CSDI Faculty take part in VU's Life-Long Learning Classes
On February 1, 2012, Professor David E. Lewis lectured at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt. Professor Lewis's lecture, "Polarization and the Presidency," focuses on how changes to the presidential selection process have affected the presidents we elect and on changes to the executive branch more broadly. Watch a video of Professor Lewis's lecture here.
Professor Lewis's lecture was part of a larger series of seminars focused on "Politics in a Polarized Polity." Other VU faculty who have taken part in the seminar series include James Lee Ray, John Geer, and Marc Hetherington.
The class is part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt. The non-credit classes are intended for older adults who want to pursue lifelong learning with the stimulus of lectures and discussions in an informal and relaxed environment.
Participating in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute fits well within the scope of CSDI's mission. We aim to disseminate significant political science research, to contribute to public understanding of democratic institutions and processes, and to foster informed discussion of important political issues. For more about the Center, contact Jayne Cornwell.
CSDI News and Announcements
- 2/8/12 Santorum's primary election wins "get [Romney] ready for November," says VU Prof. John Geer. Read more.
- 2/7/12 Prof. John Geer describes "unprecedented amounts of attacks" in the Presidential Primary campaign. Listen to Prof. Geer's interview with NPR's Audie Cornish, or read the transcript.
- 2/7/12 Super PAC ads "can just say things that are wrong,” says Professor John Geer in The Tennessean. Read more about super PAC activity and how it is unfolding in Tennessee.
- 1/27/12 "For GOP, Dislike for Obama Trumps All." Read why VU Profs. John Geer and Brett Benson, along with Jennifer Merolla, believe Romney will be able to rally the Republican base.
- 1/23/12 Prof. Geer guest lectured at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt University, a non-credit program for older adults. Watch the video of his lecture "Politics in a Polarized Polity" on President Obama, the economy, and the 2012 Presidential Election.
- 1/20/12 Professor Geer appeared on FoxNews.com to discuss the positive impacts of negative campaigns. According to Prof. Geer, negative ads are "absolutely critical for an informed decision" at the voting booth.
- 1/16/12 Washington Post quotes Prof. Bartels in the recent article "Who will get the 'Recovery Presidency'?" According to Bartels, "In every case, the party that happened to be in power when the Depression eased dominated politics for a decade or more thereafter."
- 12/1/12 Prof. Geer reflects on Republican presidential campaign: "The field is sufficiently fluid that you don't want to let Gingrich get out of control and become the 800-pound gorilla," Read more.
- CSDI Research Affiliate John Hudak weighs in on federally funded enhancement grants in The Tennessean. Read more.
- CSDI Postdoctoral Fellow Nicole Asmussen's article "Female and Minority Judicial Nominees: President's Delight and Senators' Dismay?" is forthcoming in Legislative Studies Quarterly, November, 2011.
- Congratulations to Prof. Christopher Loss (faculty affiliate of CSDI). His new book Between Citizens and the State: The Politics of American Higher Education in the 20th Century (Princeton University Press) has recently been published.
- CSDI posts new positions for next year, including up to two postdoctoral fellowships and openings for Senior Visiting Professors. Read more.
"The Struggling Middle Class," Blog Post by Larry Bartels
Excerpted from VU on Politics post:
Mitt Romney's focus is on "middle-income Americans" because "these are the people who've been most badly hurt during the Obama years"; they're "the folks who are really struggling right now.
The average real income of middle-quintile households declined from $50,766 in 2008 to $49,309 in 2010, while the average real income of households in the top five percent of the income distribution declined from $298,437 to $287,686. [...] The average real income of households in the bottom quintile declined from $11,803 to $11,034; that sounds like struggling to me, with or without a safety net.
Read more of Prof. Bartels' analysis. What do you think about income inequality and the 2012 Presidential Election? Join the conversation at our blog, VU on Politics.
"It's a Long Way from New Hampshire to South Carolina"
1/20/12: On VU on Politics , Andrew Therriault suggests that the Republican primary may turn into a protracted campaign. "Given the recent economic upturn and the bashing Romney's taken over Bain in recent weeks, I imagine that some portion of the Republican party might soon decide that this isn't his year after all, and since his main selling point has always been electability I wouldn't be surprised to see a shift toward more conservative candidates." After last night's debate in South Carolina, Andrew may be right, as Newt Gingrich experiences another surge in the campaign."
"Economic Inequality is All the Rage," by Larry Bartels
Economic inequality in the United States is gaining more attention, but Professor Bartels doubts that this attention is changing public opinion. His blog posts on The Monkey Cage, YouGov.com and VU on Politics explain why.
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