30 November 2011
Dysfunctional Democracy in America
Professor Douglas Roscoe
Associate Professor of Political Science, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Visiting Fulbright Scholar, Lingnan University
Date: 30 November, 2011 (Wednesday)
Time: 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Venue: Room 813, K.K.Leung Building, HKU
The United States is often held up as a model of democracy throughout the world. However, there are many ways in which the American political system falls short of democratic ideals. Some of these shortcomings reflect contemporary problems, but some are sewn right into the US Constitution. In this seminar, Professor Roscoe will evaluate how well the reality of American government and politics match the ideal. The discussion will focus in particular on elections and voting, as well as the role of money in politics, and how a core democratic value—political equality—is routinely violated. Proposals for reform will be considered, with an eye toward understanding the political factors that make these reforms difficult to achieve.
Professor Roscoe is a Visiting Fulbright Scholar at Lingnan University and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. His academic interests center upon Congress, the president, interest groups, and political parties. He is especially interested in the dynamics of the electoral process, and how interest groups and parties shape lawmaking and public policy through electoral politics. His research has been published in the Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Social Science Quarterly, and the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
All are welcome.
For enquiries, please contact Dr. Gruenewald (tgruene@hku.hk) or Ms. Cice Chan (cice@hku.hk)