The DePaul University political science department is trying to reach out to students ahead of the upcoming election through a series of discussion panels. 

In the first of three planned panel events, held on Oct. 10, DePaul professors discussed the implications of the election for the Supreme Court, foreign policy, current polling and voter participation. More than 60 students and faculty members attended, and a similar turnout is expected for the second panel on Oct. 30.

During the panel, political science professors Joe Mello, Wayne Steger and Scott Hibbard spoke, alongside Kristen Pengelly, a professor in DePaul’s College of Communication.

Mello expressed concerns that Trump’s reelection would lead to the loss of an impartial Supreme Court and place American democracy in danger.

“My real fear is if we lose the sanity of a court that calls ‘balls and strikes,’ then we are in a worse situation than we were in 2020 — when at least the court was there to stop Trump from overturning the election,” Mello said.

Mello said he thinks that there is a high probability that both Trump and Harris would create a super majority on the Supreme Court if either were elected.

Hibbard, the political science department chair, repeated Mello’s concerns about the risk of unrestrained executive power in a second Trump term.

“During the first Trump administration … he would issue orders … but the people around him disregarded orders and assumed he would forget that he had given orders — because some of them were illegal,” Hibbard said.“What we’re seeing now is an effort to recruit people that are going to be more supportive of Trump’s agenda.”

He emphasized the “stark” differences between the candidates and said that Harris foreign policy would likely be a continuation of Biden era policy.

Before the discussion began, Molly Andolina, a political science professor and the panel moderator, emphasized the speakers’ motivation.

“Our goal here is not to sell you anything. It’s not to convince you to vote for any particular candidate or the righteousness of one over the other. It is to educate you,” Andolina said.

Karina Ramirez, a political science student, appreciated the informative aspect of the panel.

“I believe that it is important to receive as much information and insight on the upcoming election as possible,” Ramirez said. “This election (is) important as we are witnessing the possibility of our first woman of color president. (There is a) large influence of young voters who believe that a change is necessary and very much possible.”

DePaul student Madison Hanna also appreciated the insights from professors, especially the discussion about prediction markets led by Steger.

“I attended the election panel to gain as much insight as possible on the specifics that make this election unique…. There are so many elements that make this election important and I’m glad to see so many of my peers engaged and ready to vote,” Hanna said.

While campaigns like Vote DePaul encourage voter registration, Andolina said that the political science department is more focused on informing students, rather than encouraging voter registration.

“The (political science) department is less focused on encouraging involvement than on educating students about the issues, critical groups and key races in the 2024 elections,” Andolina said, encouraging new voters to pay attention to contested lower offices, do a little research and “be prepared to vote for every office, not just the leader of the free world.”

According to Andolina, if young voters participate in large enough numbers, they can impact the election outcome.

Ramirez believes every vote matters and that silence in an important election year is not an option.

“I believe that young voters are underestimated,” she said. “We have become very resourceful and critical of where we get our information from. We have become socially aware of the impact our voices have in politics and I think it’s a great thing — we have taken advantage of it.”

The political science department’s next panel on Oct. 30 is at 4:30 p.m. in Levan Center 505 and will feature a presentation from Chicago Votes, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to inform young Chicagoans about politics. The final panel will be held on Nov. 7 at the same time and location and will review the results of the election.

Andolina expressed enthusiasm that the department is able to hold events like this.

“What’s great about these panels is that the faculty are sharing their professional insights, not their personal preferences,” Andolina said. “In a world where so much of social media and news media are promoting an agenda, universities can provide objective assessments of both the key issues and the state of the race.”

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