Zachary McGee joined Kenyon College in the fall of 2023. He teaches courses on American politics, particularly on the topics of Congress, political parties and public policy. His research centers on questions of power among elites and utilizes a variety of methodological approaches including quantitative statistical modeling, archival work and interviews with elites.
McGee’s classes are informed by interdisciplinary research and experiential learning opportunities, like visits to local government meetings and simulations of election betting markets. His courses insist that students take more than one explanation for our present political ills seriously. Originally from the Appalachian region of Maryland, he enjoys the contrast between his home in bustling Columbus and Kenyon’s serene campus in Gambier, which reminds him of his childhood hometown’s close-knit community.
Areas of Expertise
Congress, political parties, public policy
Education
2021 — Doctor of Philosophy from University of Texas at Austin
2017 — Master of Arts from University of Texas at Austin
2015 — Bachelor of Science from Towson University
Courses Recently Taught
This course is the same as PSCI 200D. This course must be taken as PSCI 200D to count toward the social science diversification requirement. The course explores the guiding principles, major institutions and national politics of the American political system. The Founders' view of liberal democracy and of the three branches of our government (presented in the "Federalist Papers") will provide the basis for consideration of the modern Supreme Court, presidency, bureaucracy, Congress, news media and political parties and elections. The course concludes with Tocqueville's broad overview of American democracy and its efforts to reconcile liberty and equality. The themes of the course will be illustrated by references to current political issues, events and personalities. This course counts toward the politics, culture and society requirement for the major. Sophomore standing. Concurrent enrollment in PSCI 102Y is required. Offered every year.
This course is the same as AMST 200D. The course explores the guiding principles, major institutions and national politics of the American political system. The Founders' view of liberal democracy and of the three branches of our government (presented in the "Federalist Papers") provides the basis for consideration of the modern Supreme Court, presidency, bureaucracy, Congress, news media, and political parties and elections. The course concludes with Tocqueville's broad overview of American democracy and its efforts to reconcile liberty and equality. The themes of the course are illustrated by references to current political issues, events and personalities. This course is required for the major. This counts toward the politics, culture and society requirement for the American studies major. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or first-year students currently enrolled in PSCI 102Y. Offered every year.
Does the U.S. Congress possess the capacity for independent and effective law-making, budgeting and oversight of the executive? To what extent has Congress ceded policymaking responsibility to the president? How does congressional performance vary across policy areas and what accounts for these variations? How have recent reforms affected congressional performance? This course explores these questions by examining the historical development and contemporary performance of the U.S. Congress. We analyze the factors that influence the policymaking process, including the electoral setting in which legislators operate, the relationship of Congress to interest groups and the party and committee systems within the institution. We also analyze the performance of Congress in several policy areas. This counts toward the American politics requirement for the major and the public policy concentration. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing. Offered every two years.
This course examines the influence American citizens have on their government through political parties and elections. Major topics include the character of American parties; the political behavior and beliefs of citizens, especially as voters; recent history of the party system and elections; election campaigning; the role of the news media in elections; the impact of public opinion and elections on government policies; the future of the party system; and an evaluation of the party and electoral systems from the perspective of democratic theory. We pay special attention to current presidential and congressional elections. This counts toward the American politics requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing. Offered every two years.
This course studies various views of the policymaking process in our national government and considers the different stages of policymaking. These include how problems are defined; how new proposals emerge and how certain solutions make it onto the national agenda and are debated before adoption, altered during implementation and subsequently evaluated. We also consider the role of politicians, experts and bureaucrats in policymaking, study why specific policies were adopted and debate whether these were the best possible policies. We analyze the policymaking process through case studies such as welfare reform, education and national health insurance. This course is a required foundation course for the public policy concentration and counts toward the American politics requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing. Offered every year.
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