PoliticalScience

This week Minnesota Public Radio’s “The Daily Circuit” hosted UMBC political science professor Thomas F. Schaller for a show on the role of the South in U.S. politics. Schaller is the author of Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South and appeared with David Woodard, professor of political science at Clemson University. Schaller articulated the argument, central to his book, that the South is no longer required for Democrats to win a presidential election. He further suggested that the South — though it will, to an extent, always “remain distinct” culturally — is becoming increasingly like the… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, on Minnesota Public Radio

“Presuming he avoids over-reaching on assault weapons or immigration reform — or unless the president makes a major push on climate change, as he hinted in his inaugural address Monday — Mr. Obama’s second-term success or failure will be largely defined by how he handles these fiscal battles with Capitol Hill Republicans,” writes political science professor Thomas Schaller in his latest Baltimore Sun column. And what can we expect those fiscal battles look like? Schaller suggests, “no matter how ugly the squabbling gets on Capitol Hill during the next two years, there’s almost no incentive for Republicans…to work with Mr.… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun

Laura Hussey, assistant professor of political science, participated in a lively conversation on the Marc Steiner Show discussing the 2013 Maryland legislative session, in which lawmakers will grapple with topics like gun control and the death penalty. Joining her on the program were Cory McCray, co-founder of the BEST Democratic Club; Jon Cardin, Delegate for Maryland’s 11th District in Baltimore County; and E.J. Pipkin, Minority Leader in the Maryland State Senate. Hussey initially focused on the question of whether we have too many people in prison, responding,  “I think that the answer has got to be ‘yes.’ If you look… Continue Reading Laura Hussey, Political Science, on the Marc Steiner Show

On Wednesday, Governor Martin O’Malley is expected to deliver his budget proposal for the coming year to the Maryland legislature. Last year the General Assembly garnered a lot of unwanted attention for failing to pass a budget before time ran out in the regular legislative session. WYPR’s Sheilah Kast interviewed UMBC political science professor Roy T. Meyers on Maryland Morning to learn if there might be any surprises in store for this year. “The state has made some very tough choices over the past couple years in reducing spending,” says Meyers. Listen to the full interview to learn about the… Continue Reading Roy Meyers, Political Science, on WYPR’s Maryland Morning

A new post by UMBC political science professor Thomas F. Schaller on Sabato’s Crystal Ball discusses the concept of election “drop-off” and why he expects it to benefit the Republican Party in the 2014 election. Schaller explains, “‘Drop-off’ is the political science term for the decline in turnout between the high-water benchmark of presidential elections and other electoral moments” such as “midterm elections for both chambers of Congress” and “state and local elections…held in non-presidential years.” Between 1964 and 2010, the average drop-off effect was 14%, with election turnouts ranging from 54.2% to 69.3% in presidential cycles and from 41.8%… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, on Sabato’s Crystal Ball and Politico

Thomas F. Schaller, professor of political science, writes in his latest Baltimore Sun column, “As Washington politicians search for budget solutions, imagine if there were a magical revenue source that operated not unlike a national consumption tax that many conservatives prefer and would mitigate global warming to please liberals, all while helping repair America’s infrastructure and strengthening our national security, to the delight of almost everyone. Actually, such a tax already exists: It’s called the federal gasoline tax, and it’s been stuck at 18.4 cents per gallon for two decades. We’re long overdue to increase it — maybe even double… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun

Rather than voting for or against a debt ceiling increase, lawmakers should vote to eliminate the debt ceiling entirely, suggest UMBC political science professor Roy T. Meyers and colleague Philip G. Joyce in a recent Baltimore Sun op-ed. The scholars call the debt ceiling “an anachronism that causes more harm than good” and “a distraction from any reasonable debate on taxes and spending.” They suggest Congress should vote to repeal it, set reasonable targets for debt reduction over a multiyear period, and then use performance data to identify which government programs do and don’t work. Such data could inform arguments… Continue Reading Roy T. Meyers, Political Science, Writes Baltimore Sun Op-Ed

An article in today’s Gazette on what the State of Maryland can expect in Governor Martin O’ Malley’s final two years in office, prior to a possible presidential run, quotes UMBC’s Roy T. Meyers, professor of political science. Meyers suggests that if O’Malley is interested in the presidency, he will need to commit more of his time to raising money and traveling. However, Meyers also suggests that one state issue he won’t be able to ignore in his final term as governor is overhauling Maryland’s transportation funding program, saying, “He can’t let that fester.”

Thomas Schaller’s latest column in the Baltimore Sun explores the origins of the impending U.S. “fiscal cliff.” Professor Schaller, political science, cites a recent Washington Post/Pew Research Center poll that “shows that Americans blame Republicans over Mr. Obama for the fiscal cliff by almost a 2 to 1 margin.” He goes on to say, “Americans have realized that Republicans can’t be trusted on fiscal matters.” Read Schaller’s full commentary at the Baltimore Sun.

Political science professor Roy T. Meyers was quoted in a Gazette article about Governor Martin O’ Malley’s third attempt to pass an offshore wind farm funding bill. Gov. O’Malley has encouraged President Obama to look at his proposal as a model for how Maryland produces clean energy, and Meyers believes that this proposal fits well with Obama’s focus on alternative energy sources in his second term. According to Meyers, “Success this time around with the bill would put O’Malley squarely in the center of the Democratic Party’s potential 2016 candidates.” Meyers goes on to say that failure to pass the… Continue Reading Roy T. Meyers, Political Science, in the Gazette