The 2004 presidential campaign officially got underway Monday with the Iowa Caucuses, where the first decisions were made in the long process leading up to the November general election, with some surprising results. Along with two other major political events -- tonight's State of the Union Address and the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 27 -- the next two weeks are shaping up as potentially defining moments for politicians of both parties. Already, issues ranging from the United States' involvement in Iraq, the economy, and social issues are beginning to influence the election year agenda and the candidates' strategies.

DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in the United States and the nation's seventh-largest private university, has an array of experts available to provide context and insight on the upcoming primaries, as well as the election year political landscape.

Professors ready to speak with reporters are:

Michael L. Mezey, professor of political science and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: He is a member of the boards of the Legislative Studies Quarterly and the Journal of Politics. He also served as CNN's Midwest regional expert during past presidential elections. He can discuss congressional and presidential processes, and public policy-making. He can be reached at 773/325-7305 or by e-mail at mmezey@depaul.edu.

David J. Roberts, associate professor, accountancy and management: He is an expert on politics and tax policy, tax cuts, tax reform proposals and proposals to change the IRS, Social Security and Medicare. His commentaries on President Bush's economic policies have been published in various large daily newspapers. He can be reached at 312/362-8388 or by e-mail at droberts@depaul.edu.

Laura S. Washington, Ida B. Wells-Barnett University Professor: Washington, a renowned Chicago journalist and columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, is available to discuss African-American voters, race and social justice issues in the upcoming elections. She can be reached at 773/325-4675 or by e-mail at LauraSWashington@aol.com.

Azza Salama Layton, assistant professor of political science: An expert on public policy analysis and the presidency, Layton teaches a course at DePaul titled "The American Presidency." She can be reached at 773/325-1987 or by email at: alayton@depaul.edu.

Bruce Newman, professor of marketing: He is the author of "The Mass Marketing of Politics: Democracy in an Age of Manufactured Images" and is an expert on political advertising images and candidate marketing. Newman can be reached at 312/362-5186 or by e-mail at bnewman@depaul.edu.

Wayne Steger, associate professor of political science: He can speak about public policy-making, media coverage of presidential elections, endorsements/party behavior, voter behavior, and evaluating presidential success in Congress. He is writing a book on the pre-primary presidential campaign trail, based upon extensive research of the subject. He can be reached at 773/325-4240 or by e-mail at wsteger@depaul.edu.

Marlene Arnold Nicholson, professor of law: Nicholson is a national authority on constitutional and empirical issues involved in campaign finance regulation. She can be contacted at 312/362-8327 or via e-mail at mnichols@depaul.edu.

James E. Block, professor of political science: He is an expert on American political culture, American religion and politics. He authored the book "A Nation of Agents: The American Path to a Modern Self and Society." Block can be reached at 773/325-1976 or by e-mail at jblock@depaul.edu.

H. Peter Steeves, associate professor of philosophy: He can discuss legitimacy and ethics of elections and the electoral process, war and post-war politics, environmental issues, Latin-American issues and local vs. federal issues as they relate to the election. He can be reached at 773/325-1153 or by e-mail at psteeves@depaul.edu.

Jeremy Levitt, assistant professor of law: Levitt can comment on African-American political leadership, black liberal and conservative politics in America, and foreign and domestic issues as they relate to the economy. He can be contacted at 312/362-5354 or by e-mail at jlevitt@depaul.edu.

J. Harry Wray, professor of political science: He is an expert on political parties, elections and political culture. He can be reached via phone at 773/325-1975 or by e-mail at hwray@depaul.edu.

Christina Rivers, instructor of political science: Her areas of expertise focus on the intersection of race and law in American politics, including voting rights law and equal protection law, as well as black political thought from the abolition through the civil rights movement. She can be reached at 773/325-4593 or by e-mail at crivers@depaul.edu.

Valerie Johnson, visiting assistant professor of political science: She is prepared to talk about American, black and urban politics, and the politics of urban education. Johnson teaches a class titled "Black Political Organizations in the Post-Civil Rights Era." She can be reached at 773/325-4731 or by e-mail at vjohnso5@depaul.edu