PoliticalScience

As the Democratic primary in the Maryland race for governor approaches next month, Attorney General Douglas Gansler has intensified his criticism of Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown’s handling of the state’s online health exchange. Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller was quoted in a Washington Post article about the increased criticism: “Right now, this is the best punch Gansler’s got, and Brown may be a little bloodied by it,” said Schaller. “But it remains to be seen how much mileage he can get.” Schaller also published a column in The Baltimore Sun on April 29 about public sentiment shifting toward marijuana legalization. “Marylanders’ attitudes are consistent with… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun

A Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate forum held at Towson University April 17 drew attention to college student participation in the upcoming election. Laura Hussey, an assistant professor of political science, was interviewed for an article posted on MarylandReporter.com, and she noted interest groups and political parties tend to notice when candidates devote their time to appealing to younger voters – the generation that will serve as the future workforce behind their causes. “The Obama campaign benefited from appealing to college students greatly,” Hussey said. “There are benefits beyond the actual votes.” To read the full article  on MarylandReporter.com, click here.

In an op-ed published in The Baltimore Sun on April 15, Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller writes about how the increased use of credit cards will likely lead to more consequences than fraud. In addition to loss of consumer privacy, Schaller writes relying exclusively on credit cards leads to another big cost: the burden of servicing credit debt. “When big banks get over-leveraged, they turn to the government for bailouts. And guess what? So do individuals: Americans’ average credit card balance dropped after the financial crisis — which sounds like good news until you learn that the decrease resulted from millions of people… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, Op-Ed in The Baltimore Sun

In his latest column for The Baltimore Sun, Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller writes about Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s political future and possible presidential bid in 2016. He argues that an O’Malley presidential campaign could benefit former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should she decide to run. “What possible benefit is there for Mr. O’Malley to play the role of primary sparring partner? That’s pretty obvious: the vice presidential slot on the Clinton ticket. He is ideally suited for that role, too,” Schaller writes. He notes if chosen to be a vice presidential candidate, O’Malley would help balance the ticket and would… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, Op-Ed in The Baltimore Sun

A new guest column in Sabato’s Crystal Ball by Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller argues that future ratification of constitutional amendments will become increasingly unlikely as state legislatures and the national government become more divided. Schaller writes as this year marks the centennial anniversary of the 17th Amendment, several former and current Republican members of Congress are moving to repeal the amendment, which mandates the popular election of U.S. Senators. “Although the movement to repeal the 17th Amendment is likely to fizzle, the fact is plans to amend the Constitution are mostly a waste of time because, other than a widely… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in Sabato’s Crystal Ball

As Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a bill that completes Russia’s annexation of Crimea, nearby Poland is keeping a watchful eye on the developing situation. Brian Grodsky, an associate professor of political science, wrote an op-ed for Al Jazeera America that explores Polish perspective on the most recent developments. Grodsky is currently a visiting professor at the University of Warsaw, where he teaches classes on democratization and comparative politics.  “Poles are watching the latest developments in their next-door neighbor with a mix of quiet anxiety and resignation,” Grodsky writes in his column titled, “Poles jittery over Russia’s expansion.” In the article, Grodsky… Continue Reading Brian Grodsky, Political Science, Op-Ed in Al Jazeera America

In his latest column published in The Baltimore Sun, Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller writes about growing political polarization at the national level at the same time forces are eliminating divided government on the state level. “The American states have cleaved into red and blue subsets. In all but three — yes, three — of the 49 states with bicameral, partisan state legislatures (Nebraska is unicameral and non-partisan), one party controls both chambers,” Schaller writes. As the balance of power between parties is becoming more even at the state level, Schaller writes divided government continues to prevail on the national stage.… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, Op-Ed in The Baltimore Sun

An article published in the politics section of The Daily Beast on March 11 focuses on Maryland State Del. Heather Mizeur and her chances of winning the race for governor. With the Democratic primary nearing in June, the article outlines steps Mizeur and her campaign have taken to spread her message and meet with voters. Many political experts have said Mizeur has a difficult path towards the nomination because her two opponents in the race, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Attorney General Douglas Gansler have greater name recognition and more campaign cash on hand. Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller was interviewed for… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in The Daily Beast

In an op-ed published March 4 in The Baltimore Sun, Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller comments on public attitudes of gay rights and efforts to allow discrimination against gays being struck down in recent years. “Public attitudes about gay rights have changed dramatically in recent decades. Solid majorities, especially among younger Americans, now support marriage equality and other standards of equal treatment,” he writes. In his column, Schaller cites the recent news of a bill passed by the Arizona legislature and later vetoed that would have permitted those with religious objections to deny services to gay customers:  “Consider the fact that… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, Op-Ed in The Baltimore Sun

Earlier this month, two Washington County Republican delegates signed on as co-sponsors of a bill that could stop the National Security Agency from operating in Maryland by cutting off utility services to the agency, among other proposals. An article published February 28 in The Herald-Mail examines why delegates Andrew Serafini and Neil Parrott initially supported the measure, titled the Fourth Amendment Protection Act, but later requested that their names be removed from it. Laura Hussey, an assistant professor of political science, was interviewed for the article and noted the Maryland bill is similar to legislation in other states where the NSA… Continue Reading Laura Hussey, Political Science, in The Herald-Mail

A recent story published on fact-checking website PolitiFact examines a claim by the Texas Liberty PAC that a Republican congressman sponsored a bill that funded the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The claim is that Lamar Smith, a U.S. House member from San Antonio, introduced the 2014 Omnibus Spending Bill, which eventually turned into the primary vehicle through which programs in the ACA were funded. PolitiFact asked Political Science Professor Roy Meyers to weigh in on the issue. He said that the omnibus bill did provide some funding to administer the ACA, but Smith’s original bill was intended to serve a different… Continue Reading Roy Meyers, Political Science, in PolitiFact

Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller writes in his latest op-ed published in The Baltimore Sun that while polls show Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown with a commanding lead in the Democratic primary for governor, continuing with a mistake-free campaign will be the key to victory in June. Schaller writes Attorney General Douglas Gansler and Del. Heather Mizeur, Brown’s opponents in the race, haven’t gained traction statewide and are competing for votes in Montgomery County while Brown has gained widespread support. “Mix in a string of union endorsements and the backing of Gov. Martin O’Malley, U.S. senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, half of the state’s U.S.… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, Op-Ed in The Baltimore Sun