Vita of Sean F. Evans

Education

B.A. David Lipscomb University
M.A. University of Alabama
Ph.D. University of Colorado

Employment

Chair, Department of Political Science, 2007 - present.

Associate Professor, Union University, 2006 - present.

Assistant Professor, Union University, 2000-2006.

Publications

“Clinton v Jones,” “Cooper v Aaron,” “Craig v Boren,” “Humphrey’s Executor v United States,” “Lee v Weisman,” “Olmstead v United States,” “Planned Parenthood v Casey,” and “South Carolina v Katzenbach.”  In Encyclopedia of the United States Constitution.  David Schultz, ed. Facts on File, 2007.

"A New Look at Turnover in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789-1998," with John W. Swain, Stephen A. Borelli, and Brian C. Reed. American Politics Quarterly 28 (4):  435-57. 

Tables "Mean Turnover in the House of Representatives from Various Sources (as a Proportion of Total House Membership) by Decade and Party System, 1789-1998," with Stephen A. Borrelli, Brian C. Reed, and Sean F. Evans, in Harold W. Stanley and Richard G. Niemi, eds., Vital Statistics on American Politics 1997-1998 (Washington, DC:  CQ Press, 1998); and "Mean Turnover in the House of Representatives from Various Sources (as a Proportion of Total House Membership) by Decade and Party System, 1789-2000," Vital Statistics on American Politics 1999-2000 (1999), 2001-2002 (2001), 2003-2004(2003), 2005-2006 (2005), 2006-07 (2006).

Conference Presentations 

“Strategic Retirement from the Republican House of Representatives, 1995-2006,” with John W. Swain and Brian C. Reed. Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans, LA, January 17-19, 2008.

“Strategic Retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives, 1947-2004,” with John W. Swain and Brian C. Reed. Southwestern Political Science Association, Albuquerque, NM, March 15-17, 2007.

"Partisan Committee Opposition in the U.S. House of Representatives."  Southern Political Science Association, Atlanta, GA, January 5-7, 2006.

"The Moderation Hypothesis in Local Southern Elections." Southern Political Science Association.  New Orleans, LA. January 6-8, 2005.

"The Carryover Effect in State and Local Elections." Midwest Political Science Association.  Chicago, IL April 15-18, 2004.

"The Guardian of Good Ideas:  Minority Party Policy Making in Congress." Southwestern Political Science Association.  San Antonio, TX. April 17-19, 2003.

"The Judicial Confirmation Process:  Problems and Prospects."  Tennessee Political Science Association. April 11-12, 2003.

"60 Million and Change:  Self-Financing and the Definition of Candidate Quality."  Southern Political Science Association, Atlanta, GA.  Nov. 8-10, 2001. 

"The House That Governs Least, Governs Best: Obstruction in the US House of Representatives." American Political Science Association, Atlanta, GA. Sept. 2-5, 1999. 

"Candidate Quality in US House Elections: Candidate Emergence in the 1998 Elections," with Walter J. Stone, L. Sandy Maisel, and Cherie Maestas. Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL. April 15-17, 1998. 

"The Ties That Bind: A New Institutional Approach to Norms." Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL. April 15-17, 1997.

"U.S. House Turnover, 1789-1995: Toward A 'Systemic' Perspective" with Stephen A. Borelli, John W. Swain, and Brian C. Reed. American Political Science Association, San Francisco, CA. Sept 1-3, 1996. 

"Have Norms Really Declined?: A Reexamination of Norm Adherence in the House of Representatives." Western Political Science Association, Portland, OR. March 15-17, 1995.

Research Projects

"Strategic Retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives, 1947-2008." Are retirements from the U.S. House of Representatives strategic?  Do members make career decisions based on strategic factors, e.g., responding to adverse political conditions or a chance for political advancement, or based on wholly personal reasons, e.g., getting old or an inability to gain a position of institutional power?  Generally, retirement responding to political conditions is called strategic or involuntary retirement and retirement not responding to political conditions is called voluntary.  Also, do members retire because of progressive ambition?  Whether retirements are strategic is important because members retire more frequently than they suffer electoral defeat.  Two colleagues and I are researching this with preliminary results indicating that retirement decisions are best explained by individual-level strategic variables followed by nonstrategic variables and then aggregate-level strategic variables.

           "Partisan Committee Opposition in the U.S. House of Representatives." This paper applies the partisan model of legislatures to the minority party to explain partisan committee opposition in committees.  As part of its strategy to become the majority party, the minority party opposes legislation in committee to defeat legislation and to decrease the probability of the leadership using precious floor time on legislation unlikely to pass. If successful, the minority damages the majority party’s record and increases its chance of gaining seats.  Using a scale of opposition, this paper tests this theory based on data from committee mark-up reports.  Controlling for committee position, district, interest group activity, ideology, and institutional position, the paper finds support for a collegial minority party strategy of opposition in Democratic and Republican congresses and in reelection, policy, and prestige committees.

 Awards, Honors, and Grants

President, Tennessee Political Science Association, 2007-08.

 “Citizen Views Toward Metropolitican Government and the Jackson Madison County School System.” Spring 2007 (with Alexandria Scarbrough and Jordan Scott). Union University Undergraduate Research Grant.

Who’s Who in America, 2007, 2008.

President - Elect, Tennessee Political Science Association, 2006-07.

Vice President, Tennessee Political Science Association, 2005-2006.

Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.  2004, 2005. 

Faculty Leader, Campaign 2004:  The Republican National Convention, August 22-September 3, 2004.  The Washington Center. 

Secretary, Tennessee Political Science Association, 2004-2005.

Whither the Southern Republican?:  Republican and Democratic Prospects at the Local Level in the South. Spring 2004 (with Jenny Buffington and Rachelle Haskins).  Union University Undergraduate Research Grant.  2004. 

Treasurer, Tennessee Political Science Association, 2003-2004.

Executive Committee, Tennessee Political Science Association, 2002-2003.

Divisive Primaries in State and Local Elections.  Spring 2002. Teagle Research Grant. 

Politics and Religion.  Summer 2001. Teagle Grant for Course Redesign and Development. 

Community Service 

Political Analyst (various topics). FoxNews,com, 2006-8; WBBJ-TV, ABC - 7. 2000-2008; Jackson Sun, 2000-20078. 

“Things to Look For in Debates.” The Jackson Sun September 25, 2008.

“McCain v Obama: The Homestretch.” Presentation to the Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club. September 11, 2008.

“Conventions Still Matter.” The Jackson Sun August 22, 2008.

“Campaigns Can Tell Us A Lot.”  The Jackson Sun July 18, 2008.

“VP Pick Sends Important Message.”  The Jackson Sun June 13, 2008.

“Things Look Grim for GOP.” The Jackson Sun May 9, 2008.

“Competitive Primaries Good for Parties.” The Jackson Sun March 28, 2008.

“What Does Change Mean?”  The Jackson Sun February 29, 2008.

“You, Too, Can Sharpen Your Skills.” The Jackson Sun January 25, 2008.

“The 2008 Presidential Election.” Presentation to the Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club. August, 23, 2007.

“The New Democratic Congress.” Presentation to the Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club.  February 22, 2007.

“Its Ford’s Basic Decency That History Will Ultimately Remember.”  Jackson Sun January 7, 2007. 

Coordinator and presenter, The Democratic Congress and the Next Two Years. November 13, 2006.  Union University. 

“History of Judicial Review.”  Madison Academic Magnet High School, October 25, 2006.

“Riding the Democratic Wave to Victory?:  An Look at the US Senate Race in Tennessee.”  Presentation to the Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club.  August 10, 2006.

“How Low Can Bush Go?” Presentation to the Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club.  May 11, 2006.

“We Must Address Root Causes of Terror.”  Jackson Sun September 11, 2005.

“One Justice Won’t Change the Balance of the Supreme Court.”  Jackson Sun July 10, 2005.

Coordinator, Town Hall on Social Security with Congressman John Tanner. March 29, 2005. G. M. Savage Chapel.

“The 2004 Presidential Campaign.”  Presentation to the Jackson Exchange Club.  Oct. 26, 2004.

“The Meaning of the Presidential Election.”  Harvey Hall, Union University.  November 4, 2004.

 “Kerry, Bush, and Bubbas.”  Presidential Debate Watch for the three presidential debates and the vice presidential debate at Bubba’s Bagels on Sept. 30, Oct. 5, Oct. 8, and Oct 13, 2004.

“History Will Ultimately Honor Ronald Reagan’s Legacy – and Destiny.” The Jackson Sun June 13, 2004.

Election Night Analyst on the Tennessee Presidential Democratic Primary.  News Radio 1390 WTJS.  Feb. 11, 2004.

“The State of the Bush Presidency.”  Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club.  March 14, 2002.

“The Primary Season: Kerry, Bush, and the Presidential Election.”  Jackson Bicentennial Exchange Club.  Feb. 10, 2004. 

“California’s Don Sundquist: The Recall, Gray Davis, and Ahhnold.”  Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club. October 21, 2003.

"Republican Realignment or Flash in the Pan: The 2002 Midterm Elections."  Alpha Chi Honor Society at Union University.  November 18, 2002.   

"The Winners and Losers in the 2002 Midterm Elections." Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club. November 14, 2002. 

“Political Campaign Advertising.”  West Tennessee Ad Federation. October 2, 2002.

"The State of the Bush Presidency."  Jackson Good Morning Rotary Club.  March 14, 2002.

"Politics, Religion, and the Founding."  Jackson Bicentennial Exchange Club.  Nov. 6, 2001.

"We Can Do Much to Fight Terrorism."  The Jackson Sun October 15, 2001.

"The Clinton Legacy:  Roosevelt, Nixon, or Somewhere in Between."  The Jackson Sun January 21, 2001. 

Tennessee Legislative Intern Sponsor Committee, 2000-01.  

"The Coming 2000 Election."  Downtown Rotary Club.  Nov. 1, 2000.

"Mikhail Gorbachev -- A Panel Discussion." Jackson Civic Center.  Oct. 10, 2000. 

Congress
Parties and Elections
The Presidency
Constitutional Law
Judicial Politics
Politics and Religion
American Government