Each election cycle has its own unique landscape. Muhlenberg's Department of Political Science seeks to shine a nonpartisan light on these critical issues ahead of Election Day with a regular series that brings influential speakers and thinkers to campus and invites our own community scholars a platform to discuss and dissect.
Every year, the college also holds an event to mark Constitution Day by inviting guest speakers to campus. Often those invited to speak are selected based on the themes of an ongoing Election Series or the College’s Center for Ethics series.
Fall 2024 Election Series
All events are open to the public and sponsored by the Department of Political Science unless indicated otherwise.
The 2024 election will feature the elections of the president, all 435 members of the U.S. House Representatives, 34 U.S. Senators, 11 governors and thousands of statewide and local offices. More broadly, the results of the 2024 election promise to offer valuable insights into the current state of American politics and culture and the future of U.S. democracy. The 2024 election series programming promises to foster lively public debate and civic engagement on some of the most important contemporary political issues in the United States.
Voting in Pennsylvania: A Forum on Election Processes in the Keystone State
Tuesday, September 17, 7 p.m.
Seegers Union Great Room (113)
This event will involve a discussion of voting processes and systems in Pennsylvania. Panelists will include Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong; Pennsylvania Department of State, Office of Policy Director Michael McDonald; retired Federal Judge Thomas Venaskie; and Stephen Caruso, Capitol Reporter for Spotlight PA. Christopher Borick, professor of political science and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, will moderate. This is presented in partnership with Keep Our Republic, a nonpartisan civic education organization.
Geraldo Cadava: The Latino Vote in 2024 and Beyond
Monday, September 30, 7 p.m.
Miller Forum, Moyer Hall
The Latino vote continues to grow in importance nationally, and in particular in Pennsylvania. Cadava, an associate professor of history and Latina and Latino studies at Northwestern University, will discuss the dynamics of the Latino vote both for the 2024 election cycle and beyond. This event is sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa.
Lilliana Mason: Public Talk on the Rise of Political Polarization and Political Violence
Tuesday, October 15, 7 p.m.
Miller Forum, Moyer Hall
Mason, an SNF Agora Institute Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, is co-author of Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and the Consequences for Democracy and author of Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity. Her research on partisan identity, partisan bias, social sorting and American social polarization has been published in journals such as American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Public Opinion Quarterly, and Political Behavior, and featured in media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and National Public Radio.
Jonathan Metzl: Mental Wellness, Mass Shootings and the Politics of American Firearms
Wednesday, October 23, 7 p.m.
Miller Forum, Moyer Hall
Metzl is the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry and the director of the Department of Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt University. He has written extensively for The New York Times, The Washington Post, VICE, Politico and other major publications about the most urgent hot-button issues facing America and the world. In this talk, he breaks down four frequent assumptions that often arise in the aftermath of a mass shooting: that mental illness causes gun violence, that psychiatric diagnosis can predict gun crime, that shootings represent the deranged acts of mentally ill loners and that gun control “won’t prevent” another shooting. Metzl uses scientific evidence and engaging storytelling to paint a nuanced picture of the increasingly lethal realities of American life — and how we can move forward. This event is part of the Dr. Charles Schiffert Distinguished Lecture Series and the Center for Ethics Lecture series with the Department of Political Science as a cosponsor.
Disinformation and Public Health Faculty Panel and Q&A
An Infodemic? Misleading Health Information on the Fall 2024 Campaign Trail
Tuesday, October 29 at 7 p.m
Seegers Union Great Room (113)
From vaccines to reproductive rights, false information about a wide range of health issues is permeating the fall 2024 election cycle. The swirl of mistrust, uncertainty and confusion is further heightened in a highly polarized political environment. This interdisciplinary panel will put this “infodemic” into context, exploring the ongoing challenge of misleading health information from historical, psychological and public health perspectives. Panelists include Kathleen Bachynski (Public Health), Jacqueline Antonovich (History) and Jeff Rudski (Psychology). Lindsay Burt (Political Science) will moderate the panel discussion. This event is cosponsored by the Public Health Program.
Election Postmortem for Campus Community
Friday, November 8, 12-2 p.m.
Seegers Union 108-110
Members of the Department of Political Science will offer an initial assessment of the 2024 elections. Campus community members are invited to grab their lunch and join us for a discussion of the election. Capacity is limited.
