ASLE 2016-2017: Civil Discourse in Politics
The focus of the 2016-2017 All-School Learning Experience was civil discourse and the 2016 presidential election. The following is a list of source materials that students engaged with as part of this ASLE.
June Installment
A Perspective on Civil Discourse and EducationA Plea for Civil Discourse: Needed, the Academy’s Leadership
Association of American Colleges & Universities
https://www.aacu.org/liberaleducation/2013/fall/ leskes Evaluating Economic Proposals of Presidential CandidatesEconomists on Candidates’ Proposals: Mostly Bad
PlanetMoney from National Public Radio Podcast
http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/02/26/ 468302309/episode-686-if-elected-president
Related Article:
http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/02/26/ 468298576/economists-on-candidatesproposals-mostly-bad
Primer Video on American Political CampaignsPolitical Campaigns: Crash Course Government and Politics #39
Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A5QlpAy
KSQ Primer Video on American Voting Practices How Voters Decide: Crash Course Government and Politics #38
Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eermkiaFo Wc
For Fun
Schoolhouse Rock: I’m Just a Bill
Disney Educational Productions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFroMQlKi ag
Schoolhouse Rock: Money – Tyrannosaurus Debt Music Video
Disney Educational Productions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0efqnvYz4 YI
July Installment
This month we will take a deeper dive into the underpinnings of conservative and liberal values and the interdependence of these values in bringing about positive social and economic change. The speakers featured in the below video and podcast represent different political ideologies yet arrive at a similar conclusion: that capitalism – an economic system generally championed by the right and criticized by the left – actually propagates progressive values and is an engine for social improvement. Although there are many other perspectives that could have been shared about this topic, a continued goal is to keep the summer workload of our All-School Learning Experience both meaningful and bounded.
On Political Polarization and Coming Together to Create Change
A Conservative’s Plea: Let’s Work Together
Ted Talk with Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute
https://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_brooks_a_ conservative_s_plea_let_s_work_together?la nguage=en
Capitalism and Moral Evolution: A Civil Provocation
It was supposed to be a discussion about “culture and conscience” with two social scientists, as part of a public gathering of the Center for Humans and Nature at the American Museum of Natural History. But Jonathan Haidt is studying the relationship between capitalism and moral evolution, and our conversation took off from there in surprising directions. The liberal view of capitalism as essentially exploitative may remain alive and well, Haidt says. But the ironic truth of history is that capitalism actually generates liberal values as it takes root in societies. Our conversation preceded this American cultural political season but offers provocative perspective on it.
http://www.onbeing.org/program/jonathanhaidt-and-melvin-konner-capitalism-andmoral-evolution-a-civil-provocation/8704
August Installment
The theme of this month’s installment of the All-School Learning Experience (ASLE) is Representations of Politics in Social Media and the Popular Press.
As scholars and as informed citizens, it’s important to know where information is coming from and to be able to detect bias in sources and texts. Authorial impartiality is not always possible – especially in the divisive realm of politics – but some media outlets and journalists do a better job of achieving objectivity than others. In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, bias in the press and social media influences our ideas about everything from politics to popular culture.
Klein, Ezra. Vox. July 11, 2016
http://www.vox.com/a/hillary-clinton-interview/the-gap-listener-leadership-quality “The Man He’s Been Waiting For”
Samuels, Robert and Boburg, Shawn. The Washington Post. July 13, 2016
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/wp/2016/07/13/2016/07/13/the-man-hes-been-waiting-for/
The Wall Street Journal. May 18, 2016
http://graphics.wsj.com/blue-feed-red-feed/