Current Discussion Question

Contributors:

James A. Barry
Visiting Associate Professor
New Century College

Frank Blechman
Clinical Faculty
MS Program Coordinator
Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution

Joel Clark
Public and International Affairs

Joel Garreau
Senior Fellow & George Cook Distinguished Fellow
The School of Public Policy

Margaret R. Yocom
Associate Professor
Department of English

Teresa Michals
Director
The Mason Topics Program

Printable Text of Article

Discussion Question
for Spring 2001

A Simple and More Constructive Answer

In my classes here at ICAR, nearly half are foreign students. I encourage them to watch our electoral process with a much humor and empathy as possible. I urge them to overcome their inclination to pity us. For the domestic students, I issue many assignments in which students must imagine themselves as consultants or policy advisors to policy makers.

It is easy to watch a public figure give a simple (and deceptive) answer to a complicated question or situation, but much harder to construct a simple and more constructive answer. Looking at elections through the lens of conflict resolution, it is easy to identify how the polarity of an election produces polarizing statements which actually make it harder to govern, if elected. I challenge my students to construct both simple and complicated statements of strategy to advise public and private actors in issues such as:

• Dialogue between pro- and anti-gun control advocates.
• Reform of transportation planning processes in the Washington, DC Area.
• Investment in the Balkans.
• Options for policy towards Saddam Hussein.

In so doing, I urge them to prepare to play a significant role in the presidential elections of 2004, 2008 and 2012.

Frank Blechman, Clinical Faculty
MS Program Coordinator
Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution