Course Description
Summary
This course provides opportunities for students to pursue individual and collaborative projects focused on improving state and local governments (villages, towns, counties, states, provinces, and regions) in the United States or elsewhere. Weekly class meetings are opportunities to present and discuss work-in-progress, and to consult one-on-one with the instructor. Some portion of each class meeting will be dedicated to common experiences – in particular exploring concepts and methods that inform project-driven work (effective presentation, writing, visual mapping, speaking, mediation and negotiation skills, the design and development of proposals). We will arrange visits to Montpelier. We will consult–-in person and virtually–-legislators, political officials, lobbyists and relevant others. Previous course work or FWT experience in politics will be especially helpful as a foundation. Interested students should email the instructor during registration for 4000-level course; emails should briefly describe a potential project that could be undertaken in the course.
