PoliticalScience

UMBC political science professor Roy T. Meyers has been named recipient of the Frieder Naschold Award for Excellence in Scholarship in the Field of Public Management for his paper “The Remarkable Case of Disappearing Earmarks in the United States: The Limits of Transparency Reforms” (download full pdf).The Naschold Award recognizes the best paper presented at the conference of the International Public Management Network (IPMN) and is given once every other year. Meyers will formally receive the honor at the IPMN 2013 Conference in Siena, Italy.Meyers also recently participated in the Memos to National Leaders project, coauthoring four memoranda (full PDF)… Continue Reading Roy T. Meyers, Political Science, Receives Naschold Award

In a July 12 piece for Salon entitled “Will Obama’s Bain blows land?” Tom Schaller, professor of political science, analyzed the president’s emerging strategy of focusing on Mitt Romney’s history with the investment firm Bain Capital. Schaller expressed doubts that these critiques will work. ” After all, Obama’s populist record is mixed: undeniably strong on some issues (expanded healthcare coverage, student loans and payroll taxes), and spotty if not weak on others (Wall Street prosecutions and reform, extension of Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and job outsourcing),” he wrote. Schaller concludes the piece by writing that “even if the president,… Continue Reading Tom Schaller, Political Science, on Salon

Tom Schaller, professor of political science, filed his latest Baltimore Sun column from Harare, Zimbabwe. Schaller’s piece, “U.S. seeks to influence a youthful world,” focused on the need for the United States to continue reaching out to global youth around the world with outreach programs concerning issues involving women, technology, education, and health matters. Schaller concludes his column by noting the need for the United States to engage the world’s young on matters that go beyond the altruistic and into geopolitical necessity: “Why does any of this matter? Here’s why: At top diplomatic levels, the United States worries about resource-hungry… Continue Reading Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun

Political Science professor Tom Schaller tackled legalized gambling in his June 12 column for The Baltimore Sun, “Casinos are no game-changer for Maryland finances.” With the recent opening of the Maryland Live! Casino in Arundel Mills, hopes are high that the expansion of gambling in the state can aid in issues with the state budget and local economy via tax revenue, spending by tourists, increased job creation, and other potential benefits. Schaller, however, noted a 2002 column of his which detailed the complexities of legalized gambling, arguing that many of the forms of gaming introduced in Maryland over the years… Continue Reading Tom Schaller, Political Science, in The Baltimore Sun

In a June 5 essay for the online magazine Salon entitled “Can liberals cure stupidity?“, Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, discussed one of the major obstacles for the left in today’s political climate: the general public’s overall lack of knowledge regarding a number of the most controversial issues we face. From what areas should be cut in the federal budget to the size of the gay community in the country, Schaller cataloged a number of instances in which the American people have misunderstood important fiscal, governmental, and social matters, a fact that Shaller believes demonstrates that, “[g]iven that the… Continue Reading Tom Schaller, Political Science, in Salon

In his May 29 column for The Baltimore Sun entitled “Markets are less competitive than you think”, UMBC political science professor Tom Schaller answered critics of his previous column, which pondered as to why so many tolerate the inefficiencies of market-oriented entities as compared to governmental ones. Tackling in particular the assertion that consumers have the choice of taking their business elsewhere in the private sector in contrast to dealing with the supposed monopoly of governments, Schaller noted that things are not so simple when taking into account the forms of competition within government at the state and local levels.… Continue Reading Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun

Laura Hussey, assistant professor of political science, is quoted in a recent Gazette story regarding Governor Martin O’Malley and his political future. The article focuses on O’Malley’s ongoing second chairmanship of the Democratic Governors Association, where he has been able to build potential support and create links with potential contributors for higher office. Hussey offers contrary opinion as to any negative effect which the recent state budget debacle might have on the governor’s fortunes, as voters “tend to have short memories” and criticism in nationally-read conservative publications like the Wall Street Journal could help in raising O’Malley’s profile across the country for… Continue Reading Laura Hussey, Political Science, in the Gazette

Why don’t private-sector inefficiencies, which drive up costs, drive us crazy the way public-sector waste does? asks Tom Schaller, professor of political science, in his latest column for the Baltimore Sun. “Hidden costs, inefficiencies, paperwork hurdles, scams and other frustrations are common to everyday business transactions. And these are just the minor irritants. Beyond that are the retail costs — for everything from tuition and clothing to cable and cellphones — that seem to be rising faster than wages,” he writes. “But I get the distinct sense that Americans are too quick to glorify markets and vilify governments… We just… Continue Reading Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun

“The political dynamics for winning a second presidential term often differ markedly from winning the first. So don’t be surprised by many eerie parallels between Obama’s 2012 reelection bid and Bush’s 2004 campaign,” writes Tom Schaller, professor of political science, in his latest commentary for Salon. Shaller argues that many of the strategies Obama will need to use to win the election – including emphasizing things that could have gone wrong, but didn’t and portraying his opponent as an out-of-touch elitist – are the ones that George W. Bush used against John Kerry in 2004. “The president may be asking… Continue Reading Tom Schaller, Political Science, on Salon