If you are interested in politics, this freshman seminar is the best opportunity you may have in years to experience and participate directly in the political system in California. For the first time ever, USC students will draft an actual bill, go to Sacramento to testify and lobby for it! Only 25 students will be allowed in the course. Come and learn California politics from the inside. While the students will determine what bill they want to design, we think that an environmental/global warming bill might be politically possible to succeed.
FSEM 180 seminar will investigate the workings of practical politics in California. We will consider the problems facing Californians, choose an issue and consider solutions, assess the potential impacts of the draft legislation, and address the positions of interest groups so as to build coalitions. Under the direction of a retired State Senator and politician-in-residence at USC College, students will directly participate in California politics. With the personal help of state officials and staffers, we will design a draft bill, actually introduce it to the legislature, testify in front of the Senate Committee, lobby Senators and follow it through the full legislative process. Students will leave the seminar with practical experience and the networks to give them a competitive advantage in developing their own careers. Students can learn more about the specifics of the course at: http://college.usc.edu/fyi.
Sincerely,
Professor Nina Rathbun and Sen. Kevin Murray, USC Politician-in-Residence
