Pitt Faculty Available to Comment on Super Tuesday Primaries

PITTSBURGH—The following University of Pittsburgh faculty are available to comment on the Super Tuesday presidential primaries, the candidates, and issues surrounding the presidential election.

Susan Hansen, a professor of political science in the Department of Political Science in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, with joint appointments in the Women’s Studies Program and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, has expertise in American politics, economic policy, taxation, state and local politics, and women and politics, including state policies affecting women and the impact of women in public office.

Hansen has written numerous articles in academic journals, including “Explaining the ‘Brain Drain’ From Older Industrial Cities: The Pittsburgh Region,” with Leonard Huggins and Carolyn Ban, in Economic Development Quarterly (2003); “Governors’ Job Performance Ratings and State Unemployment: The Case of California,” in State and Local Government Review (Winter 1999); “State Implementation of Supreme Court Decisions: Abortion Rates Since Roe v. Wade,” in Journal of Politics (May 1980); and “The Supreme Court, the States, and Social Change: The Case of Abortion,” in Journal of Peace and Change (Fall 1980). Her book, Globalization and the Politics of Pay: Policy Choices in the American States (Georgetown University Press, 2006), analyzes the impact of economic policy choices and labor regulations on adaptation to globalization in the 50 states since 1970. Hansen may be reached at 412-648-7272 (office), 412-661-5666 (home), or sbhansen@pitt.edu; or through Trish White.

Barry Mitnick, a professor of business administration and of public and international affairs in Pitt’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration, is available to comment on corporate political activity and the impact of the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allows unlimited spending from corporations and other organizations in elections and on publicly reported contributions to Super PACS and 527 organizations, as well as corporate lobbying methods.

Mitnick has written extensively on what is often called regulatory “capture,” where firms and business groups are able to create stable relationships with government regulators to influence regulation. The “capture” efforts can be a result of corporate political activity. His publications include The Political Economy of Regulation: Creating, Designing, and Removing Regulatory Forms (Columbia University Press, 1980); he also helped write and edit Corporate Political Agency: The Construction of Competition in Public Affairs (Sage Publications, 1993). Mitnick can be reached through Audrey Marks at 412-624-4238 (office), 832-296-7276 (cell), or marksa@pitt.edu.

Jennifer Victor, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, has expertise in American politics, U.S. Congress, lobbying, interest groups, and campaign finance. Her research focus is on the means by which individuals and groups influence the legislative process. More recently, she has been inspired by the methodological advantage provided by social network analysis, which, she says, provides an intuitive lens through which to view politics.

Victor’s publications include “Legislating Versus Campaigning: The Legislative Behavior of Higher Office Seekers” in American Politics Research and “Gridlock Lobbying: Breaking, Creating, and Maintaining Legislative Stalemate” in Interest Group Politics, Allan J. Cigler and Burdett A. Loomis, authors, 8th edition (CQ Press College, 2011). Her recently completed manuscript with Nils Ringe Bridging the Information Gap: The Social and Political Power of Legislative Member Organizations is under contract and review by the University of Michigan Press. In 2004-05, Victor had a congressional fellowship at the American Political Science Association. She has discussed political matters with the media and has appeared frequently on PCNC’s Night Talk. Victor may be reached at 412-624-7204 (office), 412-421-5908 (home), 412-215-5865 (cell), or jnvictor@pitt.edu; or through Trish White.

###

3/2/12/mab/lks