Suchergebnisse

The Pentagon's reluctance to use force in recent conflicts in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Rwanda stems ultimately from the organizational trauma the U.S. military suffered in Vietnam. The near total disintegration of the military in the early 1970s created an organizational survival imperative that produced the military's lessons of Vietnam and its doctrine on the proper use of force. This Weinberger-Powell Doctrine, despite frequent criticism, has steadily gained legitimacy over the years since Vietnam and is preeminent today in the American foreign policy community. Military leaders, by applying the doctrine, have succeeded in avoiding new Vietnam-type quagmires by constraining the imperial impulses of the presidency, but the inherent ambiguity of international conflict in the post-Cold War era will make it more difficult for the promulgators of this doctrine to continue to negotiate the fine line between quagmires and appeasement in the twenty-first century.

A Profession Symposium summarizes presentations given at the 2006 Workshop for Department Chairs that focused on the theme of "Planning for Assessment & Accountability Issues." It is noted that the reaction of political science departments to the national push for assessments of student learning in higher education ranges from outright hostility to carefree acquiescence. Kenneth Campbell offers advice for political science departments that are just beginning to develop an assessment plan. He emphasizes the need to keep it short, practical, & effective, highlighting only three or four "learning outcomes" like good communication skills & critical thinking. Michelle D. Deardorff focuses on how to make mandated assessment plans meaningful by establishing a departmental "buy-in," connecting with administration, & closing the feedback loop. Kerstin Hamann suggests four ways to assure that assessment is positive for a department even when the focus is not on undergraduate teaching. Linda Suskie points out the value of simple, flexible approaches to assessment & proposes various ways to better evaluate student learning & improve teaching. References. J. Lindroth