Scourfield McLauchlan, Incorporating Internships into Undergraduate Political Science Coursework, Page 6
WUSF (our local NPR station), and the front page of the Tampa Tribune,
5
in part because we
had a bi-partisan group of youth voters.) We opened up the debate watch parties to our campus
community, and I was pleased with the turnout. During our post-debate discussions, I was proud
of my American Government students, as they drew on their internship experiences and
newfound expertise while discussing their reactions to the presidential candidates with our
colleagues on campus.
Pre and Post Internship Survey Results
I administered surveys in class before and after the internships
6
in an attempt to measure the
students’ attitudes towards campaigns, politicians, elections, politics, and American government.
I wanted to learn whether the internship experience changed their views of politics and whether
the internship enhanced the students’ understanding of political campaigns.
Overall, the Pre-Internship Survey results painted a depressing picture of what our
students thought about American government. Students displayed little confidence in our
political system or our politicians and very little confidence that participation in campaigns – or
even voting – would make any difference at all. After reading through the students’ surveys and
compiling the results, I doubted that twenty-five hours of work on a campaign would be able to
move students to reconsider their firmly held beliefs. Still, I hoped that the students would learn
about campaigns and the issues dominating the 2004 general election. Much to my surprise, not
5
See Brad Smith and Ellen Gedalius. “Students Watch But Aren’t Swayed.” The Tampa Tribune, 2 October 2004, p.
1.
6
Copies of the surveys are included in Appendix III. I included a few questions from the Public-Release Questions
from the 1988 NAEP Civics Assessment so I could compare the data. See Richard G. Niemi and Jane Junn, Civic
Education: What Makes Students Learn. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998), pp. 164-181.
Convention