Political experts from DePaul University are available to discuss the Democratic and Republican national conventions. (Image by iStock)
CHICAGO — Ahead of the Democratic and Republican national conventions, DePaul University faculty experts are available to provide insight and commentary. Their expertise includes history of political conventions, presidential nominations, voter behavior, political marketing and the role of the news media.
Wayne Steger, Professor of Political Science, College of Liberal
Arts and Social Sciences. Steger can speak about presidential nominations, election
forecasting, media coverage of presidential campaigns, voting behavior and
campaign finance. “The intense polarization of the political parties and the
strength of partisan identification means that the vast majority of people have
already made their decision and know who they will vote for this fall. The big
questions are who will vote or stay home, and what will this election mean for
the party coalitions,” said Steger. He can be reached at 773-325-4240 or wsteger@depaul.edu.
Bruce Evensen, Professor of Journalism, College of
Communication. Evensen teaches a course on “The Press and the Presidency”
and can speak to the role of mass media in presidential campaigns, including
how candidates attempt to use the news media, and how media use the candidates
in the presidential race to garner page views. “Conventions can harm a candidate more than help,” said
Evensen. “Ask Hubert Humphrey, who narrowly lost the 1968 election to Richard
Nixon after his disastrous convention in Chicago that featured the ‘battle of
Grant Park.’” He added: “Trump presides over a divided Republican Party, with
many party elders sitting it out. He has to create the impression of unity as
further inducement for Republicans and like-minded independents to come home in
November. Hillary's task is less daunting. Few of Bernie's supporters will
migrate to Trump. But if they stay home in the fall because of a lack of
enthusiasm that could also prove devastating as she tries to cobble together
the old Obama coalition.” Evensen can be reached at bevensen@depaul.edu or 312-362-7616.
R. Craig Sautter, Adjunct Faculty, School for New
Learning. Sautter is an expert in presidential conventions and elections
and can speak to the history of both Republican and Democrat conventions and
elections. “The 2016 Cleveland and Philadelphia presidential conventions have
some distinctive similarities to notable past conventions. For example in 1940,
a boisterous, independent industrialist, Wendall Willkie stormed to the
nomination by beating several party favorites. He had no campaign staff, no
campaign funds, carried his own bags, and served as his own campaign
spokesperson. In 1912, the Republican Party split in half when Progressives
walked out like current Republicans threaten to do with Trump. There are many
other similar situations that have an air of relevance to the wacky 2016
election.” Sautter has written three books on the topic, including one with Chicago
Alderman Edward M. Burke, “Inside the Wigwam: Chicago Presidential Conventions
1860-1996.” Additionally, Sautter has experience in the creation of campaign
commercials and can speak on advertisement formation, implementation and
effectiveness. Sautter can be reached at rcsautter@aol.com.
Valerie Johnson, Associate Professor and Chair of
Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Johnson
can talk about U.S. politics, African-American politics and urban politics,
multiracial political alliances and the politics of urban education. “The
presidential general election is in full swing and has once again brought
issues of race to the forefront. Recent police-on-black
violence and the retaliatory shooting of law enforcement officers in Dallas
have unmasked America’s continuing racial dilemma,” said Johnson. “Until we
fully reckon with the cumulative socioeconomic advantages and disadvantages
associated with past and continuing racism and white privilege, and begin open
and honest public dialogue about race, all of our hopes and dreams of a
democratic society will remain unrealized. It is imperative that the
presidential nominees lead the way." She can be reached at 773-325-4731
or vjohnso5@depaul.edu.
Bruce Newman, Professor of Marketing, Driehaus College of
Business. Newman is an
expert in political marketing. “It is not necessary anymore for a U.S.
presidential candidate to get the nod of the political party to attract the
attention of the media,” said Newman. “Donald Trump, unlike any other candidate
in the history of this country, took full advantage of the new marketing rules
in politics and rose to become his party's nominee, much to the chagrin of the
establishment within the hierarchy of the Republican Party.” An expert in the
application of marketing technology to politics, Newman’s book “The Marketing
Revolution in Politics” explores how recent U.S. presidential campaigns have
adopted the latest marketing techniques, learning from the winning formulas
President Barack Obama’s campaigns pioneered. Newman was a communication adviser to the senior staff in the
Clinton White House in 1995 and 1996. He is the author of several books on the
subject, including “The Marketing of the President,” and is editor of the
Journal of Political Marketing. Newman can be reached at 312-362-5186 or bnewman@depaul.edu.
Zachary Cook, Adjunct Faculty in Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Cook’s academic focus includes
the politics of the millennial youth vote, campaign finance, voter turnout and
political parties and polarization. He can discuss day-to-day tactics and news
narratives of the 2016 presidential campaign, and its broader democratic
significance. Cook can be reached at 773-325-8679 or zcook@depaul.edu.
Erik Tillman, Associate Professor of Political Science, College
of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Tillman is an expert on elections, primaries and public
opinion. "The outcome of the general election will depend on the following
two questions. First, most partisans will 'fall in line' and vote for their
party's candidates – with few voting for the other party's candidate – but will
either candidate suffer enough defections to third parties, or from those not
voting, to affect the result? Second, how will circumstances such as the
economy, terrorism, etc., change voters' perceptions of whether the country is
on the right track? The more that voters are confident and hopeful, the more
likely they are to vote for a continuation of Obama's policies." He can be
reached at etillman@depaul.edu and 773-325-4131.
Michael L. Mezey, Professor Emeritus of Political Science,
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Mezey is an expert in congressional and presidential
elections and processes, public policymaking and the Electoral College. He can
discuss current polling, the Electoral College, and the electoral coalitions
that both Clinton and Trump need to assemble and energize in order to prevail.
He is also interested in the larger meaning of the Trump candidacy for the
process of presidential selection. Mezey is an editorial board member of Legislative
Studies Quarterly and gives frequent interviews to local and national news
media. He has published books on Congress and the U.S. presidency. Mezey can be
reached at 773-896-6766 or mmezey@depaul.edu.
Benjamin Epstein, Assistant Professor of Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Epstein researches American politics broadly including political communication strategies, campaigns and elections, electoral participation among various demographic groups, and racial and ethnic politics. His primary areas of research include political communication changes in the U.S. over time and the intersection of the Internet and politics today. In a forthcoming book, "The Political Communication Cycle," Epstein explores the technological, behavioral, and political roles that interact in the recurring process of political communication change. “The current period of rapid political communication change actually has a long history that can help provide insights into how, why and when various political actors innovate their strategies and where our political communication practices might be headed,” he said. Epstein can be reached at bepstein@depaul.edu.
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Media Contacts:
Kristin Claes Mathews
kmathew5@depaul.edu
312-241-9856
Wendy Smit
wsmit@depaul.edu
312-362-7749