Step 1 – The Skeleton (Background Research)
Conduct light background research using high-quality websites to learn the basic concepts related to Civic Society (G.
Almond and S. Verba), Democratic Peace Theory (E. Kant and T. Paine), and a Harmony of Interests (A. Smith and K.
Marx) in the United States. At this stage, read with "metacognition" and reflect, grasping this basic information will allow
you to understand the material before delving deeper. Prework: informal research and background reading only. Example
of a high-quality or reliable source for this step (this is not Wikipedia): Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (PeerReviewed)
Step 2 – The Muscles (Online Tutorial)
- Go to this link and register for the leadership tutorial: The Citizens Campaign Online Leadership Training
Certificate Program
6 - Required Reading (provided in the tutorial): Citizen Power Manual
- Complete a short pre-course survey, it must be submitted to gain access to the training.
- Watch each video and complete the follow-up activity/quiz. There are 10 tutorials, including all videos, quizzes,
and surveys. - Upon completion, you will receive a leadership training certificate via e-mail. Upload the certificate in PDF format
using the submission link in the Unit 1 folder anytime ahead of the Unit 1 deadline.
Mid-Term Deadline – Steps 1-2 Due
Step 3 – The Evolution (Academic Knowledge) - Next, you are to engage each of the three concepts from step 1 at the academic level by examining how each has
evolved over time. Studying a concept as it changes will allow you to truly understand a political topic, which is a
stated goal of this course. - You will need to access the Research Center tab inside the course and then click on the first link “Academic
Search Complete.” Reminder: there is a highly detailed course announcement explaining how to use this tool and
the directions are in the folder too. - Locate and properly cite a minimum of one scholarly source obtained via the research center tool to meet the
bare minimum research requirements. Look down the list, the search tool uses A.I. and is quite good at gathering
relevant articles.
Writing suggestion: Introductory paragraph, with at least 1-2 paragraphs (3-6 total minimum) of contemporary information
per concept, and a source that has been properly cited (one per major theory or 3 sources would be within the norms for a
good score). Simply meeting the minimum requirement does not guarantee a C.
Note: For those students who which to strive for excellence; incorporating current events and a wide variety of sources for
a broad view of the topic would be the epitome of an “A paper” for a sophomore level course.
Step 4 - The Brain (Analysis)
Based on the information you have examined, the experience from the No Blame training and the formal academic
research you have conducted, what is your summary evaluation of the Citizens Campaign’s stated goals of using a noblame approach?
Reminder: Stay objective, do not use first-person tones. This type of evaluation is known as a political efficacy calculation
(PEC) and is commonly used in both political and economic decision-making.
Writing suggestion: 1-2 paragraphs of well-structured and evidence-based analysis citing main ideas from the research
gathered for this assignment in step 3.
Step 5 - The Heart (Personal and Social Responsibility)
Based on your personal learning experiences during this assignment, what are two major/overall takeaways (fully discuss
each)? How will the information from this experience be useful to you in the near or long-term future, as a potential or
actual voter, employee, employer, parent, student, etc.? Be sure to clearly establish the perspective you are speaking
from and how the experience(s) can lead to meaningful action.
Writing suggestion 2-3 paragraphs discussing each major/overall lesson and its personal utility in your life and a formal
conclusion. No sources are necessary for this prompt only, just remember that first-person tone may not be used in any
formal writing assignments in Political Science.