A preview of Villanova’s fall election series – The Villanovan

Villanova’s Political Science Department hosts an election programming series focused on educating the fall elections and addressing critical policy issues. These panels are mainly organized by the Department of Political Science, but there are also neighboring departments that contribute their respective knowledge.

The chairwoman and associate professor of the Department of Political Science, Dr. Camille Burge, spoke about the mission behind the election series.

“We want students, faculty and staff “We need to get the best information from experts on important issues to ensure they make informed decisions at the ballot box,” Burge said. “We have selected some of the most hotly debated topics and included experts from all ideological perspectives in our series. We also hope to amplify the narratives of people we rarely hear, particularly on controversial topics. Our goal is an exciting and informative series of events.”

On September 25, the department hosted a panel, Critical Situation: Impediment to Leadership and the Dangers We Facewhich focused on the dangers of presidential impotence. They discussed current policies regarding presidential incapacity and succession and what this means for the fall election process. The students were joined by numerous professors and attorneys from surrounding states to lead the conversation.

Last week the department hosted a panel discussion on the economy: Is it the economy, stupid? The COVID-19 Recovery, Trade, Inflation and the 2024 Election. Panelists emphasized the important role of economics in elections and its influence on voters’ voting decisions. Economic conditions such as inflation, employment rates and economic growth affect the lives of voters. Panelists discussed how economic factors and policies contribute to the political atmosphere and influence the 2024 presidential election.

The panel was moderated by Ryan Weldzius, professor in the Department of Political Science, and included knowledgeable experts Christopher Kilby, Amanda Blunt and Shawn Patterson. Kilby teaches economics at Villanova and brings knowledge of international organizations, political economy and development aid.

Blunt currently serves as general counsel for General Motors, but was a former counsel for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative at the White House during the Trump and Obama administrations. Patterson is a research analyst at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at UPenn and shared his expertise on political parties, organized interest and public opinion. The students in attendance were able to learn more about the interface between politics and economics and its connection to the upcoming presidential election.

“One of the cornerstones of democracy is an engaged and informed citizenry,” Burge said. “It is paramount for students to learn not just about this election, but about politics in general. Given the wide diversity of opinionsGiven the themes and experiences presented in each panel discussion, I hope that people with diverse perspectives will want to participate, feel empowered to ask difficult questions and engage in civil discourse.”

Burge then talked about the upcoming panels this month.

“Two of the last three events address extremely controversial political issues: reproductive health and immigration,” she said.

After fall break, the Department of Political Science will co-host a panel with the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies on Monday, October 28, entitled What is at stake in reproductive health? The event will take place at 5:00 p.m. in Driscoll Auditorium. In this panel discussion, Dr. Nancy Sharts-Hopko, Ph.D.; Professor Ann Juliano, JD; Chelsea Gerrard; and Professor Elizabeth-Jane McGuire.

Panelists will discuss the underlying values ​​and beliefs surrounding reproductive health in America. Sharts-Hopko taught at Villanova’s Louse M. Fitzpatrick College of Nursing for 35 years and served as founding director of the Ph.D. program for 15 years. With her invaluable research experience, she will speak about women’s health and reproductive health from a medical perspective.

As a professor at the Charles Widger School of Law in Villanova, Juliano will be able to report from a legal perspective. Juliano has taught at Villanova Law School for 26 years. Your scholarship focuses on Labor law, workplace discrimination, harassment, Indian federal law, and gender and legal issues. Her research has been published in many reputable journals including but not limited to Cornell Law Review, Boston University Law Review, Georgia Law Review, St. Louis University Law Review And Tulsa Law Review.

Gerrard, communications director at Villanova’s CLAS, will share her personal experiences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Communications from Wheeling Jesuit University and a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University. Gerrard brings a unique perspective as a patient who has dealt with infertility and fertility treatments, which are important parts of reproductive health.

McGuire received her doctorate in divinity from the Catholic University of America and enjoys thinking about the ways spirituality and everyday life intersect, particularly in music. She is an associate teaching professor for the Augustine and Culture Seminar Program at Villanova. Dr. McGuire is a pro-life and pro-family advocate and will be able to speak from a Catholic perspective. These knowledgeable community members will explore this topic from a variety of perspectives to educate students.

The program director of the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, Dr. Kelly-Anne Diamond, spoke about her mission for this panel.

“Gender and Women’s Studies is committed to providing the Villanova community with educational programming and an arena for productive discussion,” says Diamond. “GWS hopes to offer students four different perspectives on important topics as well as a forum for discussing them. We hope this conversation will guide and make relevant to audiences, providing a valuable learning experience.”

The Political Science Department will conclude the fall election series with a post-election panel titled: Red, Stripes or Blue?: Examining the 2024 Elections with Polling and Election Experts. This event will take place on Tuesday, November 19th at 5pm in the Topper Theater at the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts. Many people tune in to their favorite news channels to see how local, state and federal elections work, but have no idea how the process works.

Burge spoke about her hopes for this final panel.

“Tthe last event, Red, striped or blueis an event I’m incredibly excited about because this is a place where I do real election work,” she said.

During this panel discussion, the Villanova community will hear a debrief on the 2024 elections from a team from major news networks including CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS, as well as pollsters. Each news network has a decision team that works to analyze voting data coming in from counties and counties. Students, faculty and staff can learn about the madness behind the scenes from the people closest to him. This event is co-sponsored by the AAPOR chapter in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey region and the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest.

The Villanova community will hear from Jennifer Agiesta, Ken Goldstein, Kristen Conrad, Kabir Kanna and Josh Clinton, all members of news teams or research groups.

“We will hear from individuals from all major news networks who are leading the decision-making teams on election night or who are responsible for polling and analysis at those networks,” Burge said. “During your studies, you will have the unique opportunity to hear from some of the greatest minds in science and public practice, free of charge. Students should take advantage of these great opportunities.”

All of these events are ACS approved.