Students will be required to observe policy-making in action. You may choose to observe one meeting of the following: Miami-Dade/BrowardCounty Commissioners, Miami-Dade/Broward County School Board

Students will be required to observe policy-making in action. You may choose to observe one meeting of the following: Miami-Dade/BrowardCounty Commissioners, Miami-Dade/Broward County School Board, or any Commissioner or School Board meeting of a surrounding community. A typed, double-spaced 6 to 7 page paper will be submitted which answers the following questions in a narrative format. Assignment needs to have a cover page with student’s name, Title, Institution’s name, and should be submitted in a folderand electronically.

Please answer each question as thoroughly as possible.

(1) Which group did you observe? What was the gender and racial breakdown of the officials?

(2) When and where was the meeting held? Was the meeting handicapped accessible?

(3) Agenda: What was discussed at the meeting? (Please get an official copy at the

meeting, have it signed by your representative, and submit with your report)

(4) Which members were present? Absent? Did your representative actively participate

in the discussions?

(5) How many members of the general public were present? Which issues seemed to be

of interest for the audience? Which issues did people speak on? How many spoke out on each issue? Which “side” of the issue seemed to have the most support? What type of strategies were used by the speakers (stories; data; posters, etc)? Do you think they were effective? Would you have used the same tactic or would you have used a different one and why?

(6) How were the deliberations of the government officials? Cordial? Combative? Was it

democratic or did one or two seem to control the discussion? If one or two seemed to control the discussion, who were they? Why do you think this happened?

(6) What was the outcome of the meeting? In other words, did the officials vote or did

they delay the issues for another meeting? If so, why?

(8) What were your general impressions of the process? Did you learn anything from the

experience? If yes, what? If no, why? Was the process what you thought it would

be?

(9) Now that you have observed policy in the making, do you think that you wil

continue to attend meetings in the future? Why or why not?