With the constant flow of presidential hopefuls through Hanover, the primary's reverberations can be felt throughout the campus from fraternity houses to classrooms.
From the latest poll to the flat-tax, Dartmouth professors take advantage of the College's national importance during primary season, using the political current to fuel class discussions. Their students appreciate the academic opportunity the New Hampshire primary provides.
'This is such a great experience'
Students agree that the hype surrounding primary activity reaches right into the classroom -- particularly in American government classes.
"This is such a great experience," said Christopher Nybo '99, who is taking Government 3: "The American Political System" this term, which is taught by Director of the Rockefeller Center for the Social Sciences Linda Fowler.
Fowler directs Dartmouth's side of the Dartmouth College-WMUR polls of likely New Hampshire primary voters. The New Hampshire primary will be held on Feb. 20.
"I remember how alienated I felt in high school during the presidential election of 1992, and here it is so different," he said. "The professors aren't encouraging you to read about it in the newspapers, but are encouraging you to go out and see the candidates themselves."
"I am not a political groupie," he added, "but I am fascinated how the College gets so involved in it."
Nybo said the primaries come up very frequently in Fowler's class. "We were just discussing campaigning and media treatment of the presidential election and the primaries," Nybo said on Monday.
Fowler supplements her lectures with discussions of current events and her polling experiences, Nybo said. "Her integration of material is amazing."
Nybo explained that Fowler "uses the primaries to look at the polls and political trends."
Fowler often discusses how the press interprets the polls, Nybo said. For example, he said the class recently discussed why magazines like Time and Newsweek claim candidate Steve Forbes is doing so well while Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan, is slipping.
Ian Wijaya '99 said the primaries come up often in Government 3, mostly at Fowler's instigation. "Professor Fowler brings it up because she is so involved with the polling," he said.
Leah Campbell '99 said Fowler's class does not "necessarily discuss the primary itself. It comes up in the context of the lecture and our assignments."
Christal Costello '98, also in Government 3, said Fowler uses what is happening with the primary as examples in the classroom.
Political discussions, Costello said, are not usually spontaneous but arise from the lecture. Fowler keeps the class focused more towards the topics covered in lecture than an open discussion of the primaries, Costello added.
Maureen McAleer '99 said Fowler's class talks about "the candidates and issues like the budget and what it means for the Republicans -- we look at the primary a lot from the voters' side."
In Government Professor Constantine Spiliotes' class, Government 35: "The Presidency", Jason Desai '98 said the class has been discussing primaries and caucuses even more since the recent visits of candidates.
"We do not discuss which candidates are better than others, we instead focus on their strategies for winning the election and whether or not we believe these strategies are effective," he explained.
Jim Rich '96 pointed out that in Spiliotes' class, "we also discuss more pragmatic issues such as why Forbes has jumped ahead in the polls."
What's being discussed
Striking a balance between preaching and teaching, many Dartmouth professors use examples and concepts related to the New Hampshire primary as teaching tools in the classroom.
Discussions of the New Hampshire primary are particularly germane in Spiliotes' presidency class. He said his class often discusses candidates' events at the College.
"We often talk about the visits of particular candidates and what their chances of nomination are," he said. "For example, in regards to [candidate Richard] Lugar's visit to College Sunday night, we discussed his performance in the polls and his chances for election."
The class discussion centered on Lugar's objectives for the primary in light of his unlikely chance of securing the nomination, he said.
"This pertains to why people run for election," he said. "Is he trying to set an agenda or impact the election in some way?"
Spiliotes said discussions on the primary center upon two main themes -- ideological issues, such as where a candidate stands on the political spectrum, and political strategy.
Fowler said issues that grow out of the primaries pertain well to the topics covered in her class, Government 3, such as the decline in the party system and the role of media coverage in the campaign and campaign strategies.
Government Professor Richard Winters said only business-related primary issues emerge in his Government 39: "Government and Business" class discussions.
"The class I'm teaching is about government and business, so the only primary discussion that comes up in class is about the implications for businesses," he said.
He said Forbes' flat-tax proposal fuels an academic discussion of the primaries. The class has discussed the loopholes in his plan, what makes the plan attractive or unattractive and whether it would pass Congress if he were elected, Winters said.
Economics Professor John Menge, who is teaching a freshman seminar and Economics 25: "Industrial Organization and Public Policy," said political discussion comes up in certain economics courses, particularly because of the flat tax issue.
"Issues such as the flat tax come up for discussion, but we do not usually talk about the candidates themselves," Menge said.
Economics Professor Joshua Aizenman agreed that while there is little discussion of the primary election itself, issues such as the flat tax also arise in his classroom. "We focus only on the economic issues," said Aizenman, who teaches Economics 22: "Macroeconomics" and Economics 49: "Topics in International Economics."
"Students taking economics classes are usually more interested in the economic dimension and less in the political," Aizenman added.
Primarily instigating discussions
In their efforts to best utilize the primary as an instructional resource, professors have developed their own ways of weaving issues and theories relating to the primary into class lectures and discussions.
Spiliotes said he fosters political discussions in the classroom by announcing in advance when presidential hopefuls are planning to visit the College.
"I usually know before they do, so I tell students about these events," said Spiliotes, who also attends many of these events.
"The next day after a visit or after a new poll comes out, I ask students what they make of it and what they think certain developments mean for a candidate's campaign," he continued.
Rich said Spiliotes also instigates discourse on the primaries by beginning some of his classes with a discussion of the primaries.
"The types of discussion range from what are the qualities to look for in a good president, what should the electorate be looking at when they choose a candidate and who they actually vote for, and what thought processes a presidential candidate goes through when picking a vice president," he said.
But these political discussions rarely become heated, Spiliotes said.
"I haven't really seen too many heated debates in the classroom," he said. "This may be because it is a large class. Perhaps a seminar situation would be different."
Fowler said she encourages the students to discuss the candidates, the issues and the political processes involved instead of simply stating whom they prefer.
"We focus on analysis, rather than partisan issues," she said.
Government Professor James Shoch, who is not teaching this term, said he always begins his discussion sessions with current events.
"If anything new is going on that has to do with the primaries and the visiting candidates, that is when it will come up," he said.
"I try to integrate discussion on the primaries and current events with what we are doing in class, giving it a more analytical twist and drawing examples," he explained.
Winters said he does not have to instigate discussion of the primaries in his class -- it emerges on its own.
"Students freely discuss the primary in class," he said. "In fact, there are a large number of supporters for various candidates in the class."
Preaching and teaching
In fear of damaging his credibility, Spiliotes said he tries not to impose his opinions on his students.
"Myself and many other political scientists try to maintain a little bit of neutrality," he said. "We try to talk more in terms of what they do rather than on whether or not we support them."
"We talk about whether a conservative candidate did a good or bad job or whether a liberal candidate did a good or bad job," he said.
For example, he said Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, did a bad job when he got irritated with some of the well-researched and pointed questions students were asking when he came to campus last month.
"I will give my opinion on how well the candidates do given what they are trying to accomplish," Spiliotes said. "I don't divulge too much of my personal opinions because I want to keep my credibility strong."
Spiliotes, Desai said, "offers an opinion, usually concerning the status of particular campaigns. Do they have momentum? Are they stalling?" he said.
"Professor Spiliotes keeps his political orientations to himself," Desai added. "He approaches the primaries more as a political scientist than as a voter, helping us see all the issues from many angles."
Jim Rich '96 also said Spiliotes' presents a balanced view of the primaries.
" I couldn't even tell you if he was Democratic or Republican. He presents a bipartisan view of the primaries," he said, "He looks at it in an academic sense."
Aizenman said he also tries to present a more politically detached analysis to his economics students.
"I focus on the costs and benefits of policy A versus policy B, and let students develop their own opinions," he said.
Fowler said her students at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, where she taught before coming to Dartmouth, tried to guess her political orientation.
She said she hopes her political leanings are an equal mystery for the students she currently teaches.
"I just don't think it's appropriate" to express political preferences in the classroom, she said, "but it is important to know what's happening and why."
Some students said Fowler successfully avoids leaking her political views in class.
McAleer said, Fowler "tells us how she would interpret the polls and gives her opinions on how the candidates are doing, but, I have no idea whether she's a Republican or Democrat."
Fowler "never discusses her political preferences," Nybo agreed. "She tries to be as objective as possible."
Campbell said Fowler "can't help but argue one side stronger than the other sometimes, but she never particularly expresses her opinions."
Winters also said he tries to mediate classroom discussions.
"I try to referee or umpire the discussion as well as I can," he said. "I don't try to foist my opinion on anyone. The whole point is that strongly felt views should be explained and challenged, including mine."
But unlike Fowler, Spiliotes and Winters, Shoch said he is not shy about tossing his opinion into the discussion.
While, political discussions in Shoch's classroom are not necessarily heated, in the sense that students become angry, he said his students are certainly opinionated and, he added, "I throw in my opinion as well."
Think Dole is a 'frat boy'?
Spiliotes said he is amused by what students pick up while watching the presidential hopefuls campaign.
"Students usually know when they are being talked to on a genuine level and when they are just being spun by the candidates," he said.
"I am not sure everyone really perceived Dole as a good ole frat boy," Spiliotes said, referring to Dole's visit to Alpha Delta fraternity last month.
"Much of the primary campaign is packaged," he said. During Dole's visit to AD, he said, Dole gave the same speech at the private reception inside the house and to the crowds outside on AD's front lawn.
Spiliotes said Dartmouth's setting raises student interest in the primaries and makes the candidates much more accessible to interested students.
"By virtue of the fact that all candidates come through here, the primaries are a lot less removed than watching them on television.," he said. "It is interesting because campaigning at colleges is not a big payoff because most students don't vote or vote by absentee ballot."
Winters said the College's location undoubtedly motivates students to explore politics.
"There is no doubt about it," he said. "In every class, every four years, we see a young set of political entrepreneurs surge forward."
Menge said Dartmouth's location at the site of the nation's first primary election piques student interest in the American political system.
"I have one or two students who are actively engaged in the campaigns of various GOP candidates," Menge said. "It is unlikely that students at Amherst or University of Massachusetts could get so involved in the elections."
"Students provide free, voluntary labor for the candidates that come through New Hampshire," he added.
Fowler said Dartmouth's location in New Hampshire has had a "positive effect" on students' interest in the primaries, citing the high student turnout at primary-related events.
She said, even for students who do not attend all the speeches, at least they are aware the candidates are visiting the College.
Faculty discuss amongst themselves
When they are not standing at the front of the classroom with chalk in hand, some faculty members engage their colleagues in political debates.
As Feb. 20 nears, the second floor of Silsby Hall overflows with campaign chatter and political debate.
Room 211, the Government Department Office, is the site of most of these political discussions, Spiliotes said.
Shoch said, Government Professor Tom Nichols "and I are the two principle disputants, and several times a week, we discuss politics more or less loudly."
"We do this because we like politics so much," he added.
Nichols said, "Jim [Shoch] and I have a deep interest in partisan politics and enjoy sparring over the primaries."
Common topics of debate include trying to determining how the candidates are doing relative to one another, figuring out whether Forbes is good or bad for the democrats, if President Bill Clinton is too liberal or not liberal enough, and what kinds of campaign strategies are most effective, Nichols said.
Fowler said discussion among department members is natural because people read the news and want to discuss it.
These discussions can be very entertaining, Spiliotes said.
"When we are teaching, we discuss politics as political scientists, but when we get together, we switch into a more personal mode and this can sometimes lead to raucous discussions," he said.
Spiliotes described the political orientation of the government department as neither liberal nor conservative.
"As a general rule academic faculties throughout the country are usually left of the center," he said. "Here, we cover a wide range of the political spectrum, and have people to the far left and right."
"We are not a conservative or purely liberal department," Spiliotes added. "We have good representation."
But economics professors say they tend to steer clear of too much political discussion.
The discussions that do erupt tend to be less economically-oriented, Menge said.
"Other discussions, primarily on the credibility of the candidates come up among the faculty of the department," Menge added. "I think there is a feeling of skepticism towards the candidates."
Menge described the political orientation of the economics department as "mixed." It is a large department comprised of about 20 members with one or two very liberal professors and one or two who are very conservative, he said.
"Most are right in the middle," Menge said. "There aren't really an extreme positions."
Aizenman said the political orientation of his department is mixed with some bias to the more conservative end and stressed that they focus on the fiscal aspects of the issues.
While their political preferences are predictable, professors in the history department say they have avoided the primary discussion virus that has infected many other areas on campus.
Among the discussions among faculty members that take place in meetings, the lounge and around the history department, there is almost no discussion of politics, said History Professor Jere Daniel , who has taught at the College for the last 31 years. "I can pretty much guess the political preferences of my colleagues," he added.
Tatum said he and his colleagues avoid such discussion in the name of preserving group dynamics.
"There is not much political discussion among the members of my department because we want to try to get along since we all have to work together," Tatum said.
