Marian Currinder

Before beginning graduate school at the University of Florida, Currinder spent several months traveling around western and eastern Europe. While in graduate school, Currinder worked as a consultant and writer for the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington. She says the Center was where “I really got my feet wet."

According to the organization’s official website http://www.crp.org/, the Center for Responsive Politics is a “non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington D.C. that tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and public policy. The Center conducts computer-based research on campaign finance issues for the news media, academics, activists, and the public at large. The Center’s work is aimed at creating a more educated voter, an involved citizenry, and a more responsive government.”

This experience has had a heavy influence on her research and work in the area of money and politics, and sparked her interest in campaign finance.

After graduation, Dr. Marian Currinder came to the College of Charleston in the fall of 2001. She says her favorite aspect of teaching is, “opening students eyes to everything happening in the world around them and helping them see opportunities for themselves in politics, and showing them that they can make a difference.”

In addition to her Congressional fellowship, Dr. Currinder is doing many exciting projects in the field of political science. She is a contributing author in the book, “The Elections of 2004” edited by Michael Nelson, which came out in March 2005. The books’ publisher, CQ Press, describes the book as, “An insightful and incredibly current look at the recent elections, this highly anticipated volume offers students a road map for teasing out the tension and competition of particular races while giving perspective to the larger trends and implications of the election results.” It covers “the intensity of political polarization, the impact of money and fundraising, and the interplay of economic, cultural, and security issues” that were in effect in the 2004 elections.

Currinder also wrote chapter six in the book titled, “Campaign Finance: Funding the Presidential and Congressional Elections." The chapter focuses on the way money was spent by different campaigns in the elections, and the effect of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. It studies the record total of $662 million raised by presidential candidates in the 2004 elections, as well as the correlation between spending money and winning in presidential and Congressional elections.

Since finishing he book, Currinder has been studying the institutional reforms Republicans have put into place since taking over in 1994. It is a continuation of her constant research on the effects money and fundraising can have in shaping public policy.

Currinder worked briefly on the 1992 presidential campaign, but insists that she does not want to have any more personal political campaign involvement. But she does admit that if the right candidate came along, and she felt inspired, she might be tempted to hop on board. The College of Charleston should hope that that candidate is not in the near future.

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FOCUS ON THE FACULTY
PROFESSOR GIVES A CLOSER LOOK TO MONEY IN POLITICS
*By Justin Ross*
Marian Currinder Political Science	Like many college students heading into their final semester, Marian Currinder had no clue what she wanted to do after she graduated from Penn State University. Looking for an elective course to fill the necessary hours in her course load for the spring semester, Currinder, a communications major, enrolled in a political science course. She was intrigued by the course, and felt that she had finally found a subject she loved. She knew that she wanted to have a career in political science. Years later, the St. Louis, Mo. native is a political science professor at the College of Charleston. She teaches courses in American government, the presidency, the Congress, and political parties and interest groups. In the fall of 2005, Currinder will be teaching a capstone course called Money and American Politics. Among other areas, the course will examine the way money facilitates strong party organization in Congress. Like many professors at the College of Charleston, Currinder’s work extends far beyond the classroom walls. Currinder has been one of a select few political scientists chosen to participate in the American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional fellowship program. The program, which started in 1953, is, “the nation’s oldest and most prestigious congressional fellowship…devoted to its original objective of expanding knowledge and awareness of Congress,” according to the APSA website. It is a nine month long program designed to give the selected fellows hands-on experience in understanding the legislative process by serving on Congressional staffs. Currinder served on the Congressional staff of U.S. Rep. David Price of North Carolina, where her focus was on foreign policy and defense. As a legislative assistant to Price, she drafted legislation, participated in Congressional hearings, and wrote speeches and floor statements. Currinder’s ascent to the elite of the political science profession has been a very interesting journey. After graduating from Penn State, she applied for jobs in Washington D.C. She was looking for a position as a legislative analyst. She received a job offer to work government relations in Washington D.C. Currinder accepted the offer and spent the next five years working in the nation's capital. She eventually left D.C. to study an aspect of her work that she found disconcerting—the role of money in the political process.
Before beginning graduate school at the University of Florida, Currinder spent several months traveling around western and eastern Europe. While in graduate school, Currinder worked as a consultant and writer for the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington. She says the Center was where “I really got my feet wet." According to the organization’s official website http://www.crp.org/, the Center for Responsive Politics is a “non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington D.C. that tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and public policy. The Center conducts computer-based research on campaign finance issues for the news media, academics, activists, and the public at large. The Center’s work is aimed at creating a more educated voter, an involved citizenry, and a more responsive government.” This experience has had a heavy influence on her research and work in the area of money and politics, and sparked her interest in campaign finance. After graduation, Dr. Marian Currinder came to the College of Charleston in the fall of 2001. She says her favorite aspect of teaching is, “opening students eyes to everything happening in the world around them and helping them see opportunities for themselves in politics, and showing them that they can make a difference.” In addition to her Congressional fellowship, Dr. Currinder is doing many exciting projects in the field of political science. She is a contributing author in the book, “The Elections of 2004” edited by Michael Nelson, which came out in March 2005. The books’ publisher, CQ Press, describes the book as, “An insightful and incredibly current look at the recent elections, this highly anticipated volume offers students a road map for teasing out the tension and competition of particular races while giving perspective to the larger trends and implications of the election results.” It covers “the intensity of political polarization, the impact of money and fundraising, and the interplay of economic, cultural, and security issues” that were in effect in the 2004 elections. Currinder also wrote chapter six in the book titled, “Campaign Finance: Funding the Presidential and Congressional Elections." The chapter focuses on the way money was spent by different campaigns in the elections, and the effect of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. It studies the record total of $662 million raised by presidential candidates in the 2004 elections, as well as the correlation between spending money and winning in presidential and Congressional elections. Since finishing he book, Currinder has been studying the institutional reforms Republicans have put into place since taking over in 1994. It is a continuation of her constant research on the effects money and fundraising can have in shaping public policy. Currinder worked briefly on the 1992 presidential campaign, but insists that she does not want to have any more personal political campaign involvement. But she does admit that if the right candidate came along, and she felt inspired, she might be tempted to hop on board. The College of Charleston should hope that that candidate is not in the near future. ### Back to Featured Faculty