The noted Political Scientist, Morris P. Fiorina, who has authored such classic books as Congress: Keystone of the Washington Establishment (Yale, 1977) and Retrospective Voting in American National Elections (1981), will deliver the annual George S. Parthemos Lecture on February 12, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. in Room 250 of the Miller Learning Center. His lecture, “Tenuous Majorities, Party Sorting, and the Contemporary American Electorate,” reflects his interest in U.S. elections and public opinion, with a particular emphasis on the quality of representation: how well elected officials represent the interests of the people. This is a timely topic for the election year.

 
Fiorina is the Wendt Family Professor of Political Science at Stanford University where he also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences. He is the co-author of Culture War: The Myth of a Polarized America, which is currently in its third edition (2011) and co-editor of Can We Talk? The Rise of Rude, Nasty, Stubborn Politics (2013). His co-authored book, The Personal Vote: Constituency Service and Electoral Independence, won the 1988 Richard F. Fenno Prize.

 
This lecture series is named after George S, Parthemos, who served the University of Georgia with great distinction for over 30 years until his death in 1984. During that time he served as Head of the Department of Political Science and Vice President for Instruction. He was also an extraordinary teacher. This series, sponsored by the Department of Political Science, honors his commitment to education. Each year, the Parthemos Scholar not only delivers this lecture, but teaches classes and interacts with students and faculty over two to three days.

A reception will follow the lecture.