Overview: Global Vermont

Globalization presents both challenges and opportunities to communities across the world. Nowhere is this truer than in Vermont. As the pressures to globalize swell, preserving Vermont’s traditionally local orientation becomes more difficult and potentially more costly. Vermonters face a host of question as they determine the extent to which they hope to globalize and the ways in which they will manage this globalization. Should Vermont continue to subsidize family-owned farms? Should Vermont update its physical and IT infrastructure? How should Vermont address the persistent “brain drain” of its best-educated citizens? These questions figure to be at the fore in the 2010 Vermont race for governor.

This project will provide you with the opportunity to directly apply the insights we have derived in the course to these timely policy debates. Using Vermont as a case, we will consider these pressing issues and attempt to develop useful responses.  At the end of the term, we will forward our proposals on to each of the declared gubernatorial candidates.

We will undertake this project in two parts. First, we will discuss the broad challenges together as a group. Second, individual “task forces” will present their policy proposals.

Part I: Conceptualizing the Challenges and Opportunities

On Monday, 18 January, we discuss as a group the various challenges and opportunities globalization presents to Vermont.  The schedule includes some readings that may serve as a starting point, but students will need to do some research on their own before class. Much of the success of our discussion here will depend on students’ advanced preparation.

During the discussion, we will attempt to define the major issues. We will also form “task forces” (of 3-4 students) and assign each a specific issue to address in their policy proposals.

Part II: Presenting Solutions

Each task force will present its policy proposal in both a written and an oral form. When formulating these proposals, the task forces should keep the following in mind:

• What is the specific problem to be addressed?
• Why does this problem merit attention compared to other major issues?
• What solution is being proposed? How does this solution compare to previous policies concerning this issue area?
• What are the expected costs and benefits of this proposal?
• How will this proposal be implemented? How will its success or failure be measured and evaluated?

Each task force will draft a policy proposal of no more than 3750 words. They are free to draft a single, cohesive proposal, in which case a single grade will be given to the whole group. Alternatively, they may break the proposal into individual component parts and submit papers (of no more than 1250 words) individually. (Students pursuing the latter option, however, must contact me more than 48 hours prior to the deadline.) In that case, grades will be assigned individually. The written policy briefs must be circulated to the entire class by 10:30 PM, Wednesday, 27 January.

All of the standard rules–word counts, tardiness penalties, and formatting guidelines–apply for this policy brief. You can review those policies here. This, among other things, means that you should include a bibliography with this brief.

On Thursday, 28 January, each task force will offer an oral summary of its policy proposal to the rest of the class. Each task force will be allotted 12 minutes for their presentation. After all of the presentations there will be time for Q&A. (Performance on the presentations will count towards the course participation grade rather than towards the grade for the final project.)