- Academics
- Quick Links
SMU has experts available to discuss the 2004 election and its significant issues, especially those relating to the student vote. For information and appointments, contact the Office of News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
Who said college students weren't involved in this election? But involved by creating video games -- now that's something new.
As a class assignment, Southern Methodist University student Ray Barbiero decided it would be "cool" to design a computer game around this fall's Presidential election. Going above and beyond what his teacher assigned, he added extra features, sounds, and designs, and called it..."Ballot Byte."
Barbiero hopes the game is an opportunity for a student to get other students interested in what's happening in this year's election.
When asked about his vote this fall, Barbiero said, "I was careful to keep my game bipartisan, so you'll find no hint of my political affiliation when you play it. I will, however, be casting my vote in November."
Check out the game for yourself -- to speak with Ray or for more information, contact Robert Bobo with SMU News and Communications at 214-768-7658 or rbobo@smu.edu.
One-third of American voters in 19 states, including Florida, will use some kind of electronic interface to cast their ballots Nov. 2 -- yet technology experts are warning that the systems are not ready for voters.
Marco Marchetti and Sukuraman Nair of Southern Methodist University's HACNET Lab identify two keys to prevailing e-vote concerns: equipment integrity and voter confidence. Currently, the former can be manipulated at every level, says Marchetti: "If someone wants to tamper, they can."
More than this, the software itself can be manipulated before it even leaves the company. "Can we trust that the person who wrote the code didn't swap the data tables?" asks Nair -- referring to the possibility that if the virtual "containers" that collect voting data are misnamed, even unintentionally, people who believe they're voting for one candidate may actually be counted for another. All these factors contribute to a prevailing lack of public trust in the system, say the professors.
"Think of it in terms of a money transaction," Nair adds. "If someone misuses your ATM card, you're only liable for $50. But if they take your vote, you can't get it back."
The success of countries such as India and Australia in converting to e-voting systems bears closer examination, Marchetti and Nair say. Those technological transitions were sponsored by national governments working through secured contractors whereas U.S. efforts are conducted at the state level with nearly 20 private companies vying for a piece of the nearly $4 billion election-reform pie -- often with a first-if-not-best approach to the product development process that echoes Microsoft's newsmaking security woes, Nair says. "Redmond learned this the hard way: If you rush out software before it's adequately tested, the bugs will persist into subsequent versions."
To contact Marchetti and Nair, or other SMU political observers, contact the SMU Office of News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
After Texas Republicans redrew Democrat Martin Frost's North Texas congressional district from blue collar to blue-blooded, many political observers predicted the end of his Washington career. But now the long-time congressman is living up to his reputation as a tough and effective campaigner. Frost got a jump on his Republican opponent Pete Sessions by putting up far more yards signs than his competitor in the most affluent areas of his new district, North Dallas and the Park Cities. The result is at least the perception that he is doing better than expected.
"The tactic was an astute one for Frost," said Harold Stanley, the Geurin-Pettus Distinguished Chair in American Politics and Political Economy at SMU. "It makes Frost's support more visible early. The Sessions campaign did respond, but slowly, and have countered. Signs don't vote, people do, so how this all translates into votes is uncertain."
Sessions has the lead, but the race for District 32 is still up for grabs. Stanley says for Frost to win he has to do two things:
To contact Stanley or other SMU political observers, contact SMU Office of News and Communication at 214-768-7650.
If truth is the first casualty in war, memory must be the second. Democratic Presidential Contender John Kerry is having to defend himself against charges over his Vietnam war record. Veterans on both sides of the fight are arguing over different accounts. Do wartime memories remain clearer than other life experiences? SMU Psychology Professor Alan Brown, the author of several books on memory, says there are some conclusions that can be drawn from the scientific literature.
"During an emotionally intense situation, you may focus on a few salient dimensions of the experience, to the detriment of others," says Brown. "Crime researchers refer to this eyewitness account as 'weapon focus.'"
Brown says when there are a number of different combat situations that are similar, people get the details of different episodes mixed up with others, or merged together. In short, there is no evidence that these wartime memories should remain clearer or more accurate than other memories.
Although he has not done research on wartime memories, Brown is considered a leading expert on memory in general. He is the author of four books, including The Déjà Vu Experience, Maximizing Memory Power: Using Recall in Business, How to Increase Your Memory Power, and The How to Study Book. He also studies retrieval inhibition, tip-of-the-tongue experiences, and cryptomnesia (or inadvertent plagiarism).
For interviews or more information, call SMU Office of News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
John Edward's last major speech was at the Democratic Convention. In every major political appearance since then, it's Kerry that takes center stage. Why haven't we heard more from Edwards? In the Bush campaign, it's just the opposite. President Bush campaigns separately from his Vice President Dick Cheney, hitting the hustings in the swing states.
"Kerry really should share the stage a bit so that he can benefit from Edwards ramping up the energy level," says Southern Methodist University Political Scientist Cal Jillson. "Otherwise Kerry looks afraid of being overshadowed."
Jillson says the Bush forces are using Cheney for the red-meat Republicans, keeping him away from undecided voters. For more on this story, contact SMU Office of News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
President Bush spoke to the Knights of Columbus Tuesday, August 3, in Dallas. The Catholic vote makes up about 25 percent of the electorate, and more so in swing states. Southern Methodist University Political Scientist Matthew Wilson is writing a book on Catholic voting patterns. He says the Knights of Columbus, an all-male laity group, are a safe and important audience for President Bush's appeal to Catholics:
"These are the sort of Catholics whose votes Bush has the best chance of capturing," Wilson says. "Members of the Knights of Columbus tend to be more conservative in their beliefs than other Catholics. Also, Bush doesn't risk a political attack from the Left like he would if he were to speak to Evangelicals."
To reach Catholic voters, Wilson says the Bush campaign is requesting parish directories and advertising in heavily Catholic areas, emphasizing the Bush campaign positions that are consistent with those of the church leadership. Wilson can talk on many angles:
To interview Wilson, contact Meredith Dickenson, associate director of news and communications, at 214-768-7654.
Not all tracking polls are created equal, and some can be downright misleading. Which polls matter? Which can be trusted -- and which shouldn't be? Who sets their parameters, and how do they both measure and affect public opinion?
Public polling expert Dennis Simon, SMU associate professor of political science, can talk about the science of polling, which polls matter, and what their influence is on the campaigns. He's also an expert on the student vote and Southern politics.
For interviews, reporters can call SMU News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
Rita Whillock, a specialist in political rhetoric and communication, is an SMU professor of public affairs and corporate communications. She is the author of Communication Strategies in State and Local Elections; Soundbite Culture: The Death of Discourse in a Wired World; and Hate Speech. She is available to speak on political advertising, debate preparation, the media and politics, and political jargon.
For more information, call SMU News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
With candidates regularly giving their denominational credentials to the media and President Bush expected to campaign in part on his own religious life, the place of faith in American public life has become a major campaign issue. How does the American public respond?
Robin Lovin, SMU's Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics, is considered one of the nation's foremost Christian ethicists. Lovin studies the way people relate their faith to their families, communities and the broader society in which they live. Lovin is available to speak on religion and politics, and American religious attitudes.
SMU Assistant Professor of Political Science Matthew Wilson's research interests are wide and varied. He recently published an article that looks at how support for a president's political agenda affects the electoral success of congressional candidates. Wilson is frequently asked by state and national legislatures to testify on the drawing of new legislative districts. Currently Wilson is working on a book about the political attitudes and behaviors of American Catholics, as well as a manuscript that looks at the politics of blame. Contact him at 214-768-7650.
For interviews, reporters can call SMU News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
Despite some unscripted moments in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention, the convention managers are succeeding in creating a crescendo of excitement surrounding John Kerry's acceptance speech tonight. Southern Methodist University Political Scientist Cal Jillson is attending:
"The Democrats are having the convention that they hoped for," said Jillson. "They're managing to sustain the enthusiasm of the delegates and balance the domestic and foreign policy agendas with key speakers."
Jillson is available to report from Boston on the following:
To reach Cal Jillson in Boston, call SMU News and Communications at 214-768-7650. Jillson is the author of the new book, Pursuing the American Dream: Opportunity & Exclusion Over Four Centuries.
In real estate, location is everything. The same is true for America's major political conventions. Critics complain that the Democratic and Republican conventions have become nothing more than high-tech coronations. If voters want significance from these affairs, one political scientist says take note of the city where the conventions are held.
"The choice of Boston is a choice to meet in the heartland of the Democratic Party," says Cal Jillson, Southern Methodist University professor of political science. "The choice of cities is a signal of where the party is headed."
The host city can give the party a boost in the polls, but also alienate voters. The choice of Boston is not likely to play well in the South, Jillson says. The Republicans' choice of New York City is already proving risky. Demonstrators are expected in large numbers.
"A year ago it looked fairly shrewd to place the Republican convention in New York to highlight the president's anti-terrorism credentials. Now, with support for the war in Iraq declining and doubts about whether we are safer today than we were before the attack, the New York backdrop will raise as many questions as it answers," Jillson says.
Jillson is the author of six books, his most recent, Pursuing the American Dream: Opportunity and Exclusion Over Four Centuries. An expert on the development of American institutions and democratic ideas, Jillson will be attending the Democratic and the Republican Conventions. He is available to give live reports on what he's seeing and hearing. To reach him for interviews, call the SMU Office of News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
Nominating conventions used to be places where parties gathered to debate issues and choose their presidential nominees. Now they serve as media events in which to affirm known values and anoint a preselected candidate. Have political conventions lost their relevance in this transition?
Considered one of Texas' top political observers, Cal Jillson specializes in American politics and the development of American political institutions. He is an expert on nominating conventions and their evolution and is available to talk about why they've lost their importance.
For interviews, reporters can call SMU News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
John Kerry's campaign professes nonchalance about being crowded out by the media hype surrounding former President Bill Clinton's book tour. Harold Stanley, professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, says Kerry must maintain a balancing act where Clinton is concerned.
"Clinton provides a personal reminder of what some consider better days under a Democratic administration, while for others he was a president of impeachable character," says Stanley, the Geurin-Pettus Distinguished Chair in American Politics and Political Economy. Clinton plans to use the book tour to help the Kerry campaign.
Stanley sees some possible story angles from this arrangement, including:
Stanley is known as an expert in American national politics and electoral change in the South. Along with Richard G. Niemi, he is the author of Vital Statistics on American Politics, now in its ninth edition. Stanley's current research concerns presidential nominations, partisan change, and voting rights.
SMU has three constitutional scholars who have reviewed the recent Supreme Court opinion on the Pledge of Allegiance and are available to comment:
To reach any of our experts, call 214-768-7650.
There are at least 10 million voters under the age of 25, and their support could determine the outcome of the next presidential election, according to a survey published last June by the Chronicle of Higher Education. With student voter turnout expected to reach record numbers, this year's race may well go to the candidate who can engage the "campus kids" -- 41 percent of whom define themselves as independents or unaffiliated, and 86 percent of whom say they "definitely" or "probably" will vote.
Dennis Simon, SMU associate professor of political science, is an expert on the student vote and election-year wedge issues. He also can talk about the Southern politics and the science of political polling.
Key issues for college-age voters as identified by MTV's Rock the Vote Web site:
For interviews, reporters can call SMU News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
A recent Chronicle of Higher Education survey shows that 41 percent of college-age voters consider themselves independent or unaffiliated with any major political party -- up from 33 percent in 2000. This major subset of a large yet unpredictable swing vote can be very attractive to the candidate who is willing to reach for it.
Considered one of Texas' top political observers, Cal Jillson specializes in American politics and the development of American political institutions. An expert on third parties, Jillson also can speak about the partisan divide, political conventions, and Texas and national primaries. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Pursuing the American Dream: Opportunity and Exclusion Over Four Centuries, as well as a widely used American government textbook.
For more information, call SMU News and Communications at 214-768-7650.
© Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas | Legal Disclosures | A-Z Site Index | Contact SMU
Share