Campaign, Convention, and Political Experts Available for Special Commentary and Analysis

WORCESTER, Mass. – As Boston and New York prepare to host the Democratic and Republican national conventions, faculty experts in a wide range of political and associated issues from the College of the Holy Cross are available to offer distinctive perspectives. Among them:

Thomas Martin, professor/chair, Classics 508-793-2550 (office) tmartin@holycross.edu (preferred) Martin specializes in the ancient history of democracy, its roots in Athens, and how it compares with modern American democracy. Author of Ancient Greece from Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times (Yale University Press, 2002), he has served as a consultant to various television programs on ancient history and as an expert commentator in several publications, including U.S. News & World Report.

Victor Matheson, assistant professor, economics 508-793-2649 (office) vmatheso@holycross.edu Matheson is an expert on the economic impact of "mega-events" on host cities, so can discuss the financial gains and losses Boston and New York can expect to see post-conventions. Recently, he has provided economic analyses of major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl and the baseball All-Star Game, to newspapers including the Houston Chronicle and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

David O'Brien, Loyola Professor of Roman Catholic Studies, history 508-793-2775 (office), 508-829-9759 (home) dobrien@holycross.edu O'Brien specializes in Catholic social and political thought, the history of American Catholicism, and religion and politics. O'Brien frequently provides expert commentary for the media; he has been quoted in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Catholic Reporter, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Associated Press, and has appeared on NPR and WCVB-TV (The Boston Channel). Most recently, his op-ed on declining Christian support for the Democrats, was published in The Boston Globe on June 14.

David Schaefer, professor, political science 508-793-2252 (office), 508-755-6750 (home) dschaefe@holycross.edu Schaefer, whose scholarly research and analysis focuses on American political thought, can provide expert commentary on a multitude of issues related to the current presidential campaign. He has published essays on judicial activism, church-state issues, public employee unions (with reference to the police picketing in Boston), government spending, and campaign finance reform, in journals including The American Enterprise and National Review Online.