Public Policy Lecture Overview

• Speaker: Steven Levitsky, a political scientist from Harvard.

• Talk Title: "America's Road to Authoritarianism."

• Expertise: Co-authored books on how democracies die and understanding global shifts to authoritarianism, with extensive background in Latin American politics.

• Current Context: Addresses trends in Venezuela and U.S. policies affecting the region.

• Event Details:

  • Date & Time: Tomorrow at 05:30 PM.

  • Location: Mieser Auditorium, Hill Hall.

  • SELE Credit: Event qualifies for SELE credit.

• Encouragement for Attendance: Important for comprehension of the current political climate, regardless of personal agreement with Levitsky's views.

Class Focus and Structure

Class Introduction

• Current Week: Second week of classes, emphasizing the urgency of the semester's timeline.

• Class Format: Two-part class structure; focus today on community partnerships, with the consulting model discussed later.

Topic: Community Partnerships

1. Angle of Discussion: Emphasis on service learning and practical community engagement.

   • Some students have previous experience in service learning at Carolina.

   • Aiming for effective collaboration with community partners through baseline understanding of policy issues.

2. Personal Note: The instructor shares a brief anecdote about his dog, Maisie, as a form of personal connection with students.

3. Project Launch: Importance of beginning projects with intention.

   • Gathering data about the policy problems and understanding stakeholders.

   • Focus on practical application rather than theoretical exercises.

4. Applied Policy Research:

   • Definition: Research aimed at providing actionable recommendations for decision-makers, as opposed to theoretical exploration.

   • Key Distinction: It must be actionable, addressing requests made by decision-makers, ensuring relevance for implementation.

   • Real-World Examples:

     • Catawba Riverkeepers found applied research helpful, leading to expanded initiatives and recommendations.

     • Illustrates the application of student work in grant applications and organizational strategy.

Community Impact Focus

1. Understanding Community Partners:

   • Acknowledge that communities served are diverse and often have complex dynamics.

   • Importance of knowing your community partner’s identity and areas of representation.

   • Initial exercise: Identifying communities that students will serve this semester, encouraging collaborative teamwork.

2. Principles of Community-Based Research: Recent readings emphasized the importance of adaptability in methodologies to respect community norms (e.g., using culturally appropriate interviewing techniques).

   • Historical Context: Acknowledgment of UNC's complex relationship with community engagement, stressing the need for sensitivity.

   • Advisory Role of Liaisons: Community partner representatives provide guidance on best practices for interaction.

3. Research Goals: Reflect on the larger community goals tied to individual projects, especially those reflecting on previously established relationships.

Project Planning and Execution

1. Collective Impact Vision: Discussing the potential positive effects students' projects can unleash across various communities, leveraging practical engagement.

2. Assignment of Roles within Teams: Teams encouraged to think about their discussions in context to MOU and community engagement strategies.

3. Reflections on White Paper: Students analyzed principles from a reading on community-based research—discussions lead to foundational aspects of respectful engagement and listening.

Class Management and Administration

1. MOU and Project Proposals: Guidance provided regarding creating a clear and detailed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to clarify team expectations and objectives.

   • Emphasis on potential challenges in MOUs if they lack specificity.

2. Research Design Approach: Highlighting the order of priority in research—understanding problems first before determining methodological approaches.

Classroom Logistics

• Instructor’s Role: Facilitator managing overall team dynamics and relationships with community partners, including scheduling initial meetings.

• Team Methods Discussion: Importance of strategizing based on individual projects—encouraging students to take ownership.

• Final reminders regarding outstanding assignments, including city training and the MOU due on Wednesday.

• Dynamic Group Engagement: Plan for team discussions, sharing responsibilities for project focus and research methodologies.