The Magellanic Clouds Survey: a Bridge to Nearby Galaxies
  We outline to the community the value of a Magellanic Clouds Survey that
consists of three components: I) a complete-area, high resolution, multi-band
UV-near-IR broadband survey; II) a narrowband survey in 7 key nebular filters
to cover a statistically significant sample of representative HII regions and a
large-area, contiguous survey of the diffuse, warm ISM; and III) a
comprehensive FUV spectroscopic survey of 1300 early-type stars. The science
areas enabled by such a dataset are as follows: A) assessment of massive star
feedback in both HII regions and the diffuse, warm ISM; B) completion of a
comprehensive study of the 30 Doradus giant extragalactic HII region (GEHR); C)
development and quantitative parameterization of stellar clustering properties;
D) extensive FUV studies of early-type stellar atmospheres and their energy
distributions; and E) similarly extensive FUV absorption-line studies of
molecular cloud structure and ISM extinction properties. These data will also
allow a number of additional studies relating to the underlying stellar
populations.
