Sam Clark Lecture

The Samuel I. Clark memorial lecture is a major annual event for IGP. Its topic rotates among the political science subfields covered in the department. The lecture is named in honor of Professor Sam Clark, who joined the faculty of the Department of Political Science in 1948. Specializing in political philosophy, he was known as a challenging and engaging professor and scholar. Dr. Clark was named the founding director of the University’s new honors program in 1962. In addition to overseeing the expansion of the honors program during his 24 years as its director, he coordinated lectures and planned opportunities for other kinds of growth, such as trips abroad for students and faculty. Clark was affiliated with the National Collegiate Honors Council since its inception in the 1960s and, in 1984-1985, served as its president. Also active in University affairs, he was president of the Faculty Senate from 1971-1973 and from 1978-1979. Upon his retirement in 1986, the Faculty Senate created this lecture series in his name, to be organized by the Institute of Government and Politics and the Department of Political Science. Sam Clark in 1998. Memorial contributions in his name may be made to the Lee Honors College.

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2007 Sam Clark Lecture

"The 2006 Mid-Term Elections and their Consequences"

David Rhode, Professor of Political Science at Duke University, delivered our most reccent Sam Clark lecture on March 29, 2007.

The 2006 midterm elections produced a shift in party control in both houses of Congress. How did this happen in an era of extraordinary success by incumbents seeking reelection? We will discuss the reasons for the unexpected expansion of the electoral playing field last year, with particular focus on the expanded role of the national parties in candidate recruitment and fund raising. We will also consider the 2006 results in light of long term electoral trends, and address their implications for politics and policy making in the 110th Congress and beyond.

David Rohde has research and teaching interests in American politics, with emphases on legislative politics and campaigns and elections. His books include Parties and Leaders in the Post-Reform House , and, with others, Change and Continuity in the 2004 Elections, Home Style and Washington Work, and Supreme Court Decision Making. He is the author or co-author of almost forty book chapters and over thirty articles in political science journals. Dr. Rohde has served as editor of the American Journal of Political Science and has served on the editorial boards of Political Science Quarterly , Journal of Politics, PS, and Legislative Studies Quarterly. He has been awarded many honors and distinctions including designation as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the CQ Press Award, and an APSA Congressional Fellowship.

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Past Sam Clark speakers include: