Assignment One, due Tues 16 Jan/Thurs 18 Jan Please write a brief (500) word essay on the main concepts (4-5) that you personally would like us to consider in this course. This is a course where politics meets government, and your participation is essential. Suggestions  Before starting your final answer, spend a bit of time on this. The way you do it is in the end, up to you. But you may want to start by refreshing your recollection as to the roles that familiar political figures have played in your life, and in the development of the country. You should spend time in Hawkeye's library or on the internet, reading up on current events. You may want to spend a few minutes browsing political biographies in the stacks - I encourage you to get in the habit of this.  A few minutes a week will make your final exam much more accessible to you!  Having done a little background, I recommend you collect your thoughts in the form of an outline. Ask yourself - 'what questions do I want answered?' Bullet points are helpful to organize your thoughts - think of a few big themes, put them into a reasonable order, and then use the writing process to connect your points.  This will be your first assignment - it is not a position paper - those are a bit more involved - rather, a supplement to your attendance/participation grade (which will start on Thurs. 11 Jan for the T-Th course, and 16 Jan for the Tues. evening course).  Thanks very much - let's go get 'em!