DePaul University faculty experts are available to provide expert analysis of the midterm elections and key issues in the races, including the youth vote; withdrawal of troops from Iraq; the impact of President Barack Obama, the tea party and Sarah Palin on the races; and the race to fill Obama’s Illinois Senate seat.

Professors available to speak with reporters are:

Molly Andolina, assistant professor of political science. Andolina is an expert on generational politics and the youth vote, American government, political behavior, campaigns and elections, political socialization and culture, and public opinion. Her research includes American civic engagement and youth activism. She can be reached at (773) 325-4709 or mandolin@depaul.edu.

Paul Booth, assistant professor of new media and technology. He can discuss candidates’ use of media, video and social media in their campaigns, as well as public reactions to these campaigns. Booth can be reached at (312) 362-7753 or pbooth@depaul.edu.

Rebel Cole, professor of finance. He can discuss a wide range of economic issues related to the midterm elections, including unemployment; more economic stimulus, especially efforts targeted at small businesses and banks; the financial crisis and financial regulatory reform; and the housing/foreclosure crisis. Cole served as a financial economist for the Federal Reserve Board from 1991 to 1998. He can be reached at (312) 933-0584 or rcole@depaul.edu.

Mike Conklin, journalism instructor. A former Chicago Tribune reporter, Conklin can discuss political rhetoric, media coverage of the midterm elections and political reporting. “It may not be a presidential election year, but there are some very interesting Illinois races with a lot at stake–both nationally and locally,” Conklin says. Conklin can be reached at (312) 362-7645 or mconkli2@depaul.edu.

Werner F.M. De Bondt, professor of finance; chair and director, Richard H. Driehaus Center for Behavioral Finance. He can discuss the economic outlook for 2011; what can be done to stimulate the U.S. economy; the outlook for the stock market, interest rates and currencies (the U.S. dollar, euro and British pound); household, corporate and government debt in the U.S. and Europe; Europeans’ impressions of President Obama; and U.S. and European Union investor sentiment and business confidence. “American capitalism has lost its magic and capacity for global economic leadership because the 2008 world financial crisis originated in the U.S., the American business model generates a great deal of economic inequality and is short-term oriented, and political gridlock in Washington prevents abrupt changes in policy,” De Bondt says. He can be reached at (312) 362-8394 or wdebondt@depaul.edu.

Bruce Evensen, professor of communication. Evensen can discuss what the midterm elections tell us about the mood of voters going into the 2012 presidential election, and how each side attempts to position itself through the media in advance of that campaign. “It will be the starting point for the run-up to the 2012 presidential election. It is always a referendum on the person in the Oval Office,” Evensen says. He can also discuss the impact of new media on the campaigns; public perception of the press and the political process, the link between press credibility and voter confidence, the effect of negative attack ads on public perception, and media coverage of the campaign and the role of religion in the political race. A former Middle East news bureau chief for the Christian Broadcasting Network, he has written three books on media ethics. Evensen can be reached at (312) 362-7616 or bevensen@depaul.edu.

Scott Hibbard, assistant professor of political science. Hibbard can discuss religion and politics, American foreign policy in the Middle East and Islamic politics. He has a book coming out this fall, “Religious Politics and Secular States: Egypt, India and the United States.” He taught last year at the American University in Cairo as part of a Fulbright Award granted by the U.S. Department of State. He can be reached at (773) 325-7542 or shibbar1@depaul.edu. 

Khalil Marrar, visiting assistant professor of political science. Marrar is an expert on Arab and Muslim-American issues; the Arab-Israeli conflict and peace process; U.S. policy in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and the broader Middle East; ethnic interest groups; and terrorism. He is the author of “The Arab Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy: The Two-State Solution.” He can be reached at (773) 325-8682 or kmarrar@depaul.edu.

John F. McCarron, lecturer, College of Communication. The impact of urban affairs issues such as population trends, infrastructure planning, housing and economic development on various races. Contributing op-ed columnist for the Chicago Tribune, where he once covered urban affairs. Former senior vice president of strategy and communications for the Metropolitan Planning Council. He can be reached at (847) 687-5389 or j.mccarron@att.net.

Michael L. Mezey, professor of political science. He can discuss congressional midterm elections and processes and the implications of these elections on Obama, his presidency and his reelection prospects. He is teaching a course this fall on the midterm elections in which his students will study, analyze and predict Senate and House races. He is an editorial board member of Legislative Studies Quarterly. He can be reached at (773) 325-7318 or mmezey@depaul.edu.

Bruce Newman, professor of marketing. He can discuss the impact of the recent Supreme Court ruling on campaign fundraising; how Internet and grass-roots organizing will affect election races; and candidate image-making, marketing and advertising. He is the author of several books on the subject, including “The Marketing of the President,” and is editor of the Journal of Political Marketing. He can be reached at (312) 362-5186 or bnewman@depaul.edu.

Christina Rivers, assistant professor of political science. Her areas of expertise focus on the intersection of race and law in American politics, including voting rights law, equal protection law and redistricting. She can be reached at (773) 325-4593 or crivers@depaul.edu.

Wayne Steger, professor and chair of DePaul’s Department of Political Science. He can discuss many aspects of congressional elections, including election forecasts and outcomes, endorsements and party behavior, voter behavior, the federal budget deficit and economic policy, and public policymaking. Steger can be reached at (773) 325-4240 or wsteger@depaul.edu.

James Wolfinger, associate professor of history and education. A political and urban historian of 20th century America, Wolfinger can discuss the House and Senate races, particularly within the context of the current economy, and cam assess Barack Obama’s presidency at the mid-point of his first term. He is the author of the book “Philadelphia Divided: Race and Politics in the City of Brotherly Love,” and is currently working on a history of black Chicago titled “Building the Black Metropolis.” He can be reached at (773) 325-4290 or jwolfing@depaul.edu.