Suchergebnisse

ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed political science higher education—shifting courses and instructors online with little preparation. What might be the long-term effects of teaching through this crisis? Combining both open-ended and forced-choice survey questions with focus-group conversations, the data reveal a picture of faculty who are doing more for students and feeling strained by the efforts. Despite the challenges of teaching online during these difficult circumstances, attitudes toward online teaching did not decline universally. Those with more experience teaching online before the pandemic held a more favorable view of online teaching when they were surveyed during the pandemic. The data also show that the emotional burden on faculty increased, with female faculty members carrying a particularly heavy load. Because online classes likely will play a major role in the future of teaching political science, understanding the pandemic's effects—both positive and negative—is critical.

The articles in this symposium are peppered with numerous recent incidents of political incivility ranging from physical scuffles at town hall meetings to the now-infamous accusation shouted at president Barack Obama during a nationally televised address before a joint session of Congress. Name calling and ad hominem attacks that were once associated with talk radio and cable television pundits have made their way into the halls of governing institutions, which no longer serve as sacred spaces one-step removed from bare-knuckled politics. Indeed, divisive views have even made inroads into "safe" topics for discussion—the weather and sports. Forget the intensity of debate over climate change. Democrats were actually 10% more likely to claim that the 2012 winter season was warmer than were their Republicans counterparts (Newport 2012). Sports no longer offers a neutral conversation starter, as 27% of Republicans view Tim Tebow as their favorite quarterback compared to only 9% of Democrats (Public Policy Polling 2011). Vitriol, combined with legislative gridlock and the uproar of protestors—not only in Washington, DC, but also in state capitals and prominent cities across the country—has shifted our discipline's attention to the role of political civility in sustaining a healthy democracy.