Rice University experts available to discuss Obama’s inauguration and second term

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

Amy Hodges
713-348-6777
amy.hodges@rice.edu

HOUSTON – (Jan. 14, 2013) – President Barack Obama will be inaugurated for his second term in office Jan. 21. The following Rice University experts are available to comment on key issues that will be at play over the next four years.

Presidential politics, policy, the role of government and the American electorate:

Paul Brace, the Clarence L. Carter Professor of Political Science, can discuss topics regarding the U.S. presidency, including issues Obama might face during his second term.

Douglas Brinkley, a fellow in history at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and a professor of history, can comment on the history of U.S. presidential inaugurations and second terms.

Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and a Baker Institute fellow in political science, can comment on Obama’s relations with a GOP-controlled House.

Steve Murdock, former director of the U.S. Census Bureau and the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor in Sociology, can discuss the country’s shift in demographics and the changing face of the electorate.

Lyn Ragsdale, the Radoslav A. Tsanoff Chair of Public Affairs and Professor of Political Science, is available to discuss issues regarding the U.S. presidency and what can be expected from Obama’s second term.

Robert Stein, the Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and a Baker Institute fellow in urban politics, can discuss public opinion polls and public policy.

The U.S. economy and taxes:

John Diamond, an economist and the Baker Institute’s Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance, can discuss the “fiscal cliff “aftermath and overall federal tax and expenditure policy and its implications.
Foreign policy:

Joe Barnes, the Baker Institute’s Bonner Means Baker Fellow and a former U.S. State Department diplomat, can discuss U.S. foreign policy and the war in Afghanistan.

Health care policy and economics:

Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics and a professor of economics, can discuss the key health care reform issues affecting the nation in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act last summer and how this reform could evolve in Obama’s second term.

Elena Marks, the Baker Institute scholar in health policy, can discuss state-level health policy issues, including health insurance exchanges, Medicaid expansion and the number of uninsured people.

War on drugs, drug policy in the U.S., border issues and immigration:

Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor and chair of political science and a Baker Institute fellow in political science, can comment on the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform.

Nathan Jones, the Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy, can discuss the war on drugs, security relations between the U.S. and Mexico and the Merida Initiative.

William Martin, the Baker Institute’s Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy, is available to discuss U.S. drug policy, including the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington and the actions of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of against medical marijuana growers and dispensaries in California.

Tony Payan, the Baker Institute’s scholar for immigration and border studies, can discuss the war on drugs, drug policies, immigration, border issues and Latin America.

Race relations and religion:

Michael Emerson, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and co-director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, can discuss how race relations and religion impacts U.S. politics.

International economics:

Russell Green, an economist and the Baker Institute’s Will Clayton Fellow in International Economics, can discuss international economics, including issues surrounding the Chinese currency policy, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and the European debt crisis.

Steven Lewis, the Baker Institute’s C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow, can discuss relations between the U.S. and China.

Richard Stoll, the Albert Thomas Chair of Political Science, can discuss the major foreign policy issues currently facing the U.S. and how the country’s foreign policy could evolve during Obama’s second term.

Climate change:

Ron Sass, the Baker Institute’s fellow in global climate change, can discuss climate change, uranium mining, methane emissions and extreme weather.

Energy:

Ken Medlock, the Baker Institute’s James A. Baker III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics and senior director of the institute’s Center for Energy Studies, can discuss the major energy issues that will be at play over the next four years.

Rice University has a VideoLink ReadyCam TV interview studio. ReadyCam is capable of transmitting broadcast-quality standard-definition and high-definition video directly to all news media organizations around the world 24/7.

To schedule an interview with any one of these experts, contact David Ruth, director of national media relations, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

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This news release can be found online at https://news2.rice.edu.

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Related materials:

Paul Brace bio: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~pbrace/

Douglas Brinkley bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/dbrinkley

Mark Jones bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/mjones

Steve Murdock bio: http://hobbycenter.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=66

Lyn Ragsdale bio: http://politicalscience.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=142

Robert Stein bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/rstein

Michael Emerson bio: http://sociology.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=110

John Diamond bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/jdiamond

Russell Green bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/rgreen

Joe Barnes bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/jbarnes

Steven Lewis bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/slewis

Richard Stoll bio: http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~stoll/

Vivian Ho bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/vho

Elena Marks bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/emarks

Nathan Jones bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/njones

William Martin bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/wmartin

Tony Payan bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/tpayan

Ronald Sass bio: www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/rsass

Kenneth Medlock bio: http://www.bakerinstitute.org/personnel/fellows-scholars/kmedlock

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