On October 15th, the Discourse in Democracy hosted an “Election 2020” panel which was moderated by Dr. Ashleen Menchaca-Bagnulo, and featured Drs. Michael Faber, Hyun Yun, Roger Abshire, and Ken Ward. Dr. Faber opened with a brief discussion of the Electoral College, what happened in 2016, and what we might expect in 2020. He reminded the audience that it is the electoral vote that counts, not the popular vote. Dr. Ward discussed the increase in partisanship in 2016 and the increasing ability of candidates to weather controversy. He also talked about the fact that voters believe that policy is largely unaffected by their views and the ways in which this fact affects the campaigns and party organizations. Dr. Abshire discussed the importance of local elections, especially the “substantial effect on top-ticket contests” they have. He pointed out that because local officials “pass and enforce the laws that regulate the election process,” voters should be motivated to act in local elections since they have a real influence on for whom and how they can vote in the future. Dr. Yun talked about her latest article, “Beyond Political Capital: Do Social and Economic Capital Matter,” which appeared in Polls and Elections, which compares the social, economic, and political capital of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Dr. Bagnulo then moderated a question and answer session, with questions from the audience that addressed topics ranging from election fraud and voter suppression to social justice protests and demographic voting patterns.
Rex Wyatt, a graduate student in attendance, praised the expertise of the faculty members and described the panel as “insightful and highly interactive.” Forty-five students attended.
