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UGA experts available to offer commentary on State of the Union address

UGA experts available to offer commentary on State of the Union address

The following faculty experts from the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs are available to discuss a wide range of issues related to the 2010 State of the Union address. Their contact information is included for your convenience. Please feel free to contact UGA News Service at 706/542-8083 or news@uga.edu should you need additional assistance.

Andrew Whitford
Professor of Public Administration Policy
UGA School of Public and International Affairs
Email: aw@uga.edu, Phone: 706/542-2898, alternate: 706/410-5182

Whitford is an expert in the area of presidential rhetoric. The bully pulpit is one of the modern president’s most powerful tools—and one of the most elusive to measure.Whitford can provide analysis on the likely outcomes of President Obama’s State of the Union Address—whether and how the speech will affect his ability to move his policy initiatives forward.Whitford is the author of Presidential Rhetoric and the Public Agenda. His current work focuses on how policy, technology, and regulation combine to shape markets, and the logic of bureaucratic organizations. He is a Co-Editor of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory.

John Maltese
Head, Department of Political Science/Albert Berry Saye Professor
UGA School of Public and International Affairs
Email: jmaltese@uga.edu, Phone: 706/542-4147, alternate: 706/410-5182

Maltese is an expert in presidential politics. Frequently interviewed and quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Maltese can speak on what President Obama must do in order to ensure first-term success, and to what extent the State of the Union is likely to affect that success. He is co-author of the book, The Politics of the Presidency, currently in its 6th edition. In addition he has significant expertise in the appointment process for Supreme Court justices and the politics of the Court. He is author of the book, The Selling of Supreme Court Nominees. Much of his current research focuses on the development of institutional structures and the effect that those structures have had on processes like presidential-press relations and judicial appointments.

David Bradford
Busbee Chair in Public Policy
UGA School of Public and International Affairs
Email: bradfowd@uga.edu, Phone: 706/542-2731, alternate: 706/410-5182

Bradford has extensive expertise in the area of health care reformand health economic policy. What is the likely future of health care reform? Will President Obama’s address to the nation have any effect on Congress’ ability to pass modest reform legislation?Bradford can provide in-depth expertise on the nuts and bolts of health care reform, in addition to provide analysis on the likely future of President Obama’s drive for health care reform.Bradford serves as a consultant to health insurance companies and medical care centers and has testified in several healthcare industry lawsuits. He has significant experience with funded research and has led nearly 20 funded research projects, and is a permanent member of the Health Services Organization and Delivery study section for the National Institutes of Health.

He was formerly the Director and Founder of the Center for Health Economic and Policy Studies at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and has been a visiting faculty member at Yale Medical School. Bradford is co-editor of Health Economics Letters, and serves on the editorial board for the journal Health Economics.