Talking about the pandemic and its impact on politics may help provide a sense of comfort and certainty.
— Dr. Gayle A. Alberda, Assistant Professor of Politics
Dr. Alberda and Dr. Weinstein joined forces to create the “Plugged into Politics” podcast. Dr. Alberda explained, “Dr. Weinstein approached me with an idea of combining forces for our classes since we both teach American politics and our course topics seemed to line up perfectly. I told him I wanted to use the pandemic as a means to teach – meaning to use it to explain public policy, focusing on events, campaigns, and elections. We also realized that this whole pandemic was the first time most students have seen the nation go through a major event. They were very young, for instance, when 9/11 happened. We both remember how impactful that was to our lives and felt that the uncertainty these situations create can be nerve-racking for students. Talking about the pandemic and its impact on politics may help provide a sense of comfort and certainty. Yes, this pandemic is unprecedented, but we as political scientists can understand it by applying what we know from our studies to the situation. It gives students a way to view and understand the pandemic, apply it to their studies, and use their critical thinking skills."
