David Lewis

William Russell (right) embraces his father, Theodore Russell, during the March 26 endowed chair holder celebration, while his mother, Georgia Russell, and colleague Revi Mathew look on. (Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt) Nine Vanderbilt University faculty members named to endowed chairs were honored March 26 during a celebration at the Student Life… Read More

George W. Bush can probably look forward to an upswing in popularity as time goes by, say two Vanderbilt political scientists. A poll by CBS News and The New York Times near the end of Bush’s 2001-2009 presidency showed his approval rating at 22 percent, making him one of the most unpopular departing presidents in history. Read More

Watch video of David Lewis, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Political Science, speaking at the Osher Lifelong Learning class, “Politics in a Polarized Polity.” The Feb. 1 class, “Polarization and the Presidency,” focuses on how changes to the presidential selection process have affected the presidents we elect and… Read More

Vanderbilt political scientist David E. Lewis says a move for authority to shrink the federal government by President Obama is an attempt to preempt Republican challenger Mitt Romney from positioning himself as the candidate associated with government efficiency. Read More

The nomination of former Ohio attorney general Richard Cordray to head up the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “is clearly an issue that has come to the forefront because of election year politics,” said David Lewis, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University. Read More

How will President George Bush be seen by future generations?  Associate Chair of the Department of Political Science David Lewis explains why he thinks President Bush will be remembered more favorably than he is today. View 2012 election expertise information for David Lewis >> Visit election VU to find… Read More

How do we fix the problem of too much politics in the bureaucracy?  Associate Chair of the Department of Political Science David Lewis explains why he thinks the number of presidential appointees should be cut and why most presidents do not support a merit system when it comes to bureaucratic… Read More

The Division of Sponsored Research received notification in April that the following grants in excess of $25,000 had been awarded: Theodore A. Bapty, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has received an award in the amount of $311,047 by the Department of Defense for “Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE).” Abhishek… Read More

Public invited to lecture series on American politics Political experts John Geer, Dave Lewis and Alan Wiseman will speak during the spring Saturday University lecture series at Vanderbilt University. Saturday University, designed to fill the niche between the single lecture and a full degree program, offers a lecture… Read More

Noted congressional scholar Thomas E. Mann spoke at Vanderbilt University Oct. 28 about the outlook for the 2010 midterm elections. The public lecture was sponsored by Vanderbilt’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. Mann, the W. Averell Harriman Chair and senior fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution,… Read More

Vanderbilt’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions has a strong community outreach component that seeks to help citizens understand contemporary public policy issues and debates. Political scientists John Geer and David Lewis are among the four co-directors of the center that is housed within the Department of… Read More

Noted congressional scholar Thomas E. Mann will speak at Vanderbilt University on Oct. 28 about the outlook for the 2010 midterm elections. The public lecture marks the official launch of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, which is housed within Vanderbilt’s Department of Political Science. Read More

President Barack Obama’s declining approval ratings increase the challenges of keeping his once-lauded “team of rivals” in place through 2012, according to David E. Lewis, professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. Read More

Watch videos from Commencement 2010 Week’s Faculty Seminars. Read More

Two Vanderbilt University undergraduates had the rare opportunity to present their research findings on the influence of patronage on presidential appointments and government performance at the 2010 Midwest Political Science Association Conference. Read More

January 20 marks the one-year anniversary of Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States. Political scientists John Geer and David Lewis agree that it's too soon to judge how Obama will fare in comparison to previous presidents but they can discuss how his transition, political appointments and other aspects of his administration are progressing so far. Read More