues
and shape the future based on the great legacy we have
inherited. Our founding fathers intended for every
generation to build, indeed to innovate, on the American
experience. We realize that as young people we are
expected to be the leaders of tomorrow,
but we understand that as citizens we are
called to be the leaders of today.
We are compelled by the
critical state of our present democracy to establish a new vision.
In a world often damaged by conflict and intolerance, we must
commit to develop common ground through equality and open
mindedness.
In a world often damaged by social isolation and materialism,
we must commit to community at the family, local,
national and global levels.
In a world often damaged by instant gratification,
we must commit to creating sustainable solutions.
In a world often damaged by apathy and disillusionment,
we must commit to civic participation and inclusion of
all voices.
The present state of our democracy impedes opportunity
for real change. We must connect the specific issues
failing our population with their underlying
systemic causes.
Our government seems unable or unwilling to adequately
address our broadest problems, including economic
inequality, America’s role in the world, and
the effect of money on the democratic process.
But we must remember, our government is only as
effective as the sum of its citizens. Low civic
participation means the most disadvantaged people
in society are neglected and we overlook many
potential solutions to our problems.
Our generation
is telling a different story. We are uniquely
positioned to foster community engagement
through social networks of all kinds. It is
our responsibility to use information and
technology to upgrade democracy,
transform communication and advance
political engagement and civic
participation.
We are social networkers, we are multi-taskers,
we are communicators and we are opinionated. The
informality of our generation breaks down
traditional barriers and for inclusiveness
and equality. Most importantly, we are leaders
in a society that yearns for leadership.
It’s our democracy,
it’s time to act.
Bob Graham 2.0-what's he doing in retirement? More Active than Ever!!
His book, Intelligence Matters, warned of the lapses in America's intelligence capabilities before and after 9-11. He will discuss his upcoming book, What Every Citizen Needs to Know to Make Democracy Work for Them, with UWF faculty and students next month.http://www.bobgrahamnow.com/author_bio.html
Though he's retired from public office for over three years,
former Florida governor and US Senator Bob Graham is far from being retired from public life. He is currently working out of UF's Bob Graham Center for Public Service (http://www.graham.centers.ufl.edu/)lobbying the legislature to pass a law requiring the teaching of civics in our schools, and suing the state to allow its public universities to set their own tuition, and appearing throughout the state, country, and the world promoting his many worthy causes! Not bad for someone supposedly retired from public life three years ago!!
But on November 28, 2007, he will be visiting UWF to address students, faculty, staff, as well as community members!
He is also meeting our Academic Foundations Seminar class to hear and react to their class presentation on how to engage more college freshmen in civics, public affairs, and voting! He will meet the class and hear their presentation at 2:30 to 3:30 pm on Wed, Nov 28 in the Commons Conference Center at UWF's Pensacola campus.
All students and faculty are welcomed to attend.
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