Newswise — Considerable media and public interest is expected when President Barack Obama addresses the nation in his State of the Union address Wednesday, Jan. 27. His address comes at a time of heightened American concern over unemployment, homeland security, resurgent terrorist activity and healthcare reform. To help reporters, the Office of Media Relations at the University of South Carolina has compiled a list of faculty experts who can discuss the address, as well as specific topics expected to be covered.
■ An insider’s perspectiveCharles Bierbauer is dean of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies and interim vice president for communications. As a former political reporter and White House correspondent for CNN, Bierbauer covered presidential campaigns from 1984 – 2000. He can discuss what Obama must do in his State of the Union address to regain American confidence as concerns about the economy, homeland security, two wars and healthcare reform continue to mount.
■ Impact on race relationsDr. Todd Shaw, an associate professor of political science, is an expert in American racial and ethnic politics. He can provide analysis of Obama’s first year as president, the effectiveness of his administration and the impact his presidency is having on race relations in the United States. Shaw’s latest book, “Now Is the Time! Detroit Black Politics and Grassroots Activism” (Duke University Press) was released last year. He is writing the textbook, “Uneven Roads: Introduction to U.S. Racial and Ethnic Politics,” and has a chapter in the forthcoming book, “Whose Black Politics? Cases in Post-Racial Black Leadership” (Routledge Press).
■ Economic impactDr. Douglas P. Woodward is director of the Division of Research at the Darla Moore School of Business and a professor of economics. Woodward is well known in the business and scholarly communities for his economic forecasting, particularly for his U.S. regional economic-indicator models. Woodward can address the potential impact of new economic policies on the Southeastern United States.
■ Healthcare reform Dr. Mark Tompkins is a professor of political science and an expert on healthcare policy. Tompkins can discuss the current legislation and its implications, the history of health reform and the United States’ record on healthcare reform as compared with other industrial nations.
■ Terrorism, counter-terrorismDr. Mathieu Deflem, an associate professor of sociology, is an international expert on global terrorism and counter-terrorism. His latest book, “The Policing of Terrorism: Organizational and Global Perspectives,” was released in December (Routledge Press). Deflem can discuss Obama’s policies concerning homeland security and terrorism and how those policies will impact global security in the future. Deflem has written several books and has conducted research in Israel and at Europol’s anti-terrorism office in The Hague.
■ Public OpinionDr. Robert Oldendick is director of the Institute for Public Service and Policy Research and a professor of political science. He is an expert on public opinion and co-author of the text, “Public Opinion: Measuring the American Mind.” He can discuss how public opinion toward President Obama and his policy proposals have developed over the past year and their potential impact on the President’s legislative agenda.
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