Truman School of Government and Public Affairs

The Michael Brown shooting and subsequent protests which brought unrest and international media attention to Ferguson, Missouri also brought, by Governor Jay Nixon’s Executive Order 14-15, a diverse, empowered group of community leaders together to form the Ferguson Commission. Its charge was to study the underlying social and economic conditions prevalent in the St. Louis area and make recommendations for action.

“Resilient communities and regions are those that are able to anticipate their vulnerability to natural, economic, and other potential threats.  They take action to limit their exposure to these threats, and they have plans, processes, and resources in place to help them recover quickly should disaster strike. At the core of resilience is the willingness and ability to adapt to change to ensure positive outcomes for all residents and businesses.” [1]

President Barak Obama says the Iranian nuclear agreement announced by the United States and its partners Tuesday is “a historic chance to pursue a safer and more secure world.” Speaking in the East Room of the White House yesterday, the president said the deal will ensure the Iranians will not produce a nuclear weapon for the next 15 years.

The Truman Youth Leadership Academy, sponsored by the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs, kicked off its annual summer camp on Monday, July 13th.  Twenty-one middle school students will spend a week together engaged in various leadership workshops and activities.  The four core concepts of Respect, Responsibility, Discovery and Excellence will guide the week-long summer program curriculum.  A fifth day dedicated to Service will wrap up the week, when campers volunteer their efforts to clean up Flat Branch Creek.

The Institute of Public Policy released two new publications this week focusing on Regional and Economic issues.  Creating Opportunity and Prosperity Through Strengthening Rural-Urban Connections, an issue brief written by Erin Meyers and Brian Dabson, describes rural and urban connections in the areas of broadband development, disaster resilience, transportation, and food systems and efforts to strengthen these linkages. 

Understanding the effects of social media on civic engagement is growing in importance because more and more organizations are using social media to engage individuals and communities for civic action. The Institute of Public Policy (IPP) has investigated how an organization might begin to think through the relationship between an organization’s use of social media and its effects on civic engagement.

Fares Akremi spent his freshman year proving to himself he belonged at the University of Missouri and his ACT score wasn’t a fluke. Homeschooled in Jamestown, Missouri, Akremi wasn’t sure he would succeed in college. “I was scared of my own shadow,” he says.

The Canadian Studies Center recently received a tremendous honor—His Excellency the Right Honorable David Johnston awarded the Governor General’s Medallion to the center for its many contributions to strengthen relationships between Canada and the United States.

Overview of the Department of Political Science at the University of Missouri

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