UMBC public policy professor and chair Donald Norris offers insight on Maryland political developments for both the Baltimore Sun and Patch this week. The Sun reports that possible contenders for Howard County executive are already raising campaign funds. Although the current size of their bank accounts might not indicate electability at this point, Norris suggests, viable candidates should begin fundraising soon. In Patch, Norris reflects on the opposition to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s state redistricting plan, arguing that the issue will likely end up in court. On the impact of public opinion Norris notes “it is unlikely any of the letters… Continue Reading Donald Norris, Public Policy, in Baltimore Sun and Patch
“This year, Barack Obama may become America’s first billion-dollar candidate. […] Can he do it and, more to the point, will he even need all that much cash?” This is the question UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller asks in his latest Salon article “The Obillionaire candidate.”Schaller compares in detail the Obama campaign’s fundraising in 2007-08 versus 2011 and finds that the evidence he’ll hit new record is mixed. Further, Schaller writes, “the $1 billion goal creates something of a dilemma for Obama’s reelection campaign” at a time when the public is increasingly concerned with income inequality and campaign financing… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in Salon
The new U.S. Department of Education report “Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy” recognizes UMBC’s Prove It! as a unique initiative at the forefront the higher ed’s emerging civic learning movement. Prove It! is a campus-wide contest that funds student-led efforts to improve the university, such as projects to create a campus wi-fi plaza and convert waste oil into fuel for campus vehicles. This initiative is a hallmark of our Student Government Association’s focus on inspiring peers to become citizen leaders and problem-solvers in their own right. The report notes that Prove It! demonstrates how UMBC “transformed its student… Continue Reading U.S. Dept of Education Report Highlights UMBC’s Prove It!
At least eight Maryland candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives are running in congressional districts that do not include their own homes, the Baltimore Sun reports. Although federal candidates are not required to live where they run for office, living outside of one’s district can be risky. UMBC public policy professor and chair Donald Norris comments in the article, “I think what will probably happen is that this will be hammered on by the opposition. Whoever is running against you is just going to nail you for it.” Curious about the prospects of Maryland incumbents in 2012? Norris also… Continue Reading Donald Norris, Public Policy, in Baltimore Sun and Howard County Times
In response to Mitt Romney’s first Spanish-language ad, released this week, Salon has published “GOP’s Latino problem gets worse,” a new commentary by UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller.Schaller argues that although Romney’s commercial is a positive step, the GOP still has a long way to go in appealing to Latino and other minority voters. What is the biggest issue? “Although other issues have contributed to the GOP’s struggles with Latino voters, the party’s strident opposition to immigration reform has poisoned the electoral well,” Schaller says.
WYPR’s Sheilah Kast interviewed UMBC political science professor Roy Meyers today on “Maryland Morning,” discussing the Maryland state budget. The Maryland General Assembly convenes for their 2012 session this week. As they review the first version of the 2013 state budget, they’ll need to begin reckoning with a deficit over $1 billion.Meyers discusses the options for filling this budget gap, including one-time savings, tax increases and spending cuts. He also notes the difficulties associated with state budgeting at a time of uncertainty regarding Congressional tax policy decisions and global economic trends. Meyers explores the issue of balancing the general fund… Continue Reading Roy Meyers, Political Science, on WYPR and PolitiFact
A new Associated Press report on Maryland state lawmakers planning to run for Congress in 2012 includes insight from UMBC professor Donald Norris, public policy chair and director of the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research. Some of the candidates are Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic incumbents, with the logic that GOP voters may be motivated to come to the polls in 2012, particularly if the DREAM Act and same-sex marriage are on the ballot. “I think a bunch of it is wishful thinking,” said Norris. “My sense is that people like O’Donnell and Jacobs are mistaking a national… Continue Reading Donald Norris, Public Policy, in AP Article
UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller has published a new commentary in the Baltimore Sun exploring presidential candidate Rick Santorum’s positions on the hot-button issues of abortion rights and the individual mandate for health insurance. In “Rick Santorum’s moral flexibility,” Schaller suggests that the politician has changed his positions on these issues over time not due to personal reflection, but “in the interest of party cohesion.”
UMBC professor Donald Norris, chair of public policy, appeared on WJZ (CBS Baltimore) last night, commenting on Republican Nancy Jacobs’s campaign for the Congressional seat Democrat Dutch Ruppersberger has held since 2003. “It’s very, very hard to beat an incumbent, and I think it’s going to be very hard for anyone–Nancy Jacobs or whomever–to beat Dutch Ruppersberger,” Norris explained. He argued current public sentiment about politics may not be positive, but “it’s less an anti-incumbency mood than it is an anti-Washington, anti-Congress mood.” Norris also commented in the Gazette on the possibility of state referendums on same-sex marriage and the… Continue Reading Donald Norris, Public Policy, on WJZ and in the Gazette
Kathleen Wilson, who received her Ph.D. in health policy from UMBC in 2003, is the new deputy director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Division of Nursing Homes. In a special profile following the appointment, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News described Wilson as a “health policy powerhouse.” Wilson’s dissertation advisor at UMBC was Cheryl M. Miller, associate dean in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and associate professor of public policy. Miller told McKnight’s she was particularly impressed with Wilson’s ability to juggle her job, family and doctoral degree, saying, “She’s a great example of someone… Continue Reading Kathleen Wilson, Ph.D. ’03, Starts as New CMS Deputy Director
Congratulations to Eric Zeemering, assistant professor of public policy at UMBC, on receiving a research award from the IBM Center for the Business of Government. Through this grant Zeemering and colleague Daryl Delabbio will develop, “A County Manager’s Guide to Local Government Service Collaboration.” The IBM Center’s goal for the highly competitive award is “to help public sector executives and managers address real-world problems by supporting leading researchers who produce empirical evidence to inform the debates about whether particular management approaches will improve government performance.”
Baltimore’s Pratt Library has announced that UMBC’s Tyson D. King-Meadows will read from his new book “When the Letter Betrays the Spirit: Voting Rights Enforcement and African American Participation from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama” on January 26, 6:30 p.m., at the Central Library (400 Cathedral Street) as part of the library’s Black History Month celebration.King-Meadows is associate professor of political science at UMBC. Published in August 2011, his new book explores weaknesses in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and argues that the law often enables rather than prevents the disenfranchisement of minorities. King-Meadows is also co-author, with UMBC… Continue Reading Tyson King-Meadows, Political Science, to Speak at Pratt Library (1/26)
