Election 2008 Recap: What does it mean, for the present and future?

Karen Beckwith, Ph.D. - Flora Stone Mather Professor of Political Science

Justin Buchler, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of Political Science

Andrew M. Lucker, Ph.D.- Associate Director of the Center for Policy Studies and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science

Friday January 30, 2008
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Crawford Hall - Room 9
Inamori Center
Case Western Reserve University

Dear Colleagues,

We know Obama won, but: Why? What does it tell us about future elections? What explains the votes of groups such as women, Hispanic-Americans, the young, and white males? Could there be a new Democratic party coalition forming? Did the Democrats do well enough in Congress for the President to deliver on his promises? Is the Minnesota Senate contest really over? Come join in the conversation as three members of our Political Science faculty share their best judgments on these and other questions that can be asked.

As usual, we will gather in Room 9 of the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence, on the lower level of Crawford Hall, for free cookies, beverages, and brown bag lunch.

Best regards,
Joe White

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About Our Guest

Karen Beckwith received her B.A. from the University of Kentucky (1972) and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Syracuse University (1977, 1982). Teaching primarily in the areas of US politics, political movements, and women, gender, and politics, she has special interests in the United States and West Europe, particularly Britain and Italy.

Justin Buchler studies elections, with an emphasis on legislative elections. His primary line of research is about the effects of competitive elections on political institutions. Contrary to conventional wisdom, he argues that competitive elections create perverse incentives for candidates, and produce unrepresentative election outcomes. Thus, he argues that competitive elections are actually bad for democracy. He has published several papers on this topic, and won the 2007 Gordon Tullock Prize for, The Social Sub-optimality of Competitive Elections, (published in Public Choice). His other papers on the topic focus on redistricting, and he is currently working on a book manuscript on competitive elections.

Andrew Lucker's first book, V. O. Key Jr., The Quintessential Political Scientist (New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2001) focused on an extensive examination of the work and life of one of the most important American political scientists of the twentieth century, V. O. Key, Jr. (1908-1963).  The research is based on Key's voluminous personal papers, interviews with his family, colleagues, and graduate students, plus thorough study of all of his published and unpublished writings, much of which is not readily accessible today. Dr. Lucker is currently researching a book on American polling pioneer Samuel Lubell.  Dr. Lucker also recently completed a chapter on the Ohio legislative process for an edited book, Ohio Politics, that was released in the fall of 2007.

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Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

February 6: Truth, Fantasy, and the Humongous Budget Mess (Federal Government Version). Joe White, Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy, CWRU

February 13: The U.S. and the Palestinians. Stacie Pettyjohn, Visiting Instructor in Political Science, CWRU

February 20: China's Economy and Chinese Politics. Paul Schroeder, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, CWRU

February 27: The New (Maybe) Israeli Government. With Michael B. Oren, Senior Fellow, The Shalem Center, Jerusalem; and Peter J. Haas, Abba Hillel Silver Professor of Jewish Studies.

March 6: TBA

March 20: TBA

March 27: Promise and Problems of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Bill Leatherberry, Professor of Law , CWRU.

April 3: TBA

April 10: Exonerating the Innocent: The Impact of DNA Evidence. Paul Gianelli, Weatherhead Professor of Law, CWRU.

April 17: CWRU Students Report on the Election in El Salvador.

April 24: TBA.

The Friday Lunch discussions are held on the lower (ground) level of Crawford Hall.  Visitors with mobility issues may find it easiest to take advantage of special arrangements we have made.  On most Fridays, a few parking spaces in the V.I.P. lot in between Crawford Hall and Amasa Stone Chapel are held for participants in the lunch discussion. 

Visitors then can avoid walking up the hill to the first floor of Crawford by entering the building on the ground level, through the garage area under the building.  The further door on the left in that garage will be left unlocked during the period before the Friday lunch.  On occasion, parking will be unavailable because of other university events.

For more information about these and other Center for Policy Studies programs, please see http://policy.case.edu.