A Novel Approach To Politics: Introducing Political Science Through Books, Movies, and Popular Culture

Van Belle (political science and media studies, Victoria U. of Wellington, New Zealand) and Mash (political science, U. of Pennsylvania) intend this introductory textbook for political science instructors who use (or would like to use) fiction to illustrate concepts and promote discussion. Through references to popular literature, television, and film, as well as lively--and at times subjective-- language, they entreat students to understand and contemplate themes such as: utopias and the imperfections of reality, the necessities for government, government and economy, structures and institutions (and their imperfections), courts and law, the democratic ideal, international politics, and political culture, among others. The "fiction appendix" describes the teaching potential of the approximately 100 pop culture titles mentioned in the chapters. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Are you tired of poor student evaluations of the textbook you adopted? Hate hearing their complaints about being assigned 30 pages of what they see as an arduous reading experience? What if we told you that a textbook could be funny and irreverent utilizing popular books, movies, music, and television shows to introduce political science concepts? This novel approach to explaining our need for government and the intrigue of politics is a reality. Van Belle and Mash do not compromise on the content you want and need, nor do they stint on real-world political examples throughout the book. The basics and the depth are all here. The added innovation? to hook students through the popular culture they re already plugged into. Simply put, you will never hear complaints that this is a typical or boring textbook. From references to 1984 and Lord of the Flies to mentions of The Matrix and A Clockwork Orange you ll be surprised by how the core concepts of political science institutions, ideology, economics, elections, culture, national politics, and international relations are interwoven with a highly entertaining discussion of popular culture. The theme of ideals clashing with reality makes fiction a useful tool for exploring the fundamentals of politics. In novels and films, it is both a common motive that drives the heroic characters and a frequent theme in the settings and contexts of interaction, the plots, and the story lines. In politics, the tension between the real and the ideal is prominent both in theory and in practice. Virtually all who engage in politics must balance the dreams they would like to accomplish if they could against the limitations imposed upon them by the real world. This bold, new book can help you integrate films and fiction in to your course should you choose to making it easier to assign a novel or two, or have students watch a few films, reinforcing themes and concepts, or creating the basis for a writing assignment. But regardless, the tie-in to popular culture will resonate with your students and get them reading effortlessly. The textbook stuff is here too chapter summaries, bolded key terms, discussion questions, and annotated web resources. Plenty to arm students with mastery of the material and get them ready for the test. On institutions... Federal systems work well in diverse countries, where variations in local conditions, economies, or cultures make it impractical or inefficient to try to impose a single system, or make it difficult to make decisions from a central location.... The Federation in Star Trek provides a perfect example. When Captain Kirk, and later his grandson or nephew or whatever Jean-Luc Picard was, puttered around the final frontier in the glorified intergalactic motor home they called the Enterprise, they talked a lot about the United Federation of Planets. ... Within the bounds of the charter of the Federation, the individual planets ruled themselves. On economics... The battle between idealism and realism in the economics of life is very clearly depicted in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a film based on Betty Smith's novel of the same name. While it is something of a disservice to the complexities of its plot, context, and character to focus only on the economic aspects, it is also clear that the contrast between the idealist and realist perspectives on the world is a critical part of this story. Set early in the twentieth century, the story centers on Francie Nolan, the child of a family beset by poverty and alcoholism, and much of its power derives from the vivid portrayal of the harsh realities of an economic system that does little to ease the pain of the struggling poor. On the media... The basic plot of Capricorn One is that one of the biggest moments in history was a complete fiction. The United States never a