Program Details

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I. Objectives and learning Outcomes

Overall program objectives include:

  1. deliver an exciting cross-cultural experience for the students;
  2. lead the students in exploring and engaging the U.S. election process at all levels during the exciting campaign season;
  3. promote understanding of current U.S. political issues, how local and national campaigns are waged, and how the voting public views the elections; and
  4. assist the students in observing how various cultural institutions in a diverse population impact and are impacted by our democratic process.

Student learning outcomes:

  1. students will understand the U.S. electoral and democratic processes and issues at local, state, and federal levels;
  2. students will comprehend how diverse individuals and communities throughout the U.S. engage in the election process;
  3. students will be able to articulate a clear understanding of U.S. democratic institutions, social issues, and election mechanics.

II. Academic Components

The first week of the program will focus on in-class academic components with specialized lectures, a choice of different political science courses in which the program participants can participate, and thought-provoking site visits. In the second week, the students will shift their focus to learning by participation, visiting two different voting stations (in different ethnic neighborhoods), interacting and viewing the televised results with politically active students on campus, and traveling to Washington D.C. for cultural visits after the elections. This specially designed program has six distinct academic components:

1) Program Seminars: Distinguished faculty in the School of Political and International Affairs (SPIA) will deliver a series of customized lectures, panel discussions, readings, and interactive assignments for the program participants to explore election issues. There will be five or six program seminars which will include condensed course materials and will be contextualized for this program. Some of the topics will include: the electoral process; an overview of historic local, state and national elections; politics and the media; and religion, gender, money and politics. These seminars will help the students understand the election process in the U.S. and provide comparisons to Brazilian and other political systems.

2) Political Science Classes: SPIA faculty will also invite the program participants to participate in a number of regularly scheduled undergraduate political science courses. In these courses, which will naturally focus on the election, program participants will interact with the domestic students and be encouraged to ask questions, and compare and contrast systems of government. The pertinent scheduled courses in the fall include: Campaigns and Elections; U.S. Foreign Policy; Presidency and Congress; and State and Local Governments.

3) Site Visits: SPIA has an extensive network of graduates and other contacts throughout the state and local government and political groups both on campus and state-wide. Most weekday mornings the students will visit one relevant site to meet with leaders and activists at all levels. These will include meetings with the state’s political press corps and visiting both the Democratic and Republican headquarters. Other site visits will include the state capitol building, the state legislature building, the executive mansion, and Election Day voting sites.

4) Issues Debate: Program participants will be divided into small groups and tasked to study one or more political parties, specific candidates and their platforms, as well as campaign strategies and factors that may influence the campaign outcomes. Students will be assigned short readings and given time to explore research materials in the library, campaign headquarters, or websites. These small groups will meet with local political party leaders, informed and politically active students on campus, and faculty mentors who will help answer questions, and guide the groups in preparation for a debate held during the second week.

5) Election Symposium and Election Night Coverage: GTI and SPIA will host a night of presentations and panel discussion by distinguished faculty on election issues. This event will be one week before the elections and will be open to the student body, faculty and general public. Other international students from the GTI 401 class will be required to be in attendance. GTI and SPIA will also sponsor an election night event equipped with large screen televisions so the participants can watch election returns. Members of SPIA, the Political Science Club and other interested N.C. State students will be in attendance. We will also review the results, discuss the aftermath the following morning before departing for Washington.

6) Washington D.C. tour: Students will conclude their program with a visit to the hub of American politics and government.

Other Essential Program Information:

A. Program Funding:

The U.S. Department of State will cover all participant costs, including: program administration; international and domestic travel and ground transportation; books; cultural programs, and incidental allowances; housing and subsistence, as well as health insurance.

B. Housing and Meal Arrangements:

Students will be housed in a recently renovated hotel directly across the street from the campus. Each participant will be in a shared room with one bathroom per room. Students will be given a Campus ID card that will serve as a library card, transportation access to city and campus busses, gym and pool access, and will also have money for meals embedded in the magnetic strip on the back. Students can choose their own meals so participants with dietary restrictions or preferences have the choice of choosing any one of the several on-campus dining halls and fast food restaurants

C. Program Requirements and Restrictions:

Participants are expected to participate fully in the program. They are expected to attend all lectures and organized activities, and complete assigned readings. Candidates should be aware that the program is very intensive and that there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. This should not be viewed as a research program. Family members and/or friends cannot accompany participants on any part of the program. Similarly, participants will not be allowed to leave the program to visit relatives or friends while in the U.S. Under no circumstances are participants allowed to arrive in the U.S. prior to the start date of the program or remain in the U.S. after its end date. Violations of host institution rules or local, state or federal laws can be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program. It is important that these requirements and restrictions be clear before applications are submitted.

D. English Language Ability:

All candidates should be proficient in English so that they can be an active participant in the academic program. Host institutions will take into account that the level of comprehension and speaking ability of students may vary, and will prepare lectures and discussions that meet the highest academic standards while using language appropriate for students where English is their second or third language.

E. U.S. Visa:

The Embassy will facilitate applications for a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa. Selected applicants are responsible for obtaining a valid Brazilian passport.

Candidate Description and Qualifications:

  1. Candidates should be highly-motivated undergraduate students in their second or later year of study (at time of application) from Brazilian universities who are interested in understanding the US electoral system.
  2. Candidates will be selected from the courses of political science, international relations and journalism.
  3. Candidates must have strong speaking and reading skills in English, to be demonstrated by test scores described below.
  4. Candidates with little or no prior experience in the U.S. or elsewhere outside of Brazil are encouraged to apply.
  5. Candidates from all regions of Brazil are encouraged to apply.

Other Factors for Consideration:

Please be advised that this program is highly competitive. The following factors will be used in selecting participants. The clarity with which an applicant addresses each of these factors will strongly influence a candidate's chance of selection.

• Personal Statement:
In order to get a better sense of potential participants' motivations and goals, the Department of State requests that each applicant provide a short personal statement (maximum one page) indicating why he or she is interested in participating in the program and what he or she expects to get out of the experience.
• Future Study or Career Plans:
This statement will provide additional perspective on how the program will benefit the student. (Maximum one paragraph)
• English Language Ability:
It is imperative that all candidates demonstrate English language fluency. This is a rigorous and demanding program; participants will be expected to handle substantial reading assignments in English and to be full and active participants in all seminar and panel discussions. English fluency is vital to a successful experience in this program. • Academic achievement: Your university transcript and any special academic honors received.
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