How to Post

Here are some guidelines on how to post your responses to my discussion questions.  I've separated instructions for LEADERS and COMMENTERS.  In both cases, please make sure to include your full name at the beginning of your post / comment. 

1) GROUP LEADERS
The group leader's response to the discussion question should be formatted as a "Post".  You can post new items by clicking on "New Post" on the top right of the screen.  If you don't see "New Post", it's likely because you aren't logged in with the appropriate account. 

Your post should directly respond to the questions posed by the instructor.   It should be based on ideas and/or factors that are discussed in the readings and lectures, as well as any original research on your group's constitution. Make sure you CITE your sources, if any. The leader's post should be ~500 words. Where appropriate, insert block quotes from the actual constitutional text; these won't be included in your word count.

Some logistics:
A) please title your post as "Discussion 1: [country name]"
B) your posts are due on NOON on Friday. If you are late, then we will automatically dock you 0.5 points per 12 hours.
C) please "label" your posts. There will be an option to include labels when you are writing your posts, at the bottom right corner of the editing screen. Labels to include are: 1) your country's name, e.g. "Japan" or "Canada"; 2) the discussion question number, e.g. "Q1" or "Q2"; 3) "leader", to denote that this is a leader's post.
D) please include "jump breaks" after your first paragraph.  This will limit the amount of page-space that your post will take up.  You can find the jump break in the toolbar at the top of the page; it looks like a piece of paper torn in half.


2) GROUP COMMENTERS
Everybody else in the group should include their analysis as a "Comment" to the discussion leader's "Post".  You can do so by clicking on the post title (e.g. "Discussion 1: Japan"), and then entering your analysis in the "Comment" box.

Your comments should be a response to the discussion leader's constitutional analysis with respect to the assigned question.  Write whether you agree or disagree, as well as your reasonings.  Make sure, though, that your comments add to the discussion; don't just reiterate earlier comments or the leader's post.  VERY IMPORTANT: cite the readings and the constitutional text (e.g. Constitutional article numbers) as necessary.  Your comment should be ~300 words.

REMEMBER TO RESPECT YOUR GROUP MEMBERS.  Blogs can easily disintegrate into angry discussions.  Since we are using real names, I doubt that things will get too bad, but remember that unwarranted personal criticism is not only extremely unprofessional, but will also be subject to point penalties.

Some logistics:
A) please remember to include your name in your posts (especially if your blogger account uses a nickname)
B) comments are due by 9AM on Monday.
C) don't forget to proofread your entry after it has been posted, to make sure it looks the way you intended!