|
11-20-00 Contacts: Steffen Schmidt, Political Science, (515) 294-3825 Richard Mansbach, Political Science, (515) 294-8726 James McCormick, Political Science, (515) 294-8682 Steve Sullivan, News Service, (515) 294-3720 ISU TO OFFER COURSE ON CHAOTIC PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AMES, Iowa – The chaotic presidential election has resulted in a new course at Iowa State University. "Presidential Election 2000: The Implications for Democratic Theory" will be offered as an 8-week course in the spring semester. It will be taught by Iowa State political science professors Steffen Schmidt and Richard Mansbach. The two-credit course will be open to up to 200 students. "The events surrounding the year 2000 presidential election raise fundamental philosophical and constitutional issues about democratic governance," said Schmidt, a frequent media commentator on the political scene and host of a local National Public Radio program, "Dr. Politics." Schmidt said the course will examine a variety of issues related to the 2000 election, including indirect versus direct elections; federalism and states rights; voter fraud and corruption in democratic society; majoritarian versus non-majoritarian concepts of democracy; implications for democratic governance; and the potential for a major shift in the democratic process in the United States. There are plans to bring high profile guest speakers to the course, Schmidt said. Mansbach teaches courses in international political theory, international security and identity politics. He is the author or co-author of several books, including "Polities: Authority, Identities and Change." Schmidt teaches courses in American government and cyberpolitics. He is the co-author of "American Government and Politics Today," one of the country's leading political science textbooks. -30- |
||||
| Iowa State homepage University Relations, online@iastate.edu |
||||