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Dora Kreitzer, Editor-in-Chief/Bucknellian
Scott Meinke, a political science professor with a passion for education and American politics, has taught at Bucknell University since 2002. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wittenberg University and later earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from The Ohio State University. Meinke served as chair of the Department of Political Science from 2017 to 2021 and is currently on sabbatical leave. Professor Meinke had a lot to share when talking about his field of expertise and research.
Mr. Meinke’s political science specialty is state institutions in American politics. This includes Congress, the Office of the President, and the courts. Most of his research focuses on Congress, but he also covers elections, presidents, and the Supreme Court.
When asked about what inspired him to become a political science professor, Meinke said:I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in American politics at all. American politics has always been fascinating to me. But when I announced I would major in political science in college, I knew I would probably go to law school. In fact, it wasn’t until I took a required research course and did my first original project (in Congress) that I started thinking that researching and teaching politics might be what I wanted to do. ”
Professor Meinke teaches a variety of classes covering several different areas of political science at Bucknell University. Meinke said he enjoys every class he teaches, but there are some that are his favorites. “The American Congress is probably my favorite. I love Congress. Even though Congress is our least beloved institution, I love helping my students think about why Congress works the way it does.” I really enjoy helping out. Another recent favorite is my seminar on American polarization because I apply the latest research to understanding the current crisis in American politics. .”
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Many students at Bucknell University had the opportunity to work on projects with Professor Meinke. The research projects he has worked on with his students have included building datasets from original sources and pilot studies to determine whether a research project is viable. For our latest student-collaboration project, an article about the House’s law-making rules, students in our Congressional class helped us gather information.
When asked about working with students, Meinke emphasized how motivated Bucknell students are to learn, saying, “Bucknell students have worked on many projects with me. I am so grateful to be able to teach at a school that is so interested in research!”
Last year, Professor Meinke said:The origins and consequences of the electoral agenda of parliamentary parties?” The inspiration for this book was to investigate how party polarization is changing representation: “candidates’ commitment to voters and their post-election responses.”
He also talked about his recent work:In this book, I show how the party became a major part of that story. Parties began formulating collective promises and focused on them once they achieved a majority. But I also show that their promises are selective and strategic and do not reflect the priorities of all party members. ”
In several current research projects, Professor Meinke seeks to understand how the way legislation is reported influences voters’ views. More specifically, he studies the Senate filibuster and recent debates on the subject.
“I show that the media often portrays the filibuster in oversimplified terms, and that the information voters receive shapes their views of the content of the Senate. ” The survey also used national survey questions from the Bucknell Institute for Public Policy to measure public opinion.
Professor Meinke has also begun progress on a second project. “It examines how party leaders in Congress seek to manage factions within the party, such as the Freedom Caucus. Part of that project includes how leaders communicate with members regarding voting decisions. It includes archival-based research on how people communicated.
Professor Meinke’s extensive research allows him to attend many political science conferences. His favorite was the Association of Congressional Research Centers, which allowed him to showcase research within the Congressional Archives to “discover new data sources and build context for quantitative data analysis.” “I really enjoyed meeting with other Congressional geeks,” Meinke said. [him]”
More information about Professor Meinke and his research can be found on the Bucknell website and on his personal webpage.
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