Throughout the 2011 session of the St. Albans School of Public Service, the students have worked outside of class on a group project focusing on political advocacy. The class was divided into six smaller groups, and each was assigned a broad policy area and asked to form a Political Action Committee (PAC); draft a piece of legislation within their policy area; secure "Congressional" sponsors (really the SPS faculty and staff) for their bills; draft a press release publicizing their views; hold a press conference fielding question from the skeptical press (their classmates); and, finally, take part in a full legislative debate on the bills. As we lead up to the final legislative debate the six SPS PACs (addressing issues having to do with, respectively, energy; immigration; firearms ownership; social security; health care; and litigation reform) have been holding their press conferences. As each PAC presented its proposal, their classmates played the role of the press -- there were some tough questions! See the slideshow below for more photos:Wednesday, July 20, 2011
SPS 2011: Mock Political Action Committees Hold "Press Conferences" on Proposed Legislation
Throughout the 2011 session of the St. Albans School of Public Service, the students have worked outside of class on a group project focusing on political advocacy. The class was divided into six smaller groups, and each was assigned a broad policy area and asked to form a Political Action Committee (PAC); draft a piece of legislation within their policy area; secure "Congressional" sponsors (really the SPS faculty and staff) for their bills; draft a press release publicizing their views; hold a press conference fielding question from the skeptical press (their classmates); and, finally, take part in a full legislative debate on the bills. As we lead up to the final legislative debate the six SPS PACs (addressing issues having to do with, respectively, energy; immigration; firearms ownership; social security; health care; and litigation reform) have been holding their press conferences. As each PAC presented its proposal, their classmates played the role of the press -- there were some tough questions! See the slideshow below for more photos:
