Activities and Interests

Largely because of my earlier employment in local government, I developed a research interest some time ago in local government privatization, economic development, and ethics.  I have published on those topics in the National Civic Review, Economic Development Review, and Politics.  A case study on local government ethics constitutes a chapter in Campaigns and Elections:  Issues, Concepts, and Cases edited by Campbell and Watson (Lynne Rienner Press, 2003).

I also have a research interest in the American presidency, American political thought, and political philosophy.  A WKU summer grant and a semester-length sabbatical leave allowed me to travel to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California for archival research culminating in my book Ronald Reagan's Journey: Democrat to Republican (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2006). The book is available for purchase in both academic and trade markets.

In July, 2006 I was an Academic Visitor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) undertaking research with Dr. Schonhardt-Bailey, Senior Lecturer at the LSE. We applied a computer-assisted content analysis to the major speeches delivered by Thatcher and Reagan to more rigorously analyze the rhetorical leadership of each leader. I presented a paper derived from this research at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Political Science Association. Dr. Schonhardt-Bailey and I expect to publish our findings in a respected British or American political science journal.