Monday, May 6, 2024
1:00 to 3:00 PM ET
Join us for an introductory session led by Elise Blasingame, a political scientist and community advocate from Atlanta, Georgia. This session is tailored for those new to the complexities of US democracy, providing essential insights into America's Founding principles, the structure of its government branches, the dynamics of the Dual-Party System, and the practical mechanics of elections and voting. It's a perfect opportunity to brush up on foundational knowledge before delving deeper into how US politics shapes the Canada-US relationship throughout the Fellowship.
In this session, we will discuss:
America's Founding and Constitutional Context
The Branches of U.S. Government
The Dual-Party System - Democrats vs Republicans
Conditions Impacting Politics in the U.S.
How elections and voting works in practice
AGENDA
1:00 pm - 1:05 pm: Intro to the program and Elise Blasingame by Camara Chambers
1:05 pm - 2:55 pm: Facilitated workshop taught by Elise Blasingame
2:55 pm - 3:00 pm: Concluding remarks and feedback
READING MATERIALS
There are no mandatory pre-session reading materials, but as this session will specifically focus on America's democractic system, if you are curious to learn more about the comparison between America and Canada's democracies, these resources will provide a succint overview:
Article: Federal Elections Comparison Table, Elections Canada
Report: Canadian and American Governance: A Comparative Look, International, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Relations, Alberta
Article: The Branches of Government, Parliament of Canada - a simple overview of Canada's democratic system
Elise Blasingame (Osage/𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷) is a policy and research professional with over ten years of experience in public service. Elise’s professional interests include policy advocacy, community infrastructure, strategic planning, and building the capacity of civic and non-profit organizations to make real impact for the communities they serve.
In 2020, Elise was honored as one of Georgia Trend's 40 under 40. Elise is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia.
Her research focuses on issues of Native American representation in American politics and has been published in Routledge Press, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Public Health and Political Research Quarterly.
Full bio at www.eliseblasingame.com.
Photo Credit: Amber Murphy Raines
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