POL 100,
It has been a distinct pleasure getting to know all 58 of you over the course of this semester. In this final post, I want to provide you guys with some feedback and food for thought.The goals that I set out for us to achieve at the beginning of the semester were simple: an improvement in reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Of course you were expected to gain a general overview of the discipline of political science, but these fundamental skills were the primary focus. Through multiple methods I tried to constantly and continuously reinforce these skills with you all over the course of the semester. Although I do believe that each of you has improved to some extent in each of these areas, the specific level of improvement has entirely been contingent upon on you.
In thinking back to the many controversies and issues we discussed in class and on this blog, I think one major takeaway has been how difficult it is to arrive at a consensus on any issue. A consensus is difficult to achieve and maintain, but is a part of the democratic process. Although Pakistan has a long way to go towards achieving democracy, I hope that you guys continue to take part in this democratic experiment.
There were a few hiccups along the way. A very small minority of students plagiarized. Other students turned in exams late. A significant number of students showed up late to class. All of these actions were a blight on an otherwise enjoyable class.
There were a lot of really great moments as well. The debate over the proper justice system in Pakistan was quite lively. Lunches with a number of you were always pleasant. Our trip to Wagah Border and the farewell dinner are memorable moments that I will definitely remember.
As many of you now head off for the summer to refuel and recharge, I wish you all the best in you future lives and academic endeavors. Below is some final data that may be of interest to you all. All data is current as of May 11, 2015:
- The first blog post was posted by me on January 30, 2015.
- Our blog essentially lasted 3-months.
- Out of the 1,128 posts, 47 were done by me. The majority of those posts were referrals to interesting news items.
- You all posted 1,081 blog posts.
- The required number of posts per student was 20. The actual average was 18.6 posts per student.
1 comment:
Whether such close continuity in terms of patterns of leadership and political power-holding make it possible to define Jordan as having entered a new epoch post-King Hussein is difficult. There were, Cheap Jordan Shoes, in the first few years of Abduallah’s reign, popular expectations of change. There was a belief that a new, young, dynamic leader, free of much of his late father’s ‘political baggage’ (especially in terms of regional antagonism) might accelerate a programme of political liberalisations - initiated and then frozen if not reversed by Hussein.
As part of a popular wish for sweeping reform many hoped that the new monarch would lead a campaign against corruption in high places, tackle a faltering economy with vigour and resolve and put rule of law and respect for democracy and human rights at the top of his agenda. Air Jordan Shoes,In so doing he was also expected to replace or to see that his assumption to the throne might be an opportunity to replace the late King’s former advisers with a new ‘liberal’ elite of ministers and senior officials. This has not strictly been the case. The King has maintained ‘continuity’ by making a virtue out of keeping officials who served his father. ‘In fact, many people around me were groomed by my father, and their backgrounds arc clear to all’, stated Abdullah as he responded to sustained criticisms in 2008 that he had surrounded himself by ‘liberals’ who were a danger to the country and its economy (Abdullah,2008). Advocates of political reform, moreover, Retro Jordans, have grown more despondent as Jordan has been compelled to sustain dependencies not only on the United States but also on the conservative pro-Western Arab regimes of the Gulf.
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