"Urban Politics Transp" - Political Research Seminar
- Donald J Gordon - 847 4914853 - 601 University Place
- Fisk Hall 114 - We 6:15PM - 9:15PM
- This course is a collaboration with the Chicago Inspector General's Office and its Open Chicago initiative (http://chicagoinspectorgeneral.org/major-initiatives/open-chicago/). Students will work directly with IGO staff to enhance transparency in the city of Chicago government by analyzing performance measurement data, as well as determining what measures the city is not reporting that might be useful for observers of city government. This will done by researching transparency and engagement activities of those municipalities to determine what the current best practices are in these areas. Additionally, students will research what information the city of Chicago publishes on its websites, how information about public meetings is transmitted to city residents, and the accessibility of city government to the average city resident.
A list of projects will be offered so that students, working in teams of 3-4, will have an opportunity to select an assignment which they find to be of most interest to them. These are not abstract exercises, but rather opportunities to make realistic and pragmatic contributions to improve our political process and enhance access to city government. In doing so, students will work primarily in an online environment in cooperation with IGO staff and according to each student's availability and schedule. Students are expected to work on their projects a minimum of 4 hours per week throughout the quarter and attend the weekly lecture seminar. Each student will be evaluated based on the quality of their effort in the selected assignment and a grade given based on the rubrics for that project. All final projects will be made available on the IGO's Open Chicago web site and accessible to the general public.
The Open Chicago initiative is designed to increase the understanding of City government for all stakeholders (city residents, the media, even members of the City Council), and to promote efficiency, effectiveness and integrity in the City's operations that can come only from accountability achieved through meaningful public scrutiny. - Recommended: POLI SCI 221 Urban Politics in America
- Case studies: Research Best Practices in transparency of other cities
Class participation: Collaborate with IGO staff
DiscussionField trips: Chicago Inspector General's Office
Films / videosGuest speakers: Chicago Inspector General
LecturePresentationsReadingsWriting assignments - Class participation: 20%
Online work: 30%
Project, final: 50% - American Urban Politics In A Global Age-6th, Longman,978-0-205-74545-6
Piss `Em All Off:And Other Practices of the Effective Citizen, Keylog, 978-0-9829575-0-9
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Current as of 05/03/13 05:59:46 PM