Experts Available For Commentary and Analysis of Democratic and Republican National Conventions

WORCESTER, Mass. – Faculty experts in a wide range of disciplines from the College of the Holy Cross are available to offer distinctive perspectives on topics related to the Democratic National Convention (Aug. 25-28, Denver, Colo.) and the Republican National Convention (Sept. 1-4, Saint Paul, Minn.).  For more information, or for assistance scheduling an interview, please call Cristal Perriello at 508-793-2419. Experts listed below may also be contacted directly for comment.

Economic Impact on Host Cities of Conventions Victor Matheson, associate professor, economics 508-793-2649 (office) vmatheso@holycross.edu Matheson specializes in economics, specifically the economic impact of national political conventions on host cities.  His recent research, which dispels the notion that the DNC will generate substantial economic dividends for Denver, has made him a widely sought-after expert. He has provided commentary to many media outlets including Forbes Magazine, Time Magazine Europe, ESPN Magazine, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Business Week Online, The Washington Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post, and MSNBC.com, among others.

Economic Impact on Host Cities of Conventions Robert Baumann, assistant professor, economics 508-793-3879 (office) rbaumann@holycross.edu Baumann also specializes in the economic impact of national political conventions on host cities.  His recent research (with Matheson) dispels the notion that the DNC will generate substantial economic dividends for Denver. Specializing in labor economics, industrial organization, and econometrics, his work has been published in numerous journals including The American Economist, Southern Economic Journal, and Urban Studies. Political Parties/Special Interest Groups/Role of the Internet Daniel Klinghard, assistant professor, political science 508-793-2361 (office) dklingha@holycross.edu Klinghard specializes in political parties, focusing on differences in party organization and candidate strategy over time.  He can comment on how fundraising practices, special interest group involvement, and technology (particularly the Internet and sites like MoveOn.org) have altered the strategic environment for candidates.  Interested in the ways in which institutions shape and restrict the behavior of politicians, he can provide insight into how candidates might approach integrating new policies (such as a health care program or social security reform) into the current institutional environment.  Klinghard is currently completing a book on political parties in the late 19th century, which aims to explain the nature of so-called “party decline” throughout the 20th century.

American Political Thought/Terrorism David Schaefer, professor, political science 508-793-2252 (office), 508-755-6750 (home) dschaefe@holycross.edu Schaefer, whose scholarly research focuses on political philosophy and American political thought, can provide expertise on a multitude of issues related to the conventions, including analysis of vice presidential candidate choices. He has published essays on such issues as judicial activism, church-state relations, economic inequality, campaign finance regulation, race relations, and labor policy in The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, and The American Enterprise. As a 2007-08 fellow of the Institute for the Defense of Democracies, he has studied world terrorism and has provided commentary for several radio talk shows.

The Presidency Donald Brand, associate professor, political science 508-793-3402 (office) dbrand@holycross.edu Brand specializes in the study of the presidency and American politics.  He has provided expert commentary to the media on a number of politically controversial issues, including the war in Iraq, civil liberties, the Patriot Act, and can provide analysis of vice presidential candidate choices. Brand is the author of Corporatism and the Rule of Law: A Study of the National Recovery Administration (Cornell University Press, 1988), and numerous articles in journals such as Political Science Quarterly and Political Science Reviewer.  He serves as the faculty advisor to the Holy Cross College Republicans.

Role of Religion in the Campaign Mathew Schmalz, associate professor, religious studies 508-793-2557 (office) mschmalz@holycross.edu Schmalz is available to comment on the role of religion in the upcoming election. His expertise includes Catholicism in the non-Western world; new religious movements; Catholicism/culture issues in the U.S.; and why people join new religions.  His op-ed essays have been published in national media outlets and he has provided expert commentary to USA Today, The Boston Globe, The Baltimore Sun, U.S. News & World Report, and NPR, among others.