Introduction
What are the challenges that teachers have today in conveying practical information about the American political system to students? Well, I think there are many. The modern political arena is an increasingly complex one. There are two major parties that have been around in some form for many years but even they have trouble adjusting to contemporary issues that challenge their ideological center. More and more often they have trouble differentiating themselves. Evidence of this can be seen in the onslaught of third parties like the Reform party of the early 90s that had a dramatic effect on the outcome of the presidential elections and the current Green party that was blamed for "stealing" votes from the far left.
There is also a drastic flux of information in and out of the American consciousness that happens so fast we barely have time to notice. With so many news outlets competing for the newest, hottest story, what we think about as present can be very distorted. An issue or story that is headline news one day is gone and forgotten the next. Old news is merely weeks old.
The numbers of stakeholders in policy decisions have multiplied, as the world has become a more interconnected place. Now American legislation, more than ever, may either have an international intent or prime motive. Indeed, a very real part of debate in America has been about whether or not to base our laws on foreign models, for instance, following the lead of Europe in outlawing capital punishment. Lobbyist organizations like the American Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) often referred to as one of the most powerful in Washington, lie like a shadow of the world across the changing landscape of American lawmaking.
And so, we teachers sift through the murky waters of court decisions, blathering party pundits, talk show rhetoric, and ubiquitous news flashes to bring our students closer to some practical meaning. This unit is meant to tackle this situation. So how will it help? Let me first say that I teach Advanced Placement American Government and Politics and have designed this unit to fit with the curriculum requirements for this course as outlined in the Advanced Placement College Board program. The program insists that teachers and students study several aspects of American government and politics including units on the role of major media in politics, political ideologies in the United States, and concepts of political socialization, which I will discuss at greater length later in the unit. This unit is meant to weave together parts of each of these. It will not necessarily be a comprehensive study of each, but a combination of important elements from each that can help prepare students to engage pertinent issues within the parameters of course requirements and help penetrate the political world that surrounds them.
Because the problems I have indicated are so big, I have devised this unit to employ film analysis as a way for students to come to grip with problems in their political culture. Let's face it; our students are often the prime targets of the entertainment industry and whether the objective is economic, cultural or political, it is the responsibility of teachers to help them to be informed consumers. Since film is a major part of the cultural malaise I described earlier, it seems an appropriate juncture to meet the place my students occupy. But I should also say that later in the unit I am going to offer some alternative or adjunct assignments that might appeal to students, including using popular music, poetry, television, and visual art for the same purposes. But I digress. . .on to the unit.
The first point is the easiest to relay to students, and that is to recognize that films have some ideological motive. Regardless of the depth of political reach, each film makes a point that can be linked in some substantial way to political thought or theory. It is of course no secret that media exert a very powerful cultural influence. It is the sole reason for the advertisement industry. And so it is inarguable that parts of that influence can have political ramifications.
Next, it will be crucial to have students assess the impact that films have had on shaping their own political views. I will not approach this as if my students lack discretion. Instead, I will ask them to do some metacognitive exercises using some of their favorite films in order to determine whether or not the political beings they have become might have some relation to the films they choose to analyze. Also, I want my students to investigate why filmmakers might choose to transmit a particular ideological message. In other words, the students should first answer the question: what is the cultural text of the film or what point is a film making? They should then speculate as to the significance of the film within the political context in which it was made (Turner, 131). These will be the essential elements to the academic exercise I describe in this unit.
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