Students Are Political Commentator's Constituency
Susan A. MacManus
Distinguished University Professor of Public Administration
and Political Science
Susan A. MacManus is the most-quoted political commentator in the state of Florida, and among the top five most widely quoted in the nation. She has appeared on every major broadcast and cable network in the country as well as major networks in London, Tokyo, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.
She is author or co-author of more than 20 books, 100 journal articles, 65 book chapters, 46 invited articles, 87 reports and monographs and 15 book reviews. In 2005, she was part of the WFLA NewsChannel 8 team that received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism, and in 2007, she was honored with the Woman of Distinction Award from the Sun City Chapter of the American Association of University Women.
Yet, for all her national and international renown, MacManus, the daughter of a citrus-growing family in Pasco County, Fla., relishes most her time with students. She never shies away from a freshman class, thoroughly enjoys the campus straw polls she has been conducting with students since 1998, and calls her nearly 15-year term as faculty advisor for the National Political Science Honor Society, “the one thing most rewarding to me personally.”
A self-described “Florida cracker,” whose parents belonged to two different political parties, MacManus says she grew up around heated political discussions. “It made me be able to listen to different viewpoints without getting angry,” she says, something she tries to instill in her students.
“I insist that students are respectful of other people’s viewpoints and emphasize that success in politics requires coalition-building.”
To that end, MacManus requires all students in her Florida Politics and Government class to work in campaigns of their own choice. “I tell them, ‘You’re lucky to have a 50-yard line seat in the swing part of the nation’s premier swing state. Go study it up close and have fun!”
Yet, the most important thing MacManus says she teaches her students is to be good citizens.
“They have a responsibility to contribute to their community. Sometimes that just means being informed and voting. And I teach them that choice is integral to democracy. If you don’t have choice, you don’t have democracy.”
-- Mary Beth Erskine, University Communications & Marketing