This session,  we will consider Robert’s Rules of Order and the other parliamentary procedures  that govern decision-making bodies like boards of directors, city council, and the US congress.  The will examine the advantages and disadvantages of various procedural formats and explore how deliberative procedures can affect outcomes.  We will also continue to work on the projects in the Policy Sequence.

Task One: Watch this lecture on Parliamentary Procedures.

Task Two: Comment on this post concerning the filibuster.

Task Three: Read Steffensmeier and Schenck-Hamlin’s, “Argument Quality in Public Deliberation”; Zimmerman’s, Robert’s Rules in Plain English; and Gastil Chapter 5, “How Government Deliberates.”

Task Four: Comment on the Policy Options Briefs of two other groups/individuals posted on the class posts page or by following this link .  Make use of the following guidelines in your response.

1) Is the case for the seriousness of the problem sufficient?  If not, how could it be stronger? 2) Can you think of any options not mentioned by the author(s) that might solve the problem? What are they? 3) Do you have all the information you need to make a decision about which option(s) to choose?  What more would it be helpful to know. 4) Which option or options seem best to you?  Why?

Task Five: Click on this link and sign up to respond to two Policy Options Presentations.