Jeff Gulati at Bentley University passed along a link that led to an interesting public information website by a company that has created an online collaborative toolkit that citizens can access to review the compactness of their legislative districts. Yes, they’re interested in ramping up support for their software, but I wonder if what they’re offering has classroom applications. Plus, the Top 10 list of least compact districts is fun to review, in a geeky kind of way, and might spur some interesting in-class discussion.

Here’s a bit more in the company’s own words:

The objective of this web site is not to simply publish information about the geography of legislative districts in the United States. We believe a confluence of the internet, geographic data and tools for online collaboration have the potential to transform the redistricting process by enabling citizens to participate directly in the effort. Rather than taking place in meetings behind closed doors where incumbent legislators parcel out blocks of voters in order to guarantee they remain in office (the usual process in many cities and states), redistricting should occur (at least in part) in the most public forum possible: the web.

Not everyone believes that gerrymandering is a problem, but a new documentary may raise the profile of what is basically the best word coinage in political history. (I dare you to come up with a better one.) And if these additional resources aren’t compelling, don’t forget The ReDistricting Game!

We’re super excited to be exhibiting  for the first time at the International Studies Association Conference (ISA). This year the conference is taking place in New Orleans, right after Fat Tuesday and the cataclysmic celebration of Mardi Gras!

The conference begins Wednesday, February 17, and runs through Saturday, February 20. You can find us in the exhibit hall at Booth 113. Here’s a link to the preliminary program. And for any social media buffs who won’t be attending ISA or who can’t get enough of it and wish to join in the merriment, you can follow the conference on Twitter (search on #ISA2010) and, of course, add your own observations to the feed.

So, stop by Booth 113 to say hello and catch a demo of what’s new in Comparing Governments and Between Nations.  We look forward to catching up with old friends  while making some new ones.

Safe travels!

Just a quick note to those of you who have asked about the MP3 file and lyrics to our parody music video Too Late to Apologize– go here to get what you need! And we’re so glad we’ve struck a chord with a broad range of folks interested in America’s Founding.

Consider this a love note to APSA’s Teaching and Learning Conference. True, the big snowstorm that hit Philly made the city more magical than it might have been otherwise, and shared questions and concerns about traveling home strengthened some of the conversations that were already taking place. But it’s pretty amazing to bring so many dedicated teachers together in one medium-sized hotel to talk about strengthening the classroom experiences of students.

I took part in the Simulations and Role Play II track and found myself wishing I was still in school and able to take classes with the broad range of people participating. And Victor Asal’s workshop “Playing Games with (the Theorists of) Political Violence” opened up a range a strategies for making abstract theories concrete for students. Watching Victor manage the expectations of the “students” participating in his workshop was itself a useful lesson in teaching.

If you missed the conference, go here to view the line up and find the contact information of presenters. And to review participants’ impressions in real time, search through the twitter feed at #TLC10. (It’s posted on the conference home page, too!)

Those of us at Soomo who are over 35 don’t know much about Timbaland, but we couldn’t help but get interested in our colleague Tim Alden Grant’s video project when we heard it featured the Framers in an 80′s Hair Band moment. Check this out. Share it with friends and your classes. And let us know what you think!

If you, and your students, are interested in the debate that has surrounded the recent testimony by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Labour Party) concerning the UK’s involvement in Iraq, you might have heard allegations that Blair abused his power. Reports on Blair’s testimony abound in the media, e.g. the BBC or the Guardian. Some live coverage is also available on YouTube. (If this gets too serious, check this out for comic relief on Blair, courtesy of Catherine Tate.)

But how is one to make sense of the debate? Several online resources provide guidance. The website of the British parliament provides much information and illustration to understand how the system works and what the powers of the Prime Minister and the majority party are – but also where potential checks and balances come from in a parliamentary system. In addition to lots of information, the site provides video coverage of current happenings in parliament; a searchable video archive of debates in the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and committees; podcasts explaining how parliament works; a virtual tour through the basement of Westminster, interactive illustrated explanations of how bills become law, and much more. If you’re looking to infuse your classes on British politics with some audio-visuals, this is a useful resource and a good starting point for any students beginning research on the policy process.