College of Charleston political science professors have been featured in dozens of media outlets talking about the government shutdown, and now they will answer the public’s questions in a free panel discussion. On Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 4 p.m. in Maybank Hall (169 Calhoun Street) room 100, a discussion and Q&A will be held with department chair and professor Gibbs Knotts, and professors Jordan Ragusa and Kendra Stewart.
“Everyone has the right to understand what’s happening with our government, not just political science majors,” Ragusa said. “We want to give students and community members the opportunity to be as engaged and aware as they want to be.”
[Related: Will the Government Shutdown Have a Major Impact on the College of Charleston?]
Knotts, Ragusa and Stewart will speak about the circumstances surrounding the government shutdown – what the shutdown means for citizens, the political standoff that caused it and the potential consequences for the debt ceiling – for 10-12 minutes each, followed by a question-answer session and discussion.
Knotts and Ragusa have each spoken about bipartisanship in congress and the fiscal cliff in the days leading up to the shutdown. Along with Stewart, the three will share a comprehensive explanation for how these and other factors play into the shutdown.
[Related: Is Political Compromise a Lost Art?]
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for the parties to compromise,” Knotts said. “Today’s elected officials are much more ideologically pure; republicans are more conservative and democrats are more liberal making it difficult for these politicians to reach across the aisle without angering their respective bases.”
For more information, Gibbs Knotts can be reached at knottsg@cofc.edu, Jordan Ragusa can be reached at ragusajm@cofc.edu, and Kendra Stewart can be reached at stewartk@cofc.edu.
