Iowa State University

Feasibility Report Pertaining to the Proposal of the Implementation of

Poli Sci 102: Introduction to Current Political Issues

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report was written to provide information regarding the evaluation and

analysis of the proposal to add a new three-credit political science course to the general

education requirements at Iowa State University. The method of analysis includes

primary research and secondary research. Primary research is comprised of conducting an

online survey, and in-person interviews. Secondary research includes Internet based

research. Statistics pertaining to general education requirements among colleges and

universities in the United States were found, along with information regarding where and

how new classes are introduced at Iowa State University. Through primary research,

demographic and psychographic information was gathered, as well as a base

understanding of respondents general political science knowledge.

While a significant amount of information was gathered, limitations apply. There

are 76 respondents to the survey, and Iowa State is comprised of approximately 37,000

students. Furthermore, not all respondents were Iowa State University students, which

would skew the data. Finally, the respondents were made up of (our) the researchers

friends, family, and acquaintances, which may lead to biased responses. From responses

and research gathered, recommendations include that Iowa State University begin

implementing this course as an experimental general education requirement starting Fall

2017.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction....4

2. Background....4

2.1. Assumptions.......4

2.2. Qualifications......5

3. Research.....5

3.1. Survey.........5

3.2. Interviews.......7

3.3. Limitations..9

4. Recommendations......9

4.1. Class........9

4.1.1. Description.......9

4.1.2. Objectives......10

4.1.3. Goals..........10

4.1.4. Lessons.......10

4.2. Implementation.....10

5. Summary..........11

6. Conclusion.......11

7. References........12

8. Appendices.......12
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1. INTRODUCTION

Politics play a role in peoples everyday lives in the United States of

America. Whether you go out to buy your groceries or you are attending a protest,

politics are at play. A study done by Nate Silvers FiveThirtyEight says people are

generally misinformed about how the government actually works and the part it plays in

our lives (Pluta). We werent surprised to learn this after learning the statistic, according

to Matthew Veeh from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, that says that only

18.3% of colleges and universities in the United States required students to complete a

history or government course (Veeh). From what we have learned, we see that there is a

need for a required general education course that will be explained throughout this report.

To better help you understand the beneficial need of implementing a required

government education course, this report will begin by going into detail about the original

assumptions made. Furthermore, our research will address the limitations we have

discovered. The report will conclude with recommendations for moving forward, based

on our research, followed by our summary and conclusion. Through extensive research

and analysis, it will be shown that Iowa State University students will benefit from the

addition of this course to the general education requirements.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1. Assumptions

The assumptions that led us to conduct our research was our belief that Iowa State

University students are being put at a disadvantage by not being required to take a

government course that provides them education regarding the United States Government

and current political issues. Young people today are generally uninformed or
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misinformed regarding the workings of the American government, and this has led to a

number of issues including, but not limited to: a less knowledgeable population, and

political apathy in the form of lower voter turnout. Regarding our research, we assume

the individuals who partook in the survey and interviews are currently or have been

enrolled in an institution of higher education and are dedicating or have previously

dedicated their studying to improve their mindset for the future.

2.2. Qualifications

Our team is comprised entirely of students at Iowa State University pursuing higher

education. Through our educational experience thus far, we have experienced the need

for an additional course of the proposed nature. Through our firsthand experience with

our peers at Iowa State University, witnessing the lack of political knowledge among

student, and conducting research to back our claims, we feel that we are qualified to

continue in our research regarding this subject.

3. RESEARCH

3.1. Survey

To better understand the students that this class would cater too, we developed

and distributed a survey to be taken by our peers. The survey allowed the participants to

show their current political science knowledge, as well as contribute ideas regarding what

they would want to see and learn in a potential required political science course. The

survey was constructed to allow us to gather both quantitative and qualitative data,

collected through a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions. From the

responses, we were able to construct graphs and charts that helped us see trends and
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better interpret the data. Visual representations of the data can be found in the appendices

of this report.

Through our survey, the most puzzling result we found was two contradicting sets

of data. The data regarded respondents feelings towards their political preparedness after

graduation, and the extent to which they feel that they have been informed voters. 57.9

percent of respondents answered that they feel that Iowa State University has not

provided them with adequate knowledge of political workings to be prepared upon

graduation, while 89.3 percent of respondents felt that they had been informed voters in

the past.

When asked if the respondents would be interested in a course that taught them

about current political issues, the workings of the American government, their rights as

American citizens, and other similar topics, the majority (63%) responded yes, the

second largest group (22.4%) answered maybe, and only a few (11%) said that they

would not be interested.

Other information we gathered highlighted trends such as:

Most respondents attribute their political knowledge and orientation to their friends

and family.

Respondents are most interested in learning about their rights, American policy,

foreign policy, the current political spectrum/the issues, and the Electoral College.

Most respondents could name the governor of Iowa (this is likely due to the fact that

most people who completed the survey were Iowa residents)

75% of respondents could not fully name the rights protected by the first amendment.
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3.2. Interviews

We interviewed a number of individuals to gain insights from a diverse group of

people with unique backgrounds, regarding their thoughts and opinions on the idea to

implement the proposed course, as well as the current state of government education.

3.2.1. Interviewee one is a graduating senior at Iowa State University studying political

science. The student was interviewed to gain insight from someone who has firsthand

experience taking political science courses at Iowa State University. In the interview, the

interviewee said that they felt other students did not give political science as much

thought as they should, and that by instituting this class, students would not only be

educated on important current issues, but also expand their worldviews.

3.2.2. Our second interviewee graduated from Iowa State University in the 1980s and is

currently a political science lecturer in Minnesota. Their thoughts on this course are that

it would benefit students who are uneducated or misinformed about current issues that the

interviewee, as an educator, believes are important for students to be informed on.

Interviewee two believes there is a lack of a focus on the education of current political

issues that affect peoples daily lives.

3.2.3. Interviewee three is a field chief with the United States Department of Agriculture

(USDA). This position offers the opportunity to assist with interviews for the hiring of

new employees. This interviewee said that when interviewing candidates they look for a

general knowledge of the workings of the American government in applicants. Many

people interviewing to work for the USDA are agriculture majors in college and do not

have much of a background knowledge of government, nor do they receive much

additional education or experience with it in college. This weakens their interview and
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can potentially cost them the job. Interviewee three said that it is important for students

going into the job market to have a broad knowledge of the government and policies

regardless of the field they intend to work in.

3.2.4. Our fourth interviewee holds a senior position in Veritas Magazine, a political

publication run by Iowa State University students. The interviewee said that they believe

that because students are attending college to better themselves, they should be required

to complete courses in fields of study that will aid them in becoming better contributors

to society; including political science.

3.2.5. Interviewee five is a junior in high school, who is currently enrolled in a political

science class. This individual was interviewed because they expressed awareness of the

lack of political education provided in high school and college. The interviewee made

the point that the majority of high schools require students (who cannot typically vote) to

complete a government or political science class to graduate. However, college students

who can vote are not typically required to complete a similar course.

3.2.6. Interviewee six is a minister in Indiana. This individual was interviewed because

a large number of respondents to the survey answered that they attribute their political

knowledge and orientation to their church. Therefore, we wanted to take a look into what

the churches are doing to aid in the political education of their members.

During the month of September, the minister hosted a voter education program at

their church. The program was developed to inform old and new voters about the on-

going presidential election and other current political issues. The interviewee believes

that everyone should do their part to properly educate themselves and others regarding
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the American government and current political issues in order to be better able to

contribute to their communities.

3.3. Limitations

While our team feels confident in our recommendation, limitations apply. Our

research was conducted primarily through an online survey that was distributed to

acquaintances, and therefore the reach was limited and potentially prone to bias.

Additionally, not all respondents were guaranteed to be current or former Iowa State

students. In fact, 14 respondents answered that they either attended different universities

or they had already graduated from Iowa State University. Furthermore, our sample size

was limited to 76 respondents, which is comparatively small to the full statistical

population. The small nature of the sample may have also resulted in bias.

4. RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1. Class

Our recommendation, based on the observed data, is for Iowa State University to

implement an experimental political science course that covers current and relevant

political issues, as well as basic knowledge regarding the government. This course

should be included in the general education requirements of all Iowa State University

undergraduate students. To begin, this course would be implemented as an experimental

course, in the same manner as most new classes, for a minimum of one year.

4.1.1. Description

This class will serve to inform students about American government, politics, and

related subject matter that are considered current and relevant. This class is not a history

class, nor a class that intends to pressure students to conform to one political party or
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another. The main objective of this political science class is to inform and empower. It

will cover topics such as rights that come with being an American citizen, domestic

policies, foreign policies, the current political spectrum, and the Electoral College. This

class will be a three-credit course that satisfies general education requirements.

4.1.2. Objectives

Develop an organized set of requirements with respect to the intended scope and

goals of the course.

Receive insight from students, faculty, and other persons regarding how in-depth

the requirements should be, and what topics should be included.

4.1.3. Goals

To educate students about the American government.

To provide students with an unbiased look at our government, in order to aid them

in constructing their own thoughts and opinions.

4.1.4. Lessons

The following is a list of suggested topics to be covered in the proposed Poli Sci

102 course:

Rights of American citizens

Domestic policy

Foreign policy

The Electoral College

Current political spectrum / the issues

These topics were chosen based on what our team believed to be relevant and important

topics, as well as from the input of respondents to the survey. The topics are intended
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lessons for the course, and will be studied in-depth. Classes may include lectures, in- and

out-of-class projects and activities, debates, readings, and more.

4.2. Implementation

To implement this course, it will have to be sent to the Office of the Registrar for

review, before being discussed, and then voted upon by the necessary officials. If the

relevant authorities approve it, professors will be chosen to lead this course. Following

this, it will be dubbed an experimental course for a minimum trial period of one-year,

where it will be considered a general education requirement for students. Following the

trial period, we hope it will be instilled as a general education requirement for all

students.

5. SUMMARY

Our mission for this class is to inform Iowa State University students of current and

relevant political issues, as well as the workings of the American government. Through

our research we have found that there exists a large percentage of Iowa State students that

want to take a course such as the one we are proposing. Students feel that the knowledge

they possess is not enough to prepare them to undertake life outside of college, such as

the responsibility of being an informed voter during elections. This class aims to correct

this apparent imbalance. We have devised a lesson plan, as seen above, that will cover

major politically relevant topics. We hope to see this class implemented in Iowa State

University's course curriculum in the near future.

6. CONCLUSION

Even if it is not obvious, politics is always affecting the things we do. From the

salary that a teacher receives, to the price of gasoline that you pay to fill your car, politics
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is always at work. Despite this, most people do not pay it the attention it merits. This

report has shown you that Iowa State University would benefit its students by

implementing a three-credit political science course to the general education

requirements. The research shows that students do not feel that they are being prepared

for how politics will affect their lives outside of college, and that they have a want for

such a class as we are proposing, as seen in the data. Our hope is that Iowa State

University is convinced of this need and want, and that they will take the steps to ensure

that this course is instituted for the benefit of its current and future students.
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7. REFERENCES

1. Kylee Cox, Nick Johnston, Olive McLean, Blake Ruggle, and Andrew Whigham.

How Informed Are You?. Survey. Google Forms. Google, 11 Nov. 2016. Web.

Nov. 11 2016.

2. [1] File, Thom. Who Votes? Congressional Elections and the American

Electorate: 19782014 (n.d.): n. pag. United States Census Bureau. United

States Census Bureau, July 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

3. Pluta, Anne. "Trump Supporters Appear To Be Misinformed, Not

Uninformed." FiveThirtyEight. N.p., 07 Jan. 2016. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

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8. APPENDICES

1. Pie chart from survey asking respondents if they feel that they have been

informed voters.

2. Pie chart from survey asking if respondents feel that they have been adequately

informed on political workings to feel prepared upon graduation.

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3. Bar graph pertaining to the level of interest there is in the proposed course.