Course Projects

Prof. Joe Meyer's LACC Poli. Sci. 1

The Course Projects -

Choose One! (No extra credit for more than one.)

The one that you choose will be the subject of Your Course Project. For the On Campus classes ONLY, it will also be the topic of Your Course Project Poster and Your Course Project Presentation.

USE APA Citation Format for all Projects!

Policy Problem	Downtown LA	Leadership	Local Gov.	Labor/ Politics	ASO Project

All Course Projects are designed for you to do research on a topic of your choice AND to use that reserach in your paper. You must use APA citation format, which means you must have citations in your paper.

Option One: THE POLICY PROBLEM PROJECT

For The Course Project Declaration Choose a policy problem, one that is a real problem and can be solved or at least addressed by some level of government. In one paragraph, describe the problem and the current policy, if any. What level of government? Who is involved in this problem? Be brief and to the point. No more than one page (typed, double space, name on upper right hand corner). Have something worthwhile to say. (For the Online classes only: Email it to me - you don't have to attach anything - just send me an email with this information.)

THE POLICY PROBLEM PROJECT must be TYPED – DOUBLE SPACED – NO COVER SHEET.

Part 1: Use APA citation format (which calls for a title page and an abstract).

Part 2: Write a 10 - 15 page paper of YOUR OPINION on the best policy to address the problem you discussed in your Course Project Declaration. Discuss the cost, who pays, who is helped, who is hurt and what level of government is involved. Choose the level of government that can best work on your problem. Propose a specific policy. Use specific data and make a strong argument in support of the policy you propose. For more advice on picking a topic - click here.

Part 3: APA requires that you include a BIBLIOGRAPHY which must have at least three (4) NON-WEB-SITE sources of information you have been using for your policy argument paper (like articles from news sources, journals, personal interviews, etc.). You can get this information by using the net or other means. Also list at least three (4) web sites related to your topic.

Option Two: THE DOWNTOWN PROJECT

Click Here for Details

For The Course project Declaration simply inform me (typed, double space, name on upper right hand corner) (ONLY fully online classs can email work to me) what date you are planning on visiting downtown (or what date you have already visited) and include what you have done to prepare for your trip. You only need to go one day, but you can space it out over several days. I suggest you do during the week, but if you can only go on a weekend - that's okay too. Going on both weekday and a weekend is BEST! You need to plan your trip. You need a good map of downtown. There are many sites about downtown and all the "areas" of it.

THE DOWNTOWN PROJECT must be TYPED – DOUBLE SPACED – NO COVER SHEET. Use APA citation format (which calls for an abstract on the first page, but for us, put the checklist first and the abstract second).

FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY (in this order) or it will lower your grade .

Part 1 is the web page entitled "Downtown Day Check List." Fill it out (print clearly) and staple it (in the upper left corner) to the other two parts. (page 1) .

Part 2 is the abstract of your paper. APA requires a one paragraph abstract of part 3.

Part 3 is to be TYPED, DOUBLE SPACED, 10 - 15 pages on your opinion of what should be done to "re-vitalize" the downtown area, or a specific area of downtown LA. You can discuss other people's proposals or develop your own or both. The more focused the essay the better. Write about a specific idea you or others have to revitalize downtown LA. DO NOT JUST TELL ME WHERE YOU WENT. Write an essay that demonstrates you have thought about the subject. Define what "revitalize downtown LA" (or an area of it) means to you. Be specific and put forth creative ideas to fix downtown LA .

Part 4: APA requires that you include a BIBLIOGRAPHY which must have at least three (4) NON-WEB-SITE sources of information you have been using for your policy argument paper (like articles from news sources, journals, personal interviews, etc.). You can get this information by using the net or other means. Also list at least three (4) web sites related to your topic.

DO NOT enclose this in a cover or binder or anything else, just staple it and turn it in as described above. Impress me with the content not the presentation!

Option Three: The LEADERSHIP PROJECT.

For The Course Project Declaration: You must decide which three or four movies you will watch. They should be movies you have not seen. If you have seen movies on the list you can also discuss them - but challenge yourself and see something new to you. Click here - for a brief description of each movie and some suggestions for combinations. The more movies viewed, the better. You don't watch more than four or five (new to you). On one page only, list the date(s) you have gone, or will go, downtown for the project (typed, double space, name on upper right hand corner) .

The LEADERSHIP PROJECT. FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY (in this order) or it will lower your grade . All work should be TYPED, DOUBLE SPACED. No cover sheet or binder.

Part 1: (1 page only): APA calls for an abstract, but for this we will, instead, do a one paragraph thesis on what leadership is to you. YOUR DEFINITION - not someone else's. Put forth a hypothesis on leadership in one paragraph.

Part 2 : (1-3 pages) Identify a specific instance where someone (a real live person you have met) demonstrated leadership in your life . Discuss this in some detail.

Part 3: (8-10 pages) View three or four of the films below. Using the films as a springboard for discussion, develop a detailed and complete definition of leadership in our complex current democracy. Use what you've learned from the text and the class and your life. Answer any or all of the following: What do the "Tactics of Persuasion" have to tell us about leadership? How do we have leaders and democracy at the same time? How is leadership in politics unlike leadership in business or any other human activity? Are leaders “born or made”? Are you a leader? Make sure you make it clear which three (or four) films you watched. DO NOT TELL THE PLOT of the movies – instead, use them to help you explain your complete definition of leadership.

FILMS: Meet John Doe, Citizen Cain, The War Room (documentary), The Candidate, Malcolm X, Hoffa, Nixon, Truman, Ghandi, Elizabeth, The Contender, Bob Roberts, Wag the Dog, Thirteen Days, Welcome to Sarajevo, Do the Right Thing, Stand and Deliver, Roger and Me, Network, Wall Street, And Justice for All… , Chocolat, Hotel Rwanda, Lagaan, Crash.

Click here - for a brief description of each movie and some suggestions for combinations.

Option Four: THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECT.

The Local Government Project is where you focus on any local government in which you live (e.g.: City of LA, County of LA, LAUSD, LACCD, etc.)

For The Course Project Declaration: You simply inform me (typed, double space, name on upper right hand corner) of what local government you will be studying and when you plan to attend one of their public meetings. (ONLY fully online classs can email work to me).

FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY (in this order) or it will lower your grade . All work should be TYPED, DOUBLE SPACED. No cover sheet or binder.

You MUST attend a public meeting of the a local government you have picked. It is up to you to plan!

Part 1: Use APA citation format (which calls for a title page and an abstract).

Part 2: In 1 - 3 pages Tell exactly what date, time, location etc. of the meeting you attended. Discuss all the major topics that were discussed at the meeting and tell what happened at the meeting, include the time you arrived and when you left.

Part 3: In 10 - 15 pages, discuss the three most important problems facing the local government and what are some of the solutions suggested for each problem. Tell what you think the MOST IMPORTANT problem is and what are the possible solution(s).

Option Five: The Labor/Politics Project

For the Course Project Declaration simply inform me (typed, double space, name on upper right hand corner) you have chosen this option, state the name and number of the local union (or you may choose the County Fed.) and the exact time and date of the meeting you plan to attend (you MUST attend a public meeting).

THE Labor/Politcs PROJECT must be TYPED – DOUBLE SPACED

You MUST attend a public meeting of the local union or the LA County Federation of Labor! It is up to you to plan!

Part 1: Use APA citation format (which calls for a title page and abstract).

Part 2: Write a 10 - 15 page paper of YOUR OPINION on some or all of the following questions: What is the membership's role in governing the Union (E-Board, Dues, pass throughs, etc)? What role does the local union play in local and state politics? What role do they play in national politics? What is their relationship with the LA County Federation of Labor? With thier own State and National unions? Has the mission or the membership of the union changed greatly in the last 20 years? How has organized labor changed America in the last one hundred years? In the last 50 years? In the last 20 years? Or if it is a new union, how did it form? What is the biggest threat to the union on a national, state and local level? How is the union facing that threat? In your analysis, is the union "successful"? What is organized labor's impact on local, state, or federal politics and policies? What has been the contribution of organized labor in the US, in California, or locally, here in LA? Use specific data and make a strong argument in support of your answers.

Option Six: The ASO Project at LACC

For the Course Project Declaration simply inform me (typed, double space, name on upper right hand corner) you have chosen this option and list which ASO meetings you plan on attending.

The ASO Project involves you learning about and participating in your Associated Student Organization here at LACC- your student government.

You must attend five (5) regular ASO Senate/Public Meetings

You must attend one (1) other "shared governance" meeting where student participation is encouraged. YOU NEED TO PLAN THIS IN ADVANCE. Contact the ASO to find out which shared governance committees need students to attend (there are many of them through out the semester)

Part 1: Use APA citation format (which calls for an abstract on the first page).

Part 2: (2 - 5 pages) Describe each of the six meetings you attended in one or two paragraphs each. Say who attended, what was discussed and what was decided, if any.

Part 3: (6 - 9 pages) List LACC's three (3) biggest problems and what the ASO can do about them. OR, List the ASO's three (3) biggest problems and disucss what can be done about them. Discuss the MOST positive thing about LACC - OR - the ASO.