A challenge in teaching courses on U.S. politics is the fact that students want a variety of information and different approaches to learning about the election system, said Associate Professor Matthew Dean Hindman, chair of political science in The University of Tulsa’s Kendall College of Arts & Sciences.
“Some want to discuss current events frequently, including the most divisive topics animating U.S. politics,” he said. “Others want to avoid day-to-day politics entirely and would prefer to focus on the broader context or historical dynamics. I try to teach my courses in a manner that is heavy on history and context, though with an occasional class session that focuses on how we’ve arrived at this moment in history.”
Hindman said that in his fall 2024 class on the U.S. presidency, he is spending less time on discussing the current candidates.
“Sure, they are two individuals that are important if we want to understand politics in the 2020s, but the timeline of American politics extends backward – and, we hope, forward – well beyond their times in office,” he said. “I find that students can learn a lot more about these contemporary figures if we also spend time discussing similar historical moments, whether through the impeachments of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton or the Watergate scandal or the ways in which past presidents have been constrained or empowered by their parties.”
Social media has made disinformation and misinformation more prevalent, Hindman said.
“In today’s polarized political landscape, people are perhaps too ready to believe disinformation if it fits into the narrative that they’d like to believe,” he added. “Thinking critically invites students to have a healthy skepticism about the world around them, though it also helps guard against falling prey to the latest conspiracy theory du jour.”
Hindman also invites input from curious undergraduates. “It’s hard to know in advance what sorts of issues will play a big role in an election year. I try to leave a few dates open on my syllabi that I label ‘Student-Selected Topics’ to allow students to choose a theme in which we can take a deeper dive,” he said. “Whatever it is, I hope it isn’t part of a giant national crisis!”