GV PS

Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams

Courses

    PLS 211 - International Relations
    PLS 315 - International Political Economy
    PLS 495 - Seminar: Study of Politics (Focus on Inequality)

Publications

The Power of a Promise: Education and Economic Renewal in Kalamazoo, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2009

Owning Up: Poverty, Assets, and the American Dream, Brookings Institution Press, 2002

The World Bank: New Agendas in a Changing World, Routledge, 1997

"The Kalamazoo Promise as a Model for an American Promise", with Timothy J. Bartik, Employment Research, July 2009, Special Issue: National Labor Market Policy.

"A Simple Gift?  The Impact of the Kalamazoo Promise on Economic Revitalization," Employment  Research, W.E. Upjohn Institute, July 2006.

“Breaking Into the Bank: The Challenge of Gaining Meaningful Access to the World Bank” (with Charles T. Myers). In Gaining Access: A Practical and Theoretical Guide for Qualitative Researchers, Martha S. Feldman, Jeannine Bell, and Michele Tracy Berger, eds., Walnut Creek, CA:  Altamira Press, 2003.

“Financial Markets in 1986: The Paradox of Liberalization.” In Italian Politics: A Review, vol. 2, Nanetti, Leonardi and Corbetta, eds. London and New York: Pinter Publishers, 1988.

“The World Bank and Private Capital” (with John F.H. Purcell). In Between Two Worlds: The World Bank's Next Decade, Richard E. Feinberg, ed. Washington: Overseas Development Council, 1986.

Recent Papers and Presentations

Reducing Inequality Through Universal College-Scholarships: Lessons from the Kalamazoo Promise, paper presented at the annual conference of the Latin American Studies Association, Rio de Janeiro, June 11-14, 2009.

Presentation on the Kalamazoo Promise as an investment in human, economic, and social capital, University of Perugia (Italy), May 6, 2009.

The Kalamazoo Promise and the Diffusion of a Private Policy Innovation, paper presented at the annual conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 2-5, 2009.

"Is Good Will Enough? The Foreign Policy Priorities of the Obama Administration," presentation to the Kalamazoo chapter of the United Nations Association, November 16, 2008.

"Who Controls the World Bank? Lessons of the Wolfowitz Presidency," paper presented at the annual conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 3-6, 2008.

Other Activities and Interests

In addition to my teaching position at GVSU, I am currently a visiting scholar at the W.E. Upjohn Institute in Kalamazoo, where I recently completed a book about the Kalamazoo Promise as an asset-building strategy. I have taught previously at Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College. My professional career has spanned the fields of non-profit management, finance, research, and academia; positions have included strategic planning consultant at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, vice president for programs at the Twentieth Century Fund (now the Century Foundation), and vice president for research at Salomon Brothers. A native of Los Angeles, I live in Kalamazoo with my daughter. My extracurricular interests include music (I serve on the board of the New York Youth Symphony), cycling, knitting, and a variety of other crafts.

You are invited to visit my personal web site

Campaign 2008 Stories: John Geahan, GVSU '08, Part 2

John Geahan graduated from GVSU in 2008 with a major in political science. If you have a story to share from Campaign 2008, please email Professor Richards: richardm@gvsu.edu

Here is part 2 of John's story, in his words:

 

Day 1 on Staff: The Stories in the Middle of the Mitten

It was 11:30pm and it was very dark. I exited off the highway after what seemed like a half hour of not seeing any highway exits. US-127 can be a very long and formidable road, if you've never driven it beyond Lansing. Heading towards Houghton Lake, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of person I was going to be living with. Was she nice? Old? Did she have dogs? Cats? Birds? Fish? Running Water? Part of the beauty of nationalizing a grassroots movement is reaching out to everyone and including them in our campaign efforts. Some people had a knack for knocking on doors or making persuasion calls. Some people were willing to help out in a more passive way: providing supporter housing.

Ramona was my lifesaver. She was the only person in my three county turf that was willing to host a complete stranger for four months in her home. She works as a nursing home inspector for the State of Michigan, working out of the regional office in Grayling. She moved to Houghton Lake to raise her family of 3 in a very small converted summer cottage. The home was cozy to say the least. It was 800 square feet with well water and propane heat. Upon arrival, she warmly welcomed me into her home and proceeded to talk my ear off for the next 45 minutes, before directing me to my bedroom. it was a loft overlooking the office below. It was six feet wide and eight feet long, and the ceiling was very low, as it played into the natural slope of the roof above. Every morning for the first week or so, I would slam my head into the VERY low ceiling. In time, I learned to deal with it. My bed was the same size that my first bed was. My feet literally hung over the ends if i didnt curl up. And if my feet hung over the edge of the bed, then they were probably hanging over the railing of the loft.

Cozy.

---

As a grassroots organization, many questioned why we never had enough resources in our offices. There were frustrations that we were forced to have to accept donations for yard signs, bumper stickers, and other forms of "chum." People never had to pay for campaign stuff before. They were upset being asked to volunteer some time on the phones rather than parting ways with five dollars. The campaign was receiving public recognition for destroying monthly fundraising goals, and people wanted to know why the campaign wouldn't give out free stuff. People were pissed that the field offices were charging when our boss was making so much money. To break it down though:

The 50-State Strategyis a very intense plan that requires a massive field staff to reach out to every single precinct to bring every single Democrat or Obama Supporter into the organization. We sought to empower communities and its members to get mobilized. It wasn't the campaign staff that won the election, it was the communities. All we did was to provide a spark to get people to take ownership of their neighborhoods, similar to that of a precinct captain, but on a much larger level. And we created an organization that sought to get Barack elected: we brought people together, like-minded people who might not normally have crossed paths but who shared common values and interests. The underlying goal I ran my office with was to create friendships that would last beyond the campaign, and networks of friends that would be able to come together again to accomplish community activism. These awesome volunteers that were there from Day 1 are the ones that are now community leaders. They are the new face of the Democratic Party. They got it. It was their doing that won on November 4. This was something I had to explain on a daily basis; to ensure people continued to feel they were in charge of the campaign.

 

 

I don't think people really grasped the magnitude of the efforts of the 50-state strategy. It didn't really sink in to me until I landed in North Carolina, but that's for a later post. Along with a paid staff, there is a need to [unfortunately] run media advertisements. And I will say this. I was disappointed when the first negative ad spots went on the air from the Obama camp. I was very proud that my boss was able to last so long in the general election without resorting to the 'mudslinging,' and was somewhat disappointed to see we finally put them up. It is inevitable to have to resort to the ads. Naysayers may criticize the Obama camp for the hard spots against McCain. Naysayers don't recognize that the campaign put out quite a few positive ads, significantly moreso than the McCain camp. But that is neither here or there.

The turf I was working in Michigan was a very rural turf, even though a quarter of the tri-county population lived within or near the cities and villages in my turf. Two of the counties could be called 'battleground' counties, as they narrowly voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004. One county was an overwhelmingly Republican county, which had been trending more and more to the right (66% for Bush in 2004, 69% for DeVos in 2006). Many of the jobs came from small business enterprise, as well as light industrial and service industries, and the struggles of Michigan's economy over the last decade have not made it any easier for people to survive. Many of the residents of my three counties also lived in 'bedroom' communities, meaning that most people didn't work within close proximity of their home and had long commutes. Residents took advantage of low property tax rates and low gas prices to justify long commutes. Clare is a great example of a bedroom community. Residents of Clare, MI tend to commute to Midland, Mount Pleasant, Cadillac, even Grayling, because they have such low property tax rates. And as the economy struggled in Michigan, municipalities had to raise taxes incrementally.

I was making calls to known democratic supporters in Clare during my second week in-turf when I finally got a real understanding of what people are going through. You can read about the hardships and see it from the window of your car as you drive by, but it becomes part of you when you hear it from someone whose been suffering the hardships of life in a dying city. I was calling out to Kerry Supporters to recruit Team Leaders. The television was on very loud in the background and I could barely hear the woman. I introduced myself as a staffer with Barack Obama's Campaign. She stopped me so she could turn down the television, which she pointed out was a VHS tape of a movie she had memorized. I thought this was odd at first, but as she continued on about the VHS, her story really began to unfold. It was the 7,000th time that she'd heard or watched the movie because they couldn't afford to pay for even an antenna for the TV.

Her husband was at the top of his pay grade, having reached his highest pay ceiling and was only receiving nickle and dime raises at a time. She was working as a blackjack dealer in Mount Pleasant. It was once enough that they could save a bit from her tips. For six people, they spent $150 on food, not because it saved them money, but that's all they could afford to spend on food. But now with gas prices rising, property taxes increasing, and cost of living soaring, she and her husband had to make the difficult decision as to what month they would turn off the heat, and which kids would get new winter coats this year. She told me why she was supporting Barack and went into a long 20 minute discussion of how plainly he spoke and how realistic his plans were to provide assistance for families that had fallen behind .  But when she was telling me all of the hardships that her family suffered through, it brought me near tears.

And the worst part about this story was that I told a close friend about the hardships that a married family with four children had and the first reaction to the story was, "Why didn't they go to school or try harder in life. Maybe get a new job, find some new work." I lost it. Some families don't have the luxury of being able to risk unemployment to find a better opportunity. When you live on an income so fixed that any slight hiccup sinks your ship, you cannot afford to quit a job and find something new. With one parent works 2 different day jobs, and the other working nights, just so that someone is home to take care of the kids, it says a lot about the family's dedication to staying together and making do to scrape by. I became irate that this friend could not comprehend why they didn't make a better life decision to be more successful.

This story really brought me down to earth. It reminded me of what I was doing on the campaign trail. This election wasn't only about me, but I knew that going into the race. This story only gave me a real understanding of why I was out here. I was out working to get the best man elected for the President of the United States of America; one who sought to best protect the interests of the working class and middle class.

Coming soon: No, you’re not fired. In fact, you’re going to North Carolina

Pews, Prayers, and Participation: Religion and Civic Responsibility in America

Professor Kevin den Dulk of the GVSU political science department is a co-author of a new Georgetown University Press book.

Pews, Prayers, and Participation: Religion and Civic Responsibility in America.

From Amazon:

"Pews, Prayers, and Participation is a comprehensive, clear--headed analysis of the relationship between religion and civic responsibility. Drawing on findings from multiple data sources and examining several aspects of civic responsibility, this volume provides a welcome synthesis of knowledge on this complex subject."--Mark Chaves, professor of sociology, religion, and divinity, Duke University"

"A distinguished team of scholars provides compelling evidence for the pivotal contribution of religion to American civic life. Especially striking is the finding that the nature of religious commitment determines the degree of faith's public impact. This will be a major reference work for years to come."--Allen Hertzke, professor of political science and director of religious studies, University of Oklahoma"

"Most debates about the place of religion in politics ultimately boil down to the question of whether religious values can improve the quality of civil society. Asking such a question poses a daunting challenge, but armed with an impressive array of survey data, this team of authors is more than up to the task. Rich, complex, and relevant, this book will be of interest to all who wonder whether religion's role in public life actually makes a difference in the world."--Laura R. Olson, Clemson University

Globalization and Human Rights Panel at GVSU

The International Relations Organization will be hosting a panel discussion on Globalization and its effects on Human Rights tomorrow, Tuesday November 18th at 2:00pm in Kirkhof room 215/ 216. There will be three professors, all speaking about the process from the perspective of a different region.

 

Professor Patrick Shan from the History Department will be discussing East Asia.

 

Professor Jim Penn from the Geography Department will be discussing Latin America

 

and Professor George Kieh from the Poliical Science Department will be discussing Africa.

 

Campaign 2008 Stories: John Geahan GVSU '08, Part 1

John Geahan graduated from GVSU in 2008 with a major in political science. If you have a story to share from Campaign 2008, please email Professor Richards: richardm@gvsu.edu

Here is part 1 of John's story, in his words:

“I find myself struggling every day [since Election Tuesday] trying to figure out what I am supposed to be doing with myself. I am not making phone calls, I am not knocking on doors, I am not preparing for tomorrow. It is such a surreal feeling to have free time again. I hate it so much!”

– This conversation happened about 5 times a day after Election Day.

Part 1: An introduction to Campaign Field Work and How I Got There

Good afternoon and hello to you, political scientists! My name is John Geahan, and I am working to return to normal life after a roller coaster ride over the last four months. I was afforded an opportunity to work on Barack Obama’s historical and innovative Presidential Campaign. I worked as a Field Organizer in Michigan and North Carolina between July 5^th and November 4th, and I have been asked by Professor Mark Richards to share my experiences and stories with you, covering my ‘short’ trek with the campaign.

I worked as a Field Organizer in Clare, Missaukee, and Roscommon Counties, located in the Middle of the Mitten. These counties were the ‘frontier’ counties to our region, and were located along the US-127 Corridor north of Mount Pleasant. The three counties populated around 71,000 people, averaging out to about 40 people per square mile. There were three “cities” in my turf and five “villages,” as well as a few unincorporated population centers and small smatterings of crossroads that had four way stops and general stores. The area was traditionally conservative, with Missaukee County getting recognition for being one of the top Republican turnout counties in the state. For example: Bush carried the county 66/34 in 2004 and Dick DeVos carried it 68/32. Ironically, Carl Levin wins the county overwhelmingly too, but that’s a different story.

This year, in 2008, we picked up 8 points to bring the margin to 60/40 for McCain. It's places like Missaukee County that we “win where we lose,” meaning places we bring our margins up are the places that help give the overall state numbers a small boost. Those small boosts in a state that are generally red outside Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw, Traverse City, and Detroit-Metro are what make the elections. Here in Michigan, a landslide would be a 53/47 percent victory. Michigan has always been a tight state; this being true for Presidential Elections, Congressional Elections, Gubernatorial Elections, and in many cases, even local/state elections, but not this year.

The challenges and obstacles I faced were monumental when I first began working on the campaign, from things like wondering ‘how I was going to find enough volunteers to fill team roles’ to ‘finding any Barack Obama supporters period.’ On a daily basis, I would get yelled and screamed at by people who were genuinely offended to be called by “his” campaign, and would be talked down to for supporting the candidate that I did. Sundays were the days I dreaded the most, as people would tell me they were ‘praying for me because I was calling on a Sunday’ or ‘praying my candidate would lose horribly.’

It takes a lot of thick skin and a knack for innovation and adaptability to get started working as an organizer. My first days were days spent wondering how I was going to find supporters in traditionally Republican counties in the Middle of Michigan. The turf I took over had already broken one organizer; he lasted 2 weeks. Knowing this, I knew I was in for the ride of my life.

My Story – How I Ended up On Staff

Let me first preface this by saying that anyone who willingly and enthusiastically agrees to work in the field for a large-scale campaign is either totally nuts or has an unhealthy crush on the person they’re working to elect. In many cases, it is generally a little of column A and a little of column B. But in any case, ask anyone who makes the decision to become an integral part of this insaniTeam, and they will tell you verbatim the same thing: “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

-          -

On July 2^nd, I got a message on Facebook from a friend I hadn’t talked to since high school, saying that Barack Obama’s campaign had opened up an office in Grand Rapids, and they were looking for volunteers to get involved with the campaign. Volunteer work? I kind of need a job. I don’t know what kind of time I can put into this, I remember thinking as soon as I read through his message. But why not? This kind of opportunity doesn’t exactly fall into your lap every day. I had an extended conversation with my dad about becoming involved with the campaign, even if only on a volunteer level, and it was his advice that really got me into that office.

“John, just remember this. You are still young and you have plenty of time to settle into a career. Go out and do something stupid, and something that may not end up paying you. This is the time to get some real experience. We will support you in whatever you end up doing.”

So July 5, I met with the Field Organizer working Ward 2 of Grand Rapids for coffee to sit down and have a one-on-one meeting. It was initially a ‘find out what I can do consistently with the campaign’ meeting, that eventually broke down into a 2 hour talk about every aspect of the campaign. I walked out of that meeting with an internship on that day, and spent 5 hours in the office that afternoon/evening getting myself familiar with the operation.

Within a week, I was tallying my 16^th voter registration form, and my 300^th volunteer call. I was becoming somewhat of a ‘regular’ in the office, and was starting to really get comfortable with the entire operation. Within 2 weeks, I was targeting high foot traffic locations in Grand Rapids and organizing voter registration drives in those places. Voter registration has been an integral part of this campaign, and has arguably been the driving force in keeping him in the race. When you look at or hear about all of the new voters registered across the nation, most of those registered within the Democratic Party came from the campaign efforts. Of course, many of the new registrants come from third-party organizations, but most of those registered by the Campaign for Change made up a huge portion of the first-time voters.

And then, July 30^th, there came the call for real action. I was talking to the FO I was working with, John “Ed” Carr, and he happened to mention that the campaign was looking to hire 28 people into the Michigan staff. He sat me down with Magdey, who was the Regional Field Director (for a lack of a better term, he was the regional boss), and we talked about the seriousness of what taking a job with the campaign might mean. And by this point, I was already putting in almost 60 hours of volunteer work during the week, going so far as to come in early in the morning or staying late to make sure that all of the data got put back into the system, and would be available for the next days’ activities (if necessary).

And after a quick 20 minute conversation about what working for the campaign would entail, he gave me the staff referral hiring link and I took the next step with the campaign. I got a call on Saturday, August 1 from the Deputy Field Director for the Western side of Michigan, and offered me the job right on the spot. By Tuesday, he said, I would be leaving for job training in Lansing, and would be given a turf assignment by Thursday.

Looking back, my only regret was not getting involved sooner.

This was post #1 in a series of 5 I have planned for the GV PS blog.

Upcoming Posts:

-          Day 1 on Staff: The Stories in the Middle of the Mitten

-          No, you’re not fired. In fact, you’re going to North Carolina

-          Respect, Empower, Include, and the Stories I will Carry On Forever

-          Blood, Sweat, and Tears: How I Survived and Advice for Future Field Staff Whackos

Your Campaign 2008 Stories and Experiences

We are looking for stories and experiences from GVSU alumni and students who worked on a 2008 political campaign. If you would be interested in sharing your experience on GV PS, please email Professor Richards: richardm@gvsu.edu.

Presidential Inauguration Scholarship Winners

The GVSU Political Science Department and Provost's Office are delighted to announce the recipients of a scholarship to attend The Washington Center's Presidential Inauguration Seminar in January 2009. They are Felix Sharpe, MaryBeth Dieters, Alexis Stanczuk, and Selma Tucker.

Congratulations!

Bush: Legacy and Lessons

GVSU's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies is sponsoring a conference on November 13 and 14.

Bush: Legacy and Lessons
What Citizens Need to Know

RSVP at the Hauenstein Center website.

Schedule:
All presentations will take place in Grand Valley's Loosemore Auditorium.

Thursday, November 13, 2008
7:00 PM: Keynote Address by Rufus Fears

Friday, November 14, 2008
7:00 AM: Complimentary Breakfast
8:00 AM: Keynote Address by John Burke on "The Evolution of the Bush Presidency"
9:15 AM: Break
9:30 AM: Panel 1: "Presidential Powers and the Bush Presidency"
          Louis Fisher on "Bush and the War Power"
          Dale Herspring on "Bush as Commander-in-Chief"
          Mitch Sollenberger on "Executive Privilege: Bush and Presidential Secrecy"
10:45 AM: Break
11:00 AM: Panel II: "The Bush Administration: Process and Policies"
          Andrew Busch on "The Domestic Policy Agenda"
          Brian Flanagan on "Reforming the Executive: Truman, Bush, and U.S. National Security"
          Charles E. Walcott on "The Bush Staff and Cabinet System"
12:15 PM: Luncheon Address with Kasey Pipes
"A Hard Presidency: The Challenging Times & Tough Choices of George W. Bush"
1:45 PM: Break
2:00 PM: Panel III: "Presidential Powers and the Bush Legacy"
          Thomas Moylan Keck on "The Biggest Legacy? Bush's Federal Court Appointments"
          Michael Nelson on "Vice-Presidential Power: The Unique Role of Richard Cheney"
          Gleaves Whitney on "Anatomy of a Divorce: The Split Between Bush and the Conservative Movement"
3:15 PM: Concluding Remarks