Key Ideas – Practical Application
Description
In each of the units of the course with assigned readings, class members post discussion of three
“key ideas,” one from each of the assigned readings. The key ideas assignment is intended to
encourage reflective reading and demonstrate application of the idea within the public sector.
A key idea addresses what the student finds to be an important or useful concept. Each key idea
entry assesses its importance, strengths and/or weaknesses, practical application, or points of
interest or confusion. Key ideas should be briefly linked to news events, societal conditions, or
personal experience.
Key ideas are about specific concepts from a portion of a reading, though sometimes they are
central to an entire reading. Key ideas entries do not summarize entire assigned readings or the
posted course notes for the unit.
Posting and Format
Key ideas for the unit are typed or pasted (not attached) as a single message into a discussion
thread. Each key idea should be discussed in approximately 200-250 words of narrative (not
including quotations, citations, references, or lists), separated into paragraphs where appropriate.
Each key idea is labeled with the name of the key idea, the author of the source reading, and the
page number(s) of the key idea. For sources from outside of our classroom readings, parenthetic
citations with author and date as well as a reference list should be included with the key ideas
entries. Excessive quotation and lists should be avoided; concepts should generally be
summarized in the student’s words.
Here are the three Key Ideas that I have picked.
1. Fact, Fiction, and Objectivity: Defining Our Terms, APS Chapter 8 Pages 233-236
2. Multinationalism, APS Chapter 9 Pages 280-281
3. Conclusion: The Duties of Public Administrators, EP Chapter 11 Pages 195-199
Reference:
Kennedy, S. S., & Schultz, D. A. (2011). American public service: Constitutional and ethical
foundations. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Svara, J. H. (2015). The ethics primer for public administrators in government and nonprofit
organizations. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
