By Caitlin Beebe | Reporter
With the 2024 presidential election around the corner, students will have the chance to study it in real time in PSC 3340 — Campaigns and Elections Class.
Dr. Dave Bridge, associate professor of political science, said the class focuses on the institutions, rules and history of elections. When Bridges taught the class during the 2020 presidential election, about 250 students were enrolled.
“We spent a lot of time unpacking things as they were happening in real time,” Bridge said. “We all woke up the next day [2020 presidential] elections without knowing who won.”
Looking ahead to the 2024 election, Bridge said he sees hyper-partisanship as a growing problem. Bridge said this happens when people derive their beliefs from a party platform rather than personal thoughts.
“You just have this huge belief in one side that it’s always right, and a strong distrust of the other side and that everything they do is wrong,” Bridge said.
Bridge said that while polarization has increased over the past 30 years, a spike in partisanship over the past decade has led to a distrust of the government process and a loss of ethics.
In response, Bridge said he emphasizes that students think institutionally, not politically. The difference comes down to one’s willingness to lose an election.
Bridge said that thinking politically means prioritizing winning elections above all else.
“[It’s] as if winning this election, regardless of the methods, is more important than maintaining constitutional democracy,” Bridge said.
In contrast, Bridge said that thinking institutionally means considering the constitutional consequences of one’s decision.
“When you think institutionally, you play within constitutional rules and process,” Bridge said. “The longevity of the US Constitution is more important than winning this election.”
Plano senior Sage Yassa took Bridge’s class of 2020. Yassa studies how Supreme Court decisions or impeachment processes are incorporated into policy instruments.
“I hope we can find a way to get back to using them.” [institutions] the way they are meant to be used, not just as an automatic tool to fight the other side,” Yasa said.
Yassa said mass data on social media is an issue the 2024 election raises. Since social media played a key role in the 2012 election, Yassa said both parties are likely to rely on turnout data. Candidates are less likely to personally engage with voters or consider what is best for America.
“I think it definitely makes it less personal, less caring,” Yasa said.
Bridge said the 2024 election will provide insight into how parties balance big data with personalized messaging.
In the fall, Bridges said he wasn’t worried about the class rift getting out of hand.
“Baylor students are the most tolerant I’ve ever taught,” Bridge said. “And by that I mean they really want to listen to people who disagree with them. They encourage others to speak their minds.”
Yasa said professors lead by example when it comes to disagreements. She said her professors always speak respectfully of all applicants during class discussions.
“We also in political science have professors who encourage nuanced thought, so look[ing] beyond the bucket you put yourself in,” Yasa said.
Yasa said the Bridge class helps provide historical context to young people. Learning history helps them to be less shaken by new information or circumstances.
“The course turns you into a person who doesn’t react to any information, going crazy and thinking that democracy in America is dead,” Yasa said. “Not necessarily.”
Yasa said she encourages students of all grade levels to consider taking the Bridge class. She said the opportunity to take it was one of the reasons she chose to attend Baylor.
“Freshmen should not be afraid. Sophomores need not fear. Both juniors and seniors, even if they’ve taken a lot of political science classes, will find this one different and maybe refreshing when they finish their undergraduate careers,” Yasa said.
