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As the midterm elections approach, alumna and TIME magazine writer Olivia B. Waxman ’10 focused on socialism’s growing acceptance and popularity in an article that included significant input from Professor of History Maurice Isserman, biographer of the founder of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Why the 2018 midterms are just as important as 2016, an essay published by James S. Sherman Professor of Government Philip Klinkner in the Washington Post’s Made by History section, explains how “midterm elections are often as transformational and consequential as presidential elections.”

Nicole Taylor ’19 has been helping Hamilton students vote since her first year on campus. Taylor explained, “I would be talking to my new friends about politics and I’d say, ‘Well, you know, the only way you can really voice your opinion at this stage in your life is to vote. Are you registered to vote?’ and they’d be seniors and they’d say, ‘No.’” This led her to teach some of her peers about the registration process and ultimately helped foster her passion for campus voter engagement.

Heat waves, drenching rain, slammed doors, and rants have not kept students in Professor of Government Philip Klinkner’s Electoral Politics class off the streets of the Mohawk Valley this summer.

Students in Hamilton’s Program in France recently attended a round table on the upcoming French presidential election. The event was organized by Hamilton in France on behalf of the Francophone programs at Reid Hall in Paris, where HiF is located. The roundtable attracted a full house, especially since it followed closely the first televised three-and-a- half-hour log debate of all candidates in the April 23 first round of voting.

Last semester Professor Phil Klinkner's Government 223 class studied the political dynamics of the presidential nomination process, paying special attention to the 2016 election cycle. They were able to earn a half credit by volunteering on a presidential campaign over their winter break. Mike Verostek ’16 offers this view of Hillary Clinton’s campaign in New Hampshire. Last week Brian Ferrell ’16 shared his experiences on the Jeb Bush campaign in Iowa.

Hamilton students are known for their leadership potential, whether in the classroom, on the field, or in the organizations they manage. Like many graduates, government major Jake London ’14 is translating the leadership skills he learned at the College into a promising career path. After starting early this summer London is serving as campaign manager for New Hampshire state senate candidate Chris Muns, hitting the ground running as he explores a long-term career in political organizing.

Philip Klinkner, the James S. Sherman Professor of Government, was quoted, first by Utica’s Observer-Dispatch (OD) and then by the National Review Online (NRO), referencing his OD quotes. The OD article titled “Nearly $1M spent on Hanna's behalf vs. Tenney” appearing on June 13 and the NRO article titled “Is Claudia Tenney the Next David Brat?” and appearing on June 20 compared U.S. Representative Richard Hanna’s campaign for re-election to the New York’s 22nd district against Claudia Tenney to that of Eric Cantor’s campaign.

In the Program in Washington, classroom discussions can be connected immediately to the real world of politics and policy. On April 11, for example, students in the morning seminar on campaigns and elections discussed pre-election and post-election disputes. The reading for the class, Jay Weiner’s This Is Not Florida: How Al Franken Won the Minnesota Senate Recount, featured Marc Elias ’90 as the protagonist in the long legal battle. That afternoon, students met with Elias to discuss the 2008 recount and the 2012 election.

On March 21, students in the Program in Washington traveled to Alexandria, Va., to meet with Alicia Davis Downs ’97 and Michael Dubke ’92 to discuss technology, media and the 2012 election.