Texas Tech University political scientists can help make sense of the issues and what’s at stake.
The Nov. 3 election is just days away.
Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden agree on one thing: both have said it's "the most important election" any of us have ever witnessed. But their race isn't the only thing on the ballot, and many races could make a difference in the political landscape of the next few years.
To help you understand the issues and what's at stake, Texas Tech University experts in the Department of Political Science are available to break down the ballot and explain the ramifications of the election's outcome.
Expert in public opinion, political communication and state politics
Kevin Banda, assistant professor of political science, (806) 834-0262 or kevin.banda@ttu.edu
• Banda's research focuses broadly on public opinion, campaigns, elections, political
communication and state politics in the American context. More specifically, his work
centers on candidate interaction, the effects of cue taking in attitude formation,
campaign advertising and the influence of elite polarization on public opinion.
Expert in political institutions and political development
Timothy Nokken, associate professor and chair of political science, (806) 834-2988 or timothy.nokken@ttu.edu
• Nokken's primary teaching and research interests lie in the field of the American
political institutions, namely the U.S. Congress, and American political development.
He is particularly interested the historical development of legislative institutions
and political parties as well as party-switching among members of Congress. Nokken's
current research investigates how electoral incentives influence legislative behavior
and agenda construction by comparing roll-call voting across regular and lame duck
sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Expert in congressional and presidential politics and separation of powers
Joel Sievert, assistant professor of political science, (806) 834-4103 or joel.sievert@ttu.edu
• Prior to joining the faculty at Texas Tech, Sievert was a postdoctoral fellow in
the Political Institutions and Public Choice Program at Duke University. His research
and teaching interests encompass American political institutions with an emphasis
on congressional politics, the presidency, American political development and separation
of powers. He recently co-authored a book, "Electoral Incentives in Congress," now available from the University of Michigan Press.
