Category: Faculty

We’re less than two weeks away from the start of the Fall 2020 semester and we’re ready for the challenge of delivering our classes in new formats. All of us in the Department of Political Science are diligently working to build our new hybrid classes, whether they are synchronous online or have both online and …

As the November 3rd elections continue to get closer, we asked members of the department a very simple question. Why vote? Here are our answers in 200 words or less. Bill Blomquist I vote (and recommend that others do so too) for a few reasons. First, elections really matter. No matter your philosophy or party, you …

Dr. Pegg recently published an interesting article “Socially Distanced School-Based Nutrition Program under COVID 19 in the Rural Niger Delta,” in the journal Extractive Industries and Society. Here is the abstract: Abstract The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is widely recognized as a complex and contentious space for oil exploration and production. Over the past …

Our colleague, Dr. John McCormick, recently published the 3rd edition of his highly respected text, European Union Politics. Dr. McCormick literally wrote the book (actually multiple books) on E.U. politics. Here is a full description: Cutting through the jargon of EU politics, the third edition of this engaging and informative textbook examines the history, institutions, …

Our colleague Dr. Amanda Friesen’s fascinating work on the shared genetic connection between political attitudes and religiosity was cited in a recent article in the New York Times. The research referred to in the Times is a piece Dr. Friesen co-authored with Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz and was published in the journal Political Behavior. They also recently …

Congratulations to our colleague, Dr. Tijen Demirel-Pegg, on winning the 2020 IU Trustees’ Teaching Award! It’s well earned. This award is given on the bases of excellence directly related to support for the University College mission and its programs. It includes assessments in the following areas: Outstanding classroom performance in first-year courses Teaching that leads …

Congratulations to Dr. Scott Pegg for winning the E.F. Byrne Peace and Global Justice Award for Faculty! The award is given for the best essay on what needs to be done to diminish conflictual situations in the world and enhance arrangements conducive to peace. Dr. Pegg will put 100% of the $2,250 award towards socially …

Given the large number of protests occurring across the US, it seems reasonable to wonder just how successful protests can be at influencing public policy. Fortunately, our colleague, Dr. Demirel-Pegg has been studying protest campaigns in Indian, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, and Turkey for her entire career. While the context is different, protest movements often face …

Don’t miss Dr. Demirel-Pegg’s interview on WTHR 13 about the recent movement to defund the police. What does it actually mean? Short answer: reducing, but not eliminating, police department budgets and reallocating those funds toward crisis care, healthcare, housing, jobs, and schools. Check it out here For those interested, the city and county budget for …

This month the American democracy experiment has been bending to break. Just as it has in other moments in American history, a policy window is opening that might usher in justice and movement toward meaningful political, social, and economic equality. That window is built of the protests, actions, donations, statements, and general political activity in …