Andrew Barnes, Ph.D. – Department Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science at Kent State University

Kelly M. McMann, Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the International Studies program at Case Western Reserve University

Dear Colleagues:

Sometimes current affairs move too quickly for whoever has to write a program announcement. So it is safest to say that on September 12, two highly informed and thoughtful scholars of post-Soviet politics will offer their thoughts on the conflicts, how severe they may become, and their consequences.

One issue is simply how different conflicts relate: between Ukrainian and Russian loyalists within Ukraine; between Ukraine and Russia; and between Russia and “the west,” including the EU and United States. Another is what is happening on the ground – as of September 12, what can we know about the claims and counterclaims? A third is what might happen next – what level of war, what prospects for peace, and with what borders. Above all, what does the conflict say about the nature of the current Russian regime, the relationship between its domestic and foreign policies, and the long-term place of Russia within international politics?

Dr. Barnes is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at KSU. Dr. McMann is Associate Professor and Director of the International Studies program at CWRU.

All best regards,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies

About Our Guests

Andrew Barnes’ research on post-soviet Russia analyzes the competition for property among private parties and between private parties and the state. Owning Russia: The Struggle for Factories, Farms and Power (Cornell: 2006) has been called “vital reading for anyone interested in understanding the ongoing Russian transformation.” His more recent research has focused on the political economy of the oil sector, including the effect of oil prices on Russia’s economics and politics as well as the role of oil in Russia’s relations with both China and Europe.

Kelly M. McMann is currently conducting research on how democracy develops within countries. Once a national government has introduced civil liberties and permitted elections how do these practices diffuse within a country? Or, alternatively, how do practices in a more democratic part of a country spread to others parts until these practices are ultimately adopted by the national government? She has begun her investigation by examining contemporary cases in Africa, Asia, and the former Soviet Union and historical cases in Europe. Related to this project, McMann is also participating in the Varieties of Democracy project as the manager for subnational politics.

In a recent project on corruption, McMann explored why citizens use bribes, personal connections, and promises of political support to obtain government assistance. She drew on interviews, surveys, and observational studies she conducted in Central Asia. This research will appear in Corruption as a Last Resort: Adapting to the Market in Central Asia (Cornell University Press, forthcoming). In prior research, McMann investigated how citizens’ economic relationships with the state influence their willingness to engage in civic activities essential to democracy. She describes the findings from this investigation in her book Economic Autonomy and Democracy: Hybrid Regimes in Russia and Kyrgyzstan (Cambridge University Press, 2006).

McMann’s research in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Social Science Research Council, the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, and the International Research & Exchanges Board.

Where We Meet

The Friday Public Affairs Lunch convenes each Friday when classes are in session, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. We usually meet in the Dampeer Room of Kelvin Smith Library. The Dampeer Room is on the second floor of the library. If you get off the elevators, turn right, pass the first bank of tables, and turn right again. Occasionally we need to use a different room; that will always be announced in the weekly e-mails.

Parking Possibilities

The most convenient parking is the lot underneath Severance Hall. We regret that it is not free. From that lot there is an elevator up to street level (labeled as for the Thwing Center); it is less than 50 yards from that exit to the library entrance. You can get from the Severance garage to the library without going outside. Near the entry gates – just to the right if you were driving out – there is a door into a corridor. Walk down the corridor and there will be another door. Beyond that door you’ll find the entrance to an elevator which goes up to an entrance right inside the doors to Kelvin Smith Library.

Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

September 19: The Use and Misuse of “Big Data” for Health Care. With Sharona Hoffman, Edgar A. Hahn Professor of Law and Professor of Bioethics; Co-Director, Law-Medicine Center.

September 26: The Future of CLE Air Service. With Todd F. Payne, Chief of Marketing and Air Service Development, Cleveland Airport System. ***Alternative Venue: LL06 B & C at Kelvin Smith Library***

October 3: Encouraging Savings by the Poor in Developing Countries. With Silvia Prina, Associate Professor of Economics. ***Alternative Venue: Mather House Room 100***

October 10: The Effects of High-Stakes Testing on Students and Schools. With Dale Whittington Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation, Shaker Heights City School District.

October 17: “Obamacare” and The Free Clinic. With Danny Williams J.D., MNO, Executive Director, The Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland. ***Alternative Venue: Mather House Room 100***

October 24: An Update on the Search for an AIDS Vaccine. With Michael M. Lederman, Scott R. Inkley Professor of Medicine and Co-Director, CWRU/UHC Center for AIDS Research.

October 31: The Midterm Election. With Karen Beckwith, Flora Stone Mather Professor of Political Science, Justin Buchler, Associate Professor of Political Science; and Andrew Lucker, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science. ***Alternative Venue: LL06 B & C at Kelvin Smith Library***

November 7: ROTC Returns to Campus. With Lt. Colonel Donald Hazelwood, Northeast Ohio ROTC Commander and Professor of Military Science, John Carroll University. ***Alternative Venue: Mather House Room 100***

November 14: Perspectives on Human Subjects Research Requirements. With Suzanne Rivera Ph.D., M.S.W., Associate Vice President for Research and Assistant Professor of Bioethics. ***Alternative Venue: LL06 B & C at Kelvin Smith Library***

November 21: Local Government in an Age of Austerity. With David B. Miller, Associate Professor in the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and Council President, City of South Euclid.

November 28: Thanksgiving Break

December 5: Godless Democrats and Pious Republicans: Party Activists and the Mythical God Gulf. With Ryan Claassen, Associate Professor of Political Science, Kent State University.