Current Events & Political Science   

This course will focus on the upcoming midterm elections in Massachusetts and nationwide. It will examine the national conditions and issues shaping the elections for U.S. House and Senate. The course will explore the race for Governor of Massachusetts and statewide initiatives on the ballot. It will conclude with a review of the post-election results and a preview of the forthcoming 2028 presidential election.

This course traces the dramatic changes in women’s lives in the United States from the postwar era to today. Through major turning points in politics, work, family life, education, and popular culture, we’ll explore how expectations of femininity and “the good life” evolved—and how women challenged, reshaped, and sometimes defended those expectations. Topics include second-wave and third-wave feminism, civil rights and women’s activism, reproductive politics, Title IX, changing workplaces and family structures, media and consumer culture, and contemporary debates over equality and identity. Classes blend accessible historical context with lively discussion and primary sources. No prior background required—just an interest in how social change happens and who drives it. 

This course will cover how the election process and power of the office of the President has developed over the years. Included will be the role of the President in the original Constitution, the Electoral College, and the evolution of the office through the years. Specific elections will be highlighted to show the issues in electing the President. Also, a number of Presidents will be discussed in detail to show how they have influenced and changed the office.This course will cover how the election process and power of the office of the President has developed over the years. Included will be the role of the President in the original Constitution, the Electoral College, and the evolution of the office through the years. Specific elections will be highlighted to show the issues in electing the President. Also, a number of Presidents will be discussed in detail to show how they have influenced and changed the office.

This course will focus on six critical national issues that will be prominent during Fall, 2026, especially during the mid-term election and the results of the election on the composition of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Those six issues are the national debt burden, employment and unemployment, energy use and energy policy, the role of religion in national politics, the influence of money and donors in the electoral process, and the status and direction of immigration and immigration policy. During these separate issue sections, the emphasis will be on defining the issue, the impact of the issue on national politics and national life, and the way the political parties and the government respond to the issue. Since the course will run into mid-December, the course will seek to analyze how the results of the mid-term election will likely influence how each of these issues will be affected by a new House and Senate.