Democratic Leadership

Catalog description

Penn State has a special opportunity to create new leaders who learn deliberative approaches to politics and public life. This one-credit course provides a background for this approach to democratic leadership, and it also prepares students for the Nevins Fellows paid internship program. Those who complete this course will have first priority when awarding these internships each year. The centerpiece of this course are day-long workshops that introduce students to effective civic leaders in government or the non-profit sector. Bracketing these workshops are a handful of seminars, which introduce ideas, discuss reading assignments, and reflect on the workshops. In addition to short reaction papers, students will produce a narrative essay at the end of the course that describes how they could see themselves advancing democracy in the United States (or elsewhere) and what kind of internship experience will help them prepare for such a career. For those who opt to seek an internship, this essay will supplement their formal application. Credit for the course requires attendance at every class meeting and workshop, or equivalent makeup assignments, if permitted.