Villanova’s Political Science Department is hosting an election programming series focused on unpacking the fall elections and addressing critical policy issues. These panels are mainly hosted by the Political Science Department but are joined by adjacent departments that contribute with their respective knowledge.
Chair and Associate Professor of the Political Science Department, Dr. Camille Burge, spoke on the mission behind the election series.
“We want students, faculty and staff to have the best information available from experts on key issues to ensure that they are making informed decisions at the ballot box,” Burge said. “We selected a few of the most hotly debated topics and have experts from all ideological perspectives participating in our series. We also hope to amplify the narratives of people we rarely hear, especially on contentious issues. Our goal is to have an engaging and informative event series.”
On Sept. 25, the department hosted a panel, Situation Critical: Executive Disability and the Dangers We Face, which focused on the dangers of presidential disability. They discussed current guidelines concerning presidential disability and succession and what this means for the course of fall elections. Students were joined by many professors and attorneys from the surrounding states to lead the conversation.
Last week, the department hosted a panel to discuss the economy: Is It the Economy, Stupid? The COVID-19 Recovery, Trade, Inflation and the 2024 Election. The panelists highlighted the important role the economy plays in elections, and the way it pertains to voter choices. Economic conditions like inflation, employment rates and economic growth affect the lives of voters. Panelists discussed the way economic factors and policies contribute to the political atmosphere and influence the 2024 Presidential Election.
The panel was moderated by Political Science Department professor, Ryan Weldzius, and featured knowledgeable professionals Christopher Kilby, Amanda Blunt and Shawn Patterson. Kilby teaches at Villanova as an economics professor and was able to contribute knowledge on international organizations, political economy and foreign aid.
Blunt currently serves as General Counsel for General Motors but was a former counsel for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office of the White House during Trump and Obama administrations. Patterson is a research analyst at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at UPenn and shared his expertise in political parties, organized interest and public opinion. Students who attended were able to hear more about the intersection of politics and the economy and their relation to the upcoming presidential election.
“One of the core tenets of democracy is an engaged and informed citizenry,” Burge said. “It is of the utmost importance for students to learn not just about this election but about politics in general. Given the wide range of opinions and experiences represented on each panel, it is my hope that people with different perspectives will want to attend, feel empowered to ask tough questions, and engage in civil discourse.”
Burge then spoke about the upcoming panels this month.
“Two of the last three events are on incredibly contentious political topics: reproductive health and immigration,” she said.
After Fall Break, on Monday, Oct. 28, the Political Science Department is hosting a panel with the Gender and Women’s Studies Department, titled What’s at Stake With Reproductive Health. The event will take place in the Driscoll auditorium at 5 p.m. This panel will feature Dr. Nancy Sharts-Hopko, Ph.D.; Professor Ann Juliano, J.D.; Chelsea Gerrard; and Professor Elizabeth-Jane McGuire.
Panelists will converse on the underlying values and beliefs regarding reproductive health in America. Sharts-Hopko taught at Villanova’s Louse M. Fitzpatrick College of Nursing for 35 years and served as the inaugural director of the Ph.D. program for 15 years. With invaluable research experience, she will speak from a medical perspective on women’s health and reproductive health.
A professor at Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law, Juliano will be able to share from a legal perspective. Juliano has been teaching at Villanova’s Law School for 26 years. Her scholarship focuses on employment law, employment discrimination, harassment, Federal Indian law and gender and the law issues. Her research has appeared 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.
Director of Communication at Villanova’s CLAS, Gerrard will share her personal experiences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Communication from Wheeling Jesuit University and a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University. Gerrard brings a unique perspective as a patient who dealt with infertility and fertility treatments, which are important components of reproductive health.
McGuire received her doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of America, and she enjoys thinking about the ways spirituality and daily life intersect, especially in music. She serves as an Associate Teaching Professor for the Augustine and Culture Seminar Program at Villanova. Dr. McGuire is a pro-life, pro-family advocate and will be able to speak from a Catholic perspective. These knowledgeable community members will address this topic from diverse perspectives to inform students.
Programming Director of the Gender and Women’s Studies Department, Dr. Kelly-Anne Diamond spoke on their 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,” Diamond. “GWS hopes to offer students four distinct perspectives on significant issues, along with a forum to discuss them. We hope the audience will guide this conversation and make it relevant to them, to provide a valuable learning experience.”
The Political Science Department will wrap up the Fall Election Series with a post-election panel titled, Red, Striped, or Blue?: Examining the 2024 Elections with Polling and Election Experts. This event will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. in the Topper Theatre at the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts. Many people tune into their favorite news networks to see how local, state and national elections unfold, but are unaware of how the process works.
Burge spoke on her hopes for this last panel.
“The final event, Red, Striped, or Blue, is an event that I’m incredibly excited about because this is a space where I do real world elections work,” she said.
During this panel, the Villanova community will hear from a team of major news networks like CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS, as well as pollsters to debrief the 2024 elections. Each news network has a Decision Desk Team that works to analyze voting data coming in from precincts and counties. Students, faculty and staff will be able to hear about the behind the scenes madness from the people closest to it. This event is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Region AAPOR Chapter 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 the major news networks that lead the Decision Desk teams on election night or are responsible for polling and analytics at these networks,” Burge said. “When you are in college, you have a unique opportunity to hear from some of the greatest minds in academia and in public practice for free. Students should take advantage of these amazing opportunities.”
All of these events are ACS-approved.
