The administration of a state university wants all students-full, part-time, nontraditional-to pay a fee every semester for the next three years to fund the building of a new physical learning center for the campus. Students are upset because they do not want to pay for something they will not use. The student government has been ineffective in getting the administration or board to hear the students. You discover that your roommate's parents are major donors to the university, are well-respected alumni, and are golfing buddies with the university's president. Your roommate does not care about the fee because money is not an issue, but for you and your other friends, with heavy loans and having to work, this is a big deal. You have been helping your roommate survive a couple of key classes by tutoring him/her and helping with papers by offering suggestions. Your roommate went from failing to a C+ in these classes. You believe that your roommates' parents could influence the university president's final decision.
Questions:
1.Should you use your relationship with your roommate to affect the administration's final decision?
2.Do you have enough political capital to get your roommate to help?
3.How could you increase, and how would you cash in, your political capital?