Professor Daniel M. Shea, Ph.D.

Webcast Details
Live Interactive Webcast
February 13, 2008, 8:00 PM, Eastern Time

Webcast Pricing
$35.00 - View live event.
$35.00 - Purchase CD only.
$50.00 - View live event and purchase CD.
Click here to purchase webcast.

Course Details
Self-Paced Course
January 30 - February 20, 2008

Course Registration
Price: $195
Special pricing available for faculty & students. Please contact 814-332-6202.
Click here to register with Allegheny College.

Course Description
The process of selecting presidential party nominees, a critically important mechanism in America's political system, has changed in numerous important ways over the past two centuries. By most accounts, the current system will not endure another election. A Sept. 2, 2007, New York Times editorial describes the current process as a "Wild West" approach and calls for party leaders to "begin a discussion of reform proposals now." A parallel and equally significant problem is the profound lack of interest in voting among our nation"s youth, a phenomenon that is even more apparent in the primary elections and caucuses.

This four-week course will explore the past, present and future changes within the presidential nomination process, focusing particular attention on likely reforms that could be in place before the 2012 election. The course will also train a critical eye on the future of presidential nominations as a mechanism to engage young voters and explore innovative nomination models.

Course Includes a Live Interactive Webcast
February 13, 2008 | 8:00 PM, Eastern Time

Allegheny College will host a nationally prominent panel moderated by Professor Daniel M. Shea. The panel will feature Andrew M. Rosenthal (Editorial Page Editor, The New York Times) and a group of prominent elected officials and practitioners who will participate in a moderated discussion of student ideas and their own about the direction of nomination reform in America. This event will be open to the public and will be streamed live as a webcast to all participants in the course.

About the Professor

Daniel M. Shea, Ph.D. is a professor of political science at Allegheny College and director of the Allegheny College Center for Political Participation. Professor Shea has a bachelor of arts in political science and American studies from the State University of New York at Oswego and a master of arts in campaign management/applied politics from the University of West Florida. He earned a Ph.D. in political science from the State University of New York at Albany.

Professor Shea has written or edited twelve books on the American Electoral process. His most recent project, Living Democracy (Prentice Hall, 2007), is an American government text designed to inspire young Americans to become more engaged in the political process.

About the Panelists

Andrew M. Rosenthal was named editorial page editor of The New York Times effective January 2007. Mr. Rosenthal had been deputy editorial page editor of The Times since August 2003. Before that, he had been an assistant managing editor since September 2001 and foreign editor since May 1997. He also served as national editor of The Times for six months in 2000, supervising coverage of the presidential election and the post-election-day recount.

Angela "Bay" Buchanan began her political career as the national treasurer of Ronald Reagan's presidential campaigns in 1980 and 1984. This position catapulted her into a distinguished career beginning in 1981 when President Reagan appointed her to be treasurer of the United States. At the age of 32, she was the youngest person to hold that position since it was established in 1775.

Buchanan served as the campaign chairman for all three of her brother Pat Buchanan's presidential campaigns. This election cycle, she served as chairman of Tom Tancredo's presidential campaign and is currently a senior advisor to Mitt Romney.

Before taking these positions, Bay was a political analyst for CNN. From September of 1996 through August of 1999, she co-anchored Equal Time, a political talk show initially on CNBC, then MSNBC. In addition, she worked as a political analyst for Good Morning America throughout the general election in 1992. From 1996 to 1997 Buchanan hosted a two-hour radio talk show program covering current events.

Pedro A. Cortés was nominated as Secretary of the Commonwealth by Governor Edward G. Rendell on April 2, 2003 and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on May 13, 2003, making him the first confirmed Latino Cabinet member in Pennsylvania history.

The Secretary of the Commonwealth administers the Department of State. The Department protects the public's health, safety and welfare by licensing more than one million business, health and real estate professionals; maintaining registration and financial information for thousands of charities soliciting contributions from Pennsylvanians; overseeing Pennsylvania's electoral process; maintaining corporate filings; and sanctioning professional boxing, kick-boxing and wrestling in the Commonwealth.

Previously, Secretary Cortés was the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. As Executive Director, he made recommendations to the Governor and the administration on policies, procedures and legislation that enhanced the status of the Latino community in Pennsylvania. As the Governor's liaison to the Latino community, he ensured that state government was accessible, accountable and responsive to the needs of Latinos and that strategies and programs were developed to enhance the community's social and economic status.

More Information
Web site: www.nominationreform.org
E-mail Inquiries: cpp@allegheny.edu
Phone Inquiries: (814) 332-6202