March 27, 1996

Release No. 362 Contact: Phyllis Graber Jensen 207-786-6330 (office) 207-784-6240 (home)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bates Political Scientist Writes Book on Women and Minorities

LEWISTON, Maine -- Mark A. Kessler, associate professor of political science at Bates College, has co-authored a textbook on U.S. politics concerned with the integration of women and minorities into the framework of the federal government and political system.

Just published by St. Martin's Press, "The Play of Power: An Introduction to American Government," applies the metaphor of politics as "a grand game." The book uses examples from games with which students are familiar to emphasize the similarities to and differences in how government works. Kessler's co-authors are James Eisenstein of The Pennsylvania State University, Jacqueline Vaughn Switzer of Southern Oregon State College and Bruce A. Williams of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

A member of the Bates faculty since 1983, Kessler specializes in American politics. In 1991, Kessler received dual honors from the American Political Science Association for a paper titled "Legal Mobilization for Social Reform: Power and the Politics of Agenda Setting." It was judged as the best of all papers presented at the organization's annual meeting and as the best of all papers evaluated in the American government section panels.

Kessler received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Pittsburgh, and a master's degree and doctorate in political science from The Pennsylvania State University.

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