History and Politics
Voting Behavior
Do voters take their cues from television ads? Todd Donovan discusses how voters gather information about citizen-initiated referendums as he shares his analysis of voting behavior. His extensive research has focused on elections, the rules that structure elections, ballot initiatives and the forces that shape voter decisions.
Multi-Party Politics and Election Reform
Do Americans support their two-party system? Who wants another choice besides the Democratic and Republican parties? Where would another party find electoral support? Learn about the history and current challenges of a multiple party system from political science professor Todd Donovan. His area of expertise includes election and campaign finance reform.
Dr. Todd Donovan is a professor of political science who has published several books on elections and the voting process. His latest books are “Reforming the Republic: Democratic Institutions for the New America” and “Electoral Reform and Minority Representation: Local Experiments with Alternative Elections.” His B.A. degree in economics and government is from California State University at Sacramento and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science are from the University of California-Riverside.
Teaching Science in South Africa
How does a country with a long history of educational inequity adapt to a new “equal rights for all” constitution? Scott Linneman, a senior Fulbright Scholar in South Africa during 2001, says the answer depends on who is asked. Linneman describes the struggles of science educators in South Africa following the advent of democracy in that country in 1994, examines issues related to the implementation of a radical new national curriculum and discusses the challenge presented by the AIDS crisis.
Dr. Scott Linneman is an assistant professor in the department of geology and a member of the science education group. After teaching in Idaho for eight years, he joined the faculty at Western’s College of Sciences and Technology in 2000 and then spent a year in South Africa as a senior Fulbright Scholar. His research has included analyzing the hazards of Cascade volcanoes and studying the ways children and adults gain understanding of the earth sciences. His Ph.D. in geology is from the University of Wyoming
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