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Collection Overview
Title: Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States (CACTUS) Records, 2008-2013
Extent: 0.96 Cubic Feet
Arrangement: chronological
Date Acquired: 09/27/2022
Subjects: Politics, Practical
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
This collection includes final reports and video recordings from the EKU CACTUS program. Final reports are included for each of the following topics--the electoral college, the drinking age, the death penalty, presidential war powers, presidential debates, marijuana laws, and guns. Video recordings cover most class meetings for the electoral college and drinking age assemblies.
Collection Historical Note
Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States (CACTUS) was an Eastern Kentucky University Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) initiative. Though it was structured as a departmental offering (POL 301) it was designed and intended to impact the entire university community and recruited students from all majors and undergraduate levels. CACTUS met for the first time in Spring, 2008. Patterned after actual citizens assemblies in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada, it was intended to provide students with the opportunity and guidance to become more politically informed and engaged.
CACTUS differed from a typical simulation in that students played themselves as citizens rather than being assigned roles. Like its Canadian prototype, CACTUS was assigned, in the form of a "mandate," the responsibility of studying an issue of contemporary importance and deciding whether a policy change is needed and, if so, what specifically that change should be. The fifteen-week semester was divided into three parts: 1) a learning phase involving typical readings, lectures, small group discussions, guest speakers, and exams; 2) a public hearings phase in which members of the campus community and beyond were invited to share their opinions with the Assembly through public hearings and a public discussion board accessible through the CACTUS web page; 3) a deliberation phase in which students worked together in plenary sessions and small groups to build two models for change, choose between them, and then between the chosen model and the current law or policy. They collectively wrote a final report and their recommendation was submitted to a campus-wide e-mail referendum.
Seven CACTUS assemblies were held between 2008 and 2013. Topics included the electoral college, the drinking age, the death penalty, presidential war powers, presidential debates, marijuana laws, and guns. The instructors for the assemblies were political science professors Dr. Jane Rainey, Dr. Glenn Rainey, and Dr. Joe Gershtenson. Department of Government graduate assistants served as facilitators.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives
Acquisition Source:
Rainey, Glenn and Jane
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[
Box 2],
[All]
- Box 1
- Barcode: 31234013925571
- Folder 1: Program Description
- Folder 2: CACTUS Final Report, Electoral College, 2008, Spring
- Folder 3: CACTUS Final Report, Drinking Age, 2009, Spring
- Folder 4: CACTUS Final Report, Death Penalty, 2010, Spring
- Folder 5: CACTUS Final Report, Presidential War Powers, 2011, Spring
- Folder 6: CACTUS Final Report, Rules for Presidential Debates, 2011, Fall
- Folder 7: CACTUS Final Report, Marijuana Laws, 2012, Spring
- Folder 8: CACTUS Final Report, Second Amendment, 2013, Fall
- Box 2
- Barcode: 31234013925563
- Item 1-2: Electoral College, Meeting Two Recording, 2008
- Two tapes. Includes introduction, approval of meeting minutes, and a video on Citizens Assembly.
- Item 3: Electoral College, Meeting Three Recording, 2008
- Includes a quiz, oreo vote/ meeting minutes, Q & A on voting and government.
- Item 4: Electoral College, Meeting Four Recording, 2008
- Includes a discussion about presidential primary, lecture on National Government.
- Item 5: Electoral College, Meeting Five Recording, 2008
- Review for exam, quiz review, intentions/aims of the Electoral College.
- Item 6: Electoral College, Meeting Six Recording, 2008
- Distribution of 1st exam, moving towards public hearings, speaker/Dr. Gary Gregg.
- Item 7: Electoral College, Meeting Seven Recording, 2008
- Item 8: Electoral College, Meeting Eight Recording, 2008
- Item 9: Electoral College, Meeting Nine Recording, 2008
- Dr. Ziegler/Deliberative Democracy, Lecture on Deliberation.
- Item 10: Electoral College, Meeting Eleven Recording, 2008
- Talk of replacement vs. reform, small groups.
- Item 11: Electoral College, Meeting Twelve Recording, 2008
- Sub-Committees deliberate election methods, vote on method.
- Item 12: Drinking Age, Meeting One Recording, 2009
- Introduction, pre-test, survey, petition mixer exercise.
- Item 13: Drinking Age, Meeting Two Recording, 2009
- Explanation of sub-committee, lecture over first two chapters, Dr. Noblitt talks about critical thinking.
- Item 14: Drinking Age, Meeting Three Recording, 2009
- Small group-career services, speaker Dr. John McCardell, lowering drinking age.
- Item 15: Drinking Age, Meeting Four Recording, 2009
- Dr. Joe Gershtenson speaks about Methodology.
- Item 16: Drinking Age, Meeting Five Recording, 2009
- Dr. Glen Rainey talks about Federalism, small group discussion.
- Item 17: Drinking Age, Meeting Six Recording, 2009
- Vocal student, National Anthem, speaker/Judge Chism.
- Item 18: Drinking Age, Meeting Seven Recording, 2009
- National Anthem/educ. Student, Mid-Term turned in, Lecture/Discussion on Genetics.
- Item 19: Drinking Age, Meeting Eight Recording, 2009
- Music Ed student/National Anthem, start of public hearings, Dr. Kenealy.
- Item 20: Drinking Age, Meeting Nine Recording, 2009
- Public hearings #2, Mayor Lawson, Chuck Fields, Barbara Bentley.
- Item 21: Drinking Age, Meeting Ten Recording, 2009
- Public hearings #3, high school/teenagers, Dr. Gunderson/speaker.
- Item 22: Drinking Age, Meeting Eleven Recording, 2009
- Review Mandate, public policy equity review, group work.
- Item 23: Drinking Age, Meeting Twelve Recording, 2009
- Deliberation, return of 2nd quiz, sub-committee anouncements.
- Item 24: Drinking Age, Meeting Thirteen Recording, 2009
- Vote on 18 vs. 19 issue, IDEA, T-shirt, announcements, final decision.
- Item 25: Drinking Age, Meeting Fourteen Recording, 2009
- Quiz 3, final report, went over Referendum Q.
- Item 26: Drinking Age, Meeting Fifteen Recording, 2009
- Final ceremony, final exam.
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