Posted: Tuesday 14 September 2010
Talking Points: Maxton Memorial Lecture - Dr Chris Carman
Dr Christopher Carman, a political scientist from the School of Government and Public Policy at Strathclyde University, delivered the 2010 James Maxton Memorial Lecture, saying that he thought there was "no great spectator sport than political elections." Peter Aitken [S6] reports.
Originally from Texas himself, he explained in immense detail the fact that America is soon going to be going through a wave of democratic change. The ‘Fall' - or 'Midterm' Elections' have "substantial influence on policy making in government." He told us how Americans are asked to vote more than anyone else in the whole world and that the elections in 2010 could "change the shape of politics for years to come."
This year alone, President Obama's Health Care Reforms had passed and there had been two Supreme Court nominations - the highest success rate since the Second World War. However, he also mentioned that President Obama only got 53% of the vote in the 2008 Presidential Election, highlighting that, in fact, almost half the country did not vote for Obam and that John McCain did better than the President in some regions. He showed the audience maps that highlighted that some areas of America were extremely polarised while in others there was one clear winner. The current Congress is the most polarised it has ever been in US history.
Dr Carman highlighted the fact that President Obama will lose seats in both houses in the coming elections and that more people disapprove of Obama now than before his inauguration: 82% of Republicans (the opposing party) disapprove and 17% of his own party, the Democrats, disapprove. He explained that 47% of Americans would vote for a Republican candidate over a Democrat. He said that some are saying 2010 could be a repeat of 1994, when the federal government literally shut down. Dr Carman highlighted that what happens in 2010 is likely to affect the outcome of the presidential elections in 2012. It seems very clear that the political mood in America is changing.
Will it be for the worse?