|
Within my program of study, I concentrate on public policy. My substantive area of interest is education policy, focusing on the primary and secondary level. In addition, I am a member of both the American Political Science Association and the Midwest Political Science Association. I have served as an editor and the editor-in-chief for the Electronic Graduate Annals of Political Science (EGAPS) at Western Michigan University, a peer reviewed electronic journal that showcases the work of the graduate students there. You can find my CV here.
I have served as a TA in several classes. Below are those classes and their description from the course catalog.
An introductory survey of American national government. This course introduces the basic principles and theories of American government, explores the political process, describes the structure, and illustrates its functions. Consideration is given to the relationships of government to the ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity of the American society.
A study of those factors having an impact on the governing of American cities, including social and economic conditions in the cities, the organization of local political systems, and the actions of the state and federal governments. The city will be viewed as a center of economic and social problems that necessitate political activity and as a laboratory for the advancement of general knowledge of politics.
An introduction to the U.S. public policy process through the use of general models and case studies. Various inputs of power and influence are analyzed as proposals are considered in policy-making institutions. The roles of public officials, interest groups, lobbyists, opinion leaders, experts and others are analyzed. Evaluations of policies are made with respect to their perceived need, appropriateness and effectiveness.
An introduction to the politics of the American judicial process. The course will examine the judicial function generally with particular attention on the decisional processes, process participants, state and federal court structures, recruitment and selection of judges, bases of judicial behavior, policy making, and impact of judicial decisions.
This course provides an introduction to the basic computer skills and statistical methods employed by political scientists involved in empirical research; it provides students with the working ability to read, understand and correctly interpret empirical analyses which employ these methods; and it provides a better appreciation for political science as a science, i.e., the limitations and achievements inherent in the attempt to study political phenomenon through the process of quantification. Basic univariate and bivariate analyses with computer applications will be covered.
This course focuses on the development of constitutional interpretation of certain types of civil liberties by the U.S. Supreme Court from both a legal and nonlegal perspective. It utilizes a case book approach commonly used in a constitutional law/civil liberties class in law school, although it will make use of additional readings as well. In addition to learning about civil liberties in general and whether or not the judiciary protects them, this approach is designed to expose students to judicial cases so they can understand the legal analyses employed within particular contexts by the Supreme Court.
An undergraduate seminar for Political Science and Public Administration majors seeking to fulfill the baccalaureate-level writing requirement. The topic of the seminar varies and will be announced in advance. At least one-third of the final grade will be determined on the basis of writing performance. Restricted to students majoring in Political Science or Public Administration.
In addition, I have served as the instructor of record for PSCI 3040 and PSCI 2000.
“Unit Nonresponse in Internet-Based Surveys: An Examination of Graduate Research.” Presented at the 2007 meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, Illinois. With Greg Rathje.
“Black, White, and Brown: Implications for Politicians and Administrators in the New Georgia.” Presented at the 2002 meeting of the Georgia Political Science Association, Savannah, Georgia. With Chris Grant.
"Zero Tolerance Policy: A Multiperspective Analysis." Electronic Graduate Annals of Political Science 1 (January 2006). Click here to go to the EGAPS website.
Authored Online Study Guide and Instructor Material for James Anderson’s Public Policymaking, Sixth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Publishers, 2005.
|
