Fall 2022 PSP

TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD 2
A REVOLUTION OF RIGHTS
IN AMERICAN FOUNDING
DOCUMENTS 4
EVENTS AND PROGRAMS 7
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER 13
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS 15
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS 17
FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS 19
FACULTY PUBLICATIONS 23
FACULTY AWARDS, GRANTS,
& RECOGNITIONS 25
IN REMEMBERANCE 28
CONCLUSION 29
Publisher:
Jay Goodliffe, Chair
Editor:
J. Matthew Clarke
Assistant Editor:
Krista Mortensen
The BYU Department of Political Science, consistent with the aims of
a BYU education, intends to foster “Lifelong Learning and Service.”
We hope to provide our alumni with intelligent, thoughtful and
sophisticated analysis of important issues, and to act as a catalyst for
service in our communities, neighborhoods, nations and the world.
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Graphic Designers:
Abby Meyers,
Seraphina Johnstun

FOREWORD
In this issue, we recognize the retirement of Professor Eric Hyer after
thirty years with BYU Political Science and the death of Professor Stan Taylor,
one of our beloved professors emeritus. We also highlight the scholarship of
Professors Jeremy Pope and Michael Barber, who are experts on the history
of U.S. constitutions, both state and federal. They write about the dynamic
relationship between the evolving state constitutions just before and after the
writing of the Declaration of Independence in July of 1776.
America is unique in world history in that the original 13 colonies, containing
2.5 million citizens by 1776, almost universally acknowledged the importance
of government restraints in favor of citizen rights. Therefore, the state
constitutions and the Declaration of Independence coincided in beliefs long
before the actual Constitution of the United States of America was written. It’s
a fascinating look at how our colonial Americans pioneered the enforcement of
citizens’ rights that are still promoted in Democracies around the world today.
Independence Hall in 1776 by Thompson Westcott
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A Revolution
of Rights
in American Founding Documents
Jeremy C. Pope, Michael J. Barber, Scott F. Abramson
The graduation of constitutions from simple organizational
documents to repositories for political rights is rooted in Anglo-
American tradition—specifically, in the American colonies. The
colonists of the 1760s and 1770s were captivated by discussions of
political rights. They saw a constitution as an opportunity to establish
political freedoms and laws.
Many point to the American Founding–the series of political and
military events that culminated in the 1788 U.S. Constitution–as the
documentary origin of government constraints in favor of citizen
rights. However, viewing American state constitutions as a long series
of documents that evolved over time before the Federal Constitution
is more accurate. This paper by Pope, Barber and Abramson charts
that evolution, asking if there was a clear shift in the fundamental
legal documents of the American colonies, and if so, when did it
occur, and what was its substance?
This is how the article “A Revolution of Rights in American Founding
Documents,” by Scott F. Abramson, Michael J. Barber and Jeremy C.
Pope, begins.
The study shows a substantive, nearly universal, break that clearly
exists in conjunction with the Declaration of Independence in 1776,
not the U.S. Constitution in 1788. The first Constitution of the State
of New Hampshire, adopted on January 5, 1776, was the first written
constitution for an independent state in the New World and set
the stage for the Declaration of Independence in July of that same
year. Virginia passed its own state constitution on June 29th, 1776,
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followed by New Jersey on July 2nd, Delaware
on September 21st, Pennsylvania on September
28th, Maryland on November 11th, and North
Carolina on December 18th. Georgia followed
suit on February 5th, 1777, followed by New
York on April 20th, 1777.
The results demonstrate a shift in fundamental law
that came concurrent with the American Revolution
and the Declaration of Independence and seems
closely tied to the rights provisions introduced into
the new American State Constitutions in the mid
1770s.
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The American colonial constitutions and state
constitutions in the new emerging nation were
a strong influence on the governing principles
and laws of the U.S. Constitution. Drafted
from 1776 to 1783, the state constitutions were
themselves shaped by the colonial constitutions
that preceded them, often as a reaction against
the colonial charters issued by the British
government. While the Constitution is a
practical legal document, it is based on longheld
moral, philosophical, and political beliefs
and customs recognized and practiced by the
pre-Revolution American people.
Early American fundamental laws following
the Revolutionary War are best described
by a single latent dimension: the protection
and enumeration of citizen rights. And the
state constitutions written at the time of the
Declaration of Independence clearly show two
key ideas: a broad suspicion of government
power, and trying to find ways to curtail its
potential abuse. Changes in those early legal
documents reflect something claimed by the
revolutionaries themselves, that individual
rights were critical to the new governments,
both locally and nationally. Other factors such
as culture, geography or constitutional clauses
on other branches do not appear to be nearly
as important. An analysis of change shows a
dramatic, rapid shift in documents at the time
of the revolution, again not necessarily with the
drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
This shift is of incredible importance because it
was the moment that vague, non-written aspirations
were turned into written protections of the people’s
rights—a pattern that would play out over the next
few centuries as future constitutions followed this
precedent of written constitutions as repositories
of rights. The colonial charters that preceded state
constitutions had largely been drafted in London and
served to create a minimal government for colonies
that would serve the trade interests of the Empire.
Charters were
different in scope
and aspiration than
the constitutions that
came later.
The state
constitutions, unlike
the charters that
preceded them,
were promulgated
by the colonial
subjects alone.
On May 10, 1776,
with armies already
on the field, the
This was the
moment
that vague
aspirations
were turned
into written
protections
of the
people’s
rights.
Continental Congress passed a resolution to the
states and their respective assemblies. Within it, they
recommended adopting governments that would best
conduce the happiness and safety of both the states’
constituents and their new nation. This step preceded
the Declaration of Independence and was the primary
catalyst leading to the creation of new governments

for the former colonies. The transition from British
to American authority represents a fundamental
change in the nature of the foundational laws
governing the American people, emphasizing
the need to defend one’s right to life, liberty and
property.
The amelioration of written constitutions from
procedural documents to political statements did
not, as we’ve previously hypothesized, originate
with the national Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
or the Philadelphia constitutional convention.
Rather, it was the state constitutions created in
1776 and after, at the beginning of the revolution,
that established this revolutionary constitutional
precedent.
colonists no longer trusted the government of the
British Empire to respect their rights as Englishmen,
they not only declared their independence, but drafted
new constitutions that emphasized and guaranteed
their individual rights.
Using an original dataset of institutional features
of 43 colonial charters and constitutions, and a
combination of IRT and text based methods, Pope,
Barber and Abramson develop a series of systematic
statistical tests to show these findings.
The revolutionary change in the substance of
American constitutions first occurred at the local
level, from the ground up. Early colonial America
had a high level of local knowledge related to
the importance of citizen rights. Once the local
“A Revolution of Rights in American Founding Documents” was published in the Journal of Political Institutions and
Political Economy: Vol. 3: No. 2, pp 124-147, 28 Jun 2022. © 2022 S. F. Abramson, M. J. Barber and J. C. Pope
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EVENTS &
PROGRAMS
Durham Lecture 2022
Gail Miller, CEO of the LHM Company, spoke for the 2022 Durham Lecture about “The Courage to be You.”
Her remarks admonished students, faculty, staff, and visitors to have the courage to live the life that you were
meant to live. We cannot sit and expect life to come to us, she exclaimed. It takes courage to decide who you are
and what your fundamental principles will be, but those decisions–especially made early, as she advised–will
guide you along the path you’re meant to follow.
From her childhood experiences of growing up in the poor Marmeland District
of Salt Lake City with eight siblings, Gail attested to the importance of hard
work, saving money, and taking reasonable risks to advance your career. She
and her husband Larry Miller, who passed away in 2009, made their fortune
from scratch with the help of those precepts.
Thank you, Gail, for memorable remarks.
The annual Durham Lecture occurred on Thursday, February 10, 11:00 AM, at the Hinckley Center
Assembly Hall.
Speed Mentoring at the Utah State Capitol 2022
BYU Political Affairs Society
Around 50 students participated in the BYU Political Affairs Society’s Utah State Capitol visit on Friday,
February 25, 2022. In a tour conducted by Professor Adam Dynes, everyone attending observed the Utah House
of Representatives and Utah State Senate in session, as well as the Committee Rooms and Governor’s offices.
A job networking event also took place with Utah Officials and Politicos, wherein 15 Utah executives met at
intervals with the BYU students, answered questions, and delivered advice.
It was a wonderful event and the BYU Political Affairs Society, Professor Adam Dynes and Professor Liz
McGuire helped our students gain new experience in politics. Thank you to all who attended and helped, and
especially to Mike Mower, the President of the Salt Lake City Chapter of the BYU Political Affairs Society.
Sincere appreciation to everyone!
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Beyond BYU, Washington D.C. 2022
BYU Political Affairs Society
Beyond BYU 2022 took place on May 5 and 6, 2022 in Washington, DC after two virtual years during the
Pandemic. Students and alumni were eager to meet again in this networking event that took place mostly on
Capitol Hill, but also at offices and professional venues all over DC, Maryland and Virginia. Approximately 150
students and professionals participated in the main keynote event with Judge Thomas Griffith, in the Russell
Kennedy Caucus Room, with 100 professional office visits in the morning, and 100 in the afternoon of Friday
May 6. We sincerely thank our alumni for giving their time to help our students. Some students also were able
to attend the Washington, DC Temple Open House on the morning of May 5.
Beyond BYU is a networking event in Washington, DC. BYU students traveled in groups to meet at the
offices of various DC PAS Chapter members who work for businesses, Congress, government entities, trade
organizations, law firms, political consulting boutiques, international relations groups, and many more to
learn what makes D.C. tick. The BYU Political Affairs Society (PAS) DC Chapter hosted the Beyond BYU
2022 “mentoring” and networking event! This was the 13th annual event. Also, new this year, the BYU
Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership hosted networking events in DC on Saturday, May 7, which
complemented the events held for Beyond BYU.
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Judge Thomas Griffith addressing BYU students in the Kennedy Caucus room on Capitol Hill.

LDS Scholars Workshop 2022
BYU Department of Political Science
On May 19th and 20th, 2022, after a 5-year hiatus, the BYU Political Science Department hosted its third LDS
Scholars Workshop on BYU-Provo campus. Led by Professor Ryan Davis, the motivation behind the workshop
is to provide a venue for young LDS scholars to foster professional networks with other LDS scholars (junior
and senior), as well as receive feedback on their work. Mentors from amongst the BYU faculty helped graduate
students and newly-minted assistant professors prepare for the conference: they proof-read their pupils’ papers,
advised them on how to give good discussant feedback, and gave them tips on presentation techniques.
The network of LDS political scientists is steadily growing in the U.S. Our department maintains a list of
former BYU students who went on to PhD programs, as well as non-BYU folk in the discipline. The list is
almost 150 names long and includes LDS political scientists in PhD programs at top universities such as
Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Michigan, as well as professors at a variety of institutions around the country and
the world.
This year, we invited 30 participants to present their work over a two-day workshop. BYU faculty provided
feedback, and each session involved lively discussion amongst the participants. LDS political scientists across
the country are engaged in cutting-edge research on important topics, including: the Quality of Democracy
around the world, as evidenced by vote buying, money politics, and gerrymandering, political disagreements
hampering legislation, the rule of law, interest groups, and political ads. Also of importance, Domestic U.S.
Politics and Foreign Relations; World Political Development (ex: elections in Russia); and Gender in Politics.
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Ukraine Nuclear Crisis Simulation 2022
Nuclear Strategy and American Diplomacy
Prof. Kerry Kartchner’s Spring 2022 Poli 470 class (Nuclear Strategy and American Diplomacy) held a
“Ukraine Nuclear Crisis Simulation” at the Kennedy Center on May 18, 2002. 30 students and faculty
participated in a multilateral role-playing simulation involving hypothetical Russian use of nuclear weapons
in Ukraine. Participants were divided between teams representing the US National Security Council, NATO’s
Nuclear Planning Group, and Ukraine’s State Security Council.
In addition to students enrolled in the class, participants included students from the Political Science
Department at BYU, the Center for Anticipatory Intelligence at Utah State University, and staff from the Center
for National Security Studies at Utah Valley University. Dr. Kartchner also took his class up to the Hill Air
Force Base Museum on Friday, June 3, to see the planes associated with nuclear armament in the U.S.
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2022 ACUNS Conference
Evidence-Based Solutions for Intensifying Global Challenges
From left: J. Matthew Clarke, JD; Professor Alynna Lyon; Professor Ken Stiles at the ACUNS Conference.
Geneva, Switzerland | Thursday-Saturday, 23-25 June 2022
The Annual Conference for ACUNS was attended by Professor Ken Stiles, who is co-Editor in Chief of the
Global Governance Journal for ACUNS. Managing Editor Matthew Clarke, from BYU Political Science, also
attended. BYU Political Science hosts the Global Governance Journal until July 2024.
The 2022 ACUNS Annual Meeting, which took place on 23-25 June, led up to UN Charter Day on 26 June.
It was co-organised and -hosted by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and UN
Geneva to inspire the participation of UN staff and delegates in Geneva and beyond. The conference supports
ACUNS’s core mission of bringing together scholars and practitioners active in the work of the UN to better
understand and address major global problems.
The 2022 Annual Meeting created the space for researchers, UN staff and delegates to:
• Present and discuss their latest academic and policy research
• Showcase constructive and innovative research-policy collaborations
• Demonstrate digital tools and mechanisms that facilitate research uptake
• Strengthen research-policy collaborations and networks
Lise Grande gave the Holmes Lecture 2022 at the ACUNS Annual
Conference. Grande is the president and CEO of the U.S. Institute of Peace,
an independent, nonpartisan, federally funded institute charged with the
mission to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict around the world.
She has 25 years of continuous overseas experience leading, managing, and
coordinating complex operations for the United Nations.
Grande has held leadership positions in humanitarian, stabilization,
peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and development operations in Africa, the
Middle East, Asia, and the Caucasus.
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POLITICAL
PHILOSOPHER
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Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (28 June 1712 –
2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and
composer. His political philosophy influenced the
progress of the Enlightenment throughout
Europe, as well as aspects of the French
Revolution and the development of modern
political, economic, and educational thought.
Rousseau’s sentimental novel Julie, or the New
Heloise (1761), was important to the development
of pre romanticism and romanticism in fiction.
His Emile, or Treatise On Education (1762), is an
educational treatise on the place of the individual in
society. Rousseau’s autobiographical writings—the
posthumously published Confessions (composed in
1769), which initiated the modern autobiography,
and the unfinished Reveries of the Solitary Walker
(composed 1776–1778)—exemplified the late
18th-century “Age of Sensibility,” and featured an
increased focus on subjectivity and introspection that
later characterized modern writing. His Discourse on
Inequality and The Social Contract are cornerstones
in modern political and social thought.
Rousseau befriended fellow philosopher Denis
Diderot in 1742, and would later write about
Diderot’s romantic troubles in his Confessions.
During the period of the French Revolution,
Rousseau was the most popular of the philosophers
among members of the Jacobin Club. He was interred
as a national hero in the Panthéon in Paris, in 1794,
16 years after his death.
Rousseau was an advocate of equality within society.
He, along with fellow philosopher Voltaire (real
name Francois-Marie Arouet) gave the American
Revolution and our founding fathers important
concepts upon which to build a new form of
government. This, in turn, contributed to the zeitgeist
that enabled the French Revolution.
“To live is not to breathe but to act. It is to make use of our
organs, our senses, our faculties, of all the parts of ourselves
which give us the sentiment of our existence. The man who
has lived the most is not he who has counted the most years
but he who has most felt life.”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, or Treatise On Education
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ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHTS
Kevin J. Worthen
President of Brigham Young University
Kevin Worthen is a BYU Political Science major graduate who also went to the J. Reuben Clark Law School.
He became Dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School, and later President of BYU.
The youngest of four children, Worthen is a native of Carbon County, Utah born in Dragerton, Utah and raised
in Price, Utah. He served as an LDS missionary in Monterrey, Mexico. Worthen earned an associate degree
from the College of Eastern Utah (CEU), where he was co-captain of the varsity basketball team and graduated
co-valedictorian in 1978. While at CEU, Worthen worked summers as a coal miner. He graduated summa cum
laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science from BYU in 1979.
In 1982, Worthen graduated summa cum laude from BYU’s JRCL at the top of his class. He earned the
distinction of Order of the Coif. Following graduation, he clerked for Judge Malcolm Wilkey of the United
States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and for Justice Byron White of the United States Supreme Court.
He practiced law in Phoenix, Arizona from 1984 to 1987 with the law firm of Jennings, Strouss & Salmon.
While practicing law in Arizona, Worthen found that he was very interested in the history of laws, leading him
to consider teaching law.
On March 11, 2014, Henry B. Eyring, First Vice Chairman of the BYU Board of Trustees, announced that
effective May 1, 2014, Worthen would succeed Cecil O. Samuelson as the president of BYU. Worthen was
officially inaugurated as BYU’s 13th president September 9, 2014, in a special devotional assembly.
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Meghan Beatty Einfeldt
Meghan was a BYU Poli Sci Major who graduated in 2019, and she has been
living in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, where she received her
Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University. They recently
moved to Arkansas, where her husband is studying for his MFA degree in
Creative Writing at the University of Arkansas.
She grew up in St. George, Utah, and served a mission in Peru, after which
she worked at the U.S. Embassy in Lima. She has been working in local
government in New York and Arkansas, most recently working as an
administrative analyst for the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
In the future, Meghan plans to build her career in research and analytics,
and eventually go on to earn a PhD in Latin American Studies. She and her
husband are currently expecting their first child, and are excited to add to their
family as they each pursue their higher education degrees and career goals.
Andrew, Senior Project Manager at Target Point Consulting, grew up
in North Ogden, Utah and studied Political Science at BYU, where he
gained experience in polling and data collection as a research assistant.
He used his experience to become an executive at Target Point Consulting
in Washington, DC and uses that experience in survey methodology and
design to help produce important insights for Target Point’s clients. He also
manages the intern program and enjoys coming up with creative ways to
teach others about market research.
Andrew Meeks
Prior to working at Target Point, Andrew researched voting behavior at the
local level and the effects “convenience voter laws” have on voter turnout.
He was also involved in creating and analyzing political surveys while
studying survey methodology during his undergraduate education at BYU.
Andrew is proficient in Mandarin Chinese. He enjoys listening to audio
books, traveling, watching TV shows with his wife, playing the piano, and
finding the best burger joints everywhere he goes.
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STUDENT
SPOTLIGHTS
Haeley Christensen
Editor in Chief, BYU Political Review
Haeley is a sophomore from Gilbert, Arizona. She is studying
English and minoring in Political Science here at BYU.
Haeley is a senior and Editor-in-Chief of the Political Review.
Although writing is her greatest passion, Haeley’s interest
in politics was stirred at a young age with compulsory NPR
sessions in the car and pretend presidential elections in
elementary school. She also attributes a lot of her political
involvement to her mother, who was always pulling her
into some crusade for local government or school boards in
her home state of Arizona. Haeley has distinct memories of
licking stamps for envelopes stuffed with information about
the latest bills and marching in rallies at the state capitol.
Now she channels her political interests (and need to correct
comma usage) into the review each month. She wrote for
a year before becoming publisher and is now thrilled to be
working as the editor. Her favorite topics to explore include
South Korean politics, public education, and realities of the
American Dream.
Aside from writing and studying
constantly, she’s a fan of musical theater,
Wikipedia rabbit holes, and combing
through every rack at thrift stores. Haeley
hopes to work in an industry involving
writing or journalism before applying
for grad school. If she pursues that path,
earning a PhD would be the ultimate
goal—
probably in English, hopefully with an
emphasis on Asian American studies.
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Marissa Gerber Pinnock
Editor in Chief, SIGMA
Marissa serves as the Editor in Chief for Sigma: Journal of Political
and International Studies. Marissa is a senior studying Economics
with a minor in Business. She has been involved in Sigma for the past
three years, first as a copy editor and then, last year, as the managing
editor. She is passionate about helping students publish their research
and talking about the world. Marissa served a LDS mission in the
Philippines from 2018 to 2020 and dreams of starting a nonprofit
organization focused on improving educational opportunities for
Filipinos. After graduation, Marissa will begin work at Deloitte in their
advisory practice as a cyber risk analyst. In her free time, she loves to
swing dance, watch BYU football, and cook.
Amelia Watterson
Lead Editor, SIGMA
Amelia Watterson serves as the Lead Editor for Sigma: Journal
of Political and International Studies. She is a junior majoring in
International Relations and minoring in International Development.
She was born in Calgary, Alberta and raised in Denver, Colorado.
From 2020 to 2021, she served a mission for the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in São Paulo, Brazil and Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. She recently completed an internship with the annual
International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, DC, and
hopes to one day work in the field of international law or international
human rights advocacy.
Elle Diether
Managing Editor, SIGMA
Elle Diether serves as the Managing Editor for Sigma: Journal of
Political and International Studies. Elle is currently a senior studying
Political Science with a minor in Mathematics. She has been
previously involved in BYU Political Review and is currently working
as a research assistant for Professor Pope and Professor Monson. She
hopes to attend graduate school in Political Science and become a
professor. Her interests include political conversations, electoral rules,
and hegemonic transitions. During her free time, she enjoys touring
Civil War battlefields, playing video games, and lip synching to
Broadway soundtracks.
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PIC OF CAMPUS ON THIS PAGE

FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS
Professor
Jeremy Pope
Professor
Michael Jay
Barber
Professor Pope studied Economics at BYU before
receiving both an MA and PhD in Political Science
at Stanford University. He grew up in Provo, Utah
as the son of economics professor Clayne L. Pope.
Jeremy studied Economics and Political Science as an
undergrad at BYU and loved the tools of economics,
though not the questions. After graduating BYU,
Jeremy worked in Washington, D.C. at the American
Enterprise Institute, a conservative center-right think
tank centered around policy. He has taught and lectured
at Stanford and lectured at William and Mary. He
served a mission in the Bay Area, and learned Laotian
and Thai serving refugees there.
His favorite historical place in the U.S. is Independence
Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of
Independence was signed. When he is in Independence
Hall, Jeremy feels a palpable sense of history and scale.
The Hall is small by modern standards, but momentous
events occurred there. Thomas Jefferson, at just 33
years of age, wrote the vast majority of the Declaration
in a small boarding house room in Philadelphia, not far
from Independence Hall.
Since 2014, Jeremy has been the co-director of the
Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy
(CSED) at BYU, along with Professor Chris Karpowitz.
In December 2020, he published his book: Founding
Factions: How Majorities Shifted and Aligned to Shape
the U.S. Constitution (with Shawn Treier). He also
works on political polarization, campaign finance,
caucuses, political ideology, and race in voting. Much
of his recent scholarly work is about the Founding
Fathers.
Professor Barber is an associate professor of
political science at Brigham Young University in
Provo, Utah, and a faculty scholar at the Center for
the study of Elections and Democracy (CSED). His
research focuses on the causes and consequences
of ideological polarization in American politics
- among both elected officials and the public.
He received his PhD in politics from Princeton
University in 2014, after graduating in Poli Sci
from BYU in 2008, and has published research in
a variety of edited volumes and scholarly journals
such as Science Advances, American Political
Science Review, American Journal of Political
Science, Journal of Politics, Political Analysis,
Public Opinion Quarterly, and others.
Mike grew up in Spokane, WA. He enjoyed living
in New Jersey during graduate school, especially
since key events in the Revolutionary War, including
the Battle of Princeton, occurred there. One of
the stories he heard as a student was that when
the British took over Nassau Hall on Princeton
campus, George Washington marched onto campus
and launched an attack that drove the British from
their garrison in Nassau Hall. The decisive victory
left enduring marks: one cannonball gouge from
Washington’s artillery is still visible on the south
wall of Nassau.
Mike enjoys living in Utah, and met his wife Karen
here at BYU after his graduate work. She is a
professor of Chemistry at BYU. They now have two
children, ages 4 and 2. He loves working with BYU
Political Science.
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Professor Eric Hyer
Retires
Professor Eric Hyer came to BYU in January of 1988, after completing his PhD at Columbia University in
New York City. From 1990-1995, Hyer was the coordinator for what was then called International Studies,
now International Relations. He moved to China for a year, and when he returned, BYU elected him as the
director of graduate studies. He directed the grad program from ‘96 to ‘99.
While growing up, Hyer was surrounded by the Asia Pacific region. His father was a BYU professor in the
history department; he taught Asian History (Far Eastern History), and studied China and Mongolia. As a
child, Hyer’s family lived in Japan and Taiwan while his father conducted research there. Naturally, Hyer
developed an interest in China from his experiences.
Professor Hyer’s career has seen U.S-China relations come full circle. While he was studying Chinese
in Taiwan in 1972, President Nixon visited China, a monumental event in U.S-China relations. When he
started graduate school in 1979, China had opened to reform policies under Deng Xiaoping, and China
embraced free enterprise and ended strict Marxist communism. American-China student exchanges began,
and Professor Hyer went to China in 1980 to continue studying Chinese and broaden his knowledge of
Chinese culture and politics. At the time there was optimism that China would become the eastern flank
of NATO in opposing the Soviet Union, which had just invaded Afghanistan. However, on June 4, 1989,
the Tiananmen Square Massacre occurred, indicating that China and Deng Xiaoping had not embraced as
much of western liberalism as originally hoped.
Professor Hyer has seen this complete
cycle during his career studying
China, from the opening up of
US-China relations in 1972, to the
liberalizing of China, and now back
to competition and strategic concern
in 2022. As Professor Hyer reflects
on his career at BYU, and on his
experiences in the Indo-Pacific region,
and specifically on China, he has a
few thoughts about the presence and
future actions of China, as well as
BYU’s positive impact on foreign
relations.
(continued on pg. 23)
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Eric and his grandson at the Great Wall of China.

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US-China Relations: China is a challenge economically and militarily. China clearly wants to surpass the
USA as the strongest economy and leader of the world. China is a leader in AI, but also on the dark side of
AI, using information against people in a new digital authoritarianism. The USA needs to up its game in
order to stay ahead.
China in the Indo-Pacific region: China claims some islands in the South China Sea, but Malaysia, the
Philippines and Vietnam also control islands. The South China Sea is a major sea lane for the entire world, so
all countries will maintain a presence there to ensure China does not monopolize the area.
BYU stands out: we are the top university in the nation for preparing students to get PhDs in foreign
language and literature (1). We send many students to work in the Foreign Service and the CIA. That’s very
impressive to the US government, specifically the Department of Education. The DOE oversees the National
Resource Center grant Professor Hyer has administered since 2010, which offers students foreign language
and area studies scholarships and supports faculty research, curriculum development and outreach to the
larger community. BYU has also built an excellent Asian Studies program.
Professor Hyer loved his many years at BYU. Now, he’s at a point in his life where he is stepping away from
teaching and administration in pursuit of other passions, mainly a research project and a book that he needs
to somehow get on paper. Thank you, Professor Eric Hyer, for a wonderful career at BYU Political Science
and at the Kennedy Center.
References: 1. https://news.byu.edu/byu-no-1-in-the-nation-for-launching-business-foreign-language-ph-d-s
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FACULTY IN THE NEWS
Professor Joel Selway
in the Washington Post
Professor Selway has written an article for the Washington Post Monkey Page
entitled: “Has time run out for Thailand’s prime minister?” The article notes
that the Constitutional Court of Thailand, the highest court in that country, has
temporarily suspended Prime Minister Prayuth’s duties. Prayuth has been in
power since his military coup in 2014, and helped engineer a new constitution.
Its limits on presidential tenure–eight years–now complicate his political future.
Professor Jessica Preece
“Being a Disciple of Hope”
Professor Jessica Preece wrote an article for BYU Studies in
issue 61.1, on “Being a Disciple of Hope,” about barriers and
prejudices in the political world, and how she maintains hope
as a Political Scientist. Specifically, she writes that there are
all sorts of real considerations and barriers that people face
as they make decisions about political involvement. It is her
position that the attitudes with which we approach politics have
profound implications for ourselves and others.
How do we fight against the temptation of cynicism and reclaim
hope? How do we simultaneously acknowledge the limitations
of our ability to effect change while also continuing to try? As
someone who has had to fight this battle her whole life, she has
developed two strategies. First, she tries to discipline herself
to remember that she has covenanted to be a person of faith,
hope, and charity. Second, she tries to remember that cynicism
is a defense mechanism. It’s rooted in the reality that when you
try, failure is a possible (or maybe even probable) outcome, and
failure is very painful. The only antidote she has found for this
is to acknowledge her fear and try to remember that God will
take care of us.
24

Chad E. Nelson
Revolutionary Contagion and International Politics
centuries, including the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Italian Fascist revolution, and the
Iranian Islamist Revolution. When do leaders fear that a revolution elsewhere will spread to their own polities,
and what are the international effects of this fear? This book develops and tests the domestic contagion effects
theory. According to the theory, fear of contagion is driven more by the characteristics of the host rather than
the activities of the infecting agents. In other words, leaders will fear revolutionary contagion when they have
significant revolutionary opposition movements that share the same ideological affinity of the revolution.
Cases spanning the reaction to the democratic American Revolution and the Dutch Patriot Revolt, the wave
of liberal revolutions in Europe in 1820-21, the
Russian communist and Italian fascist revolutions,
and the Iranian Islamist revolution in the Middle East
largely support the theory of revolutionary contagion.
Whether the revolutionary state merely serves as
a model for revolution or whether it also acts as a
platform, attempting to spread revolution abroad, is
not the crucial distinction.
Revolutionary Contagion and International Politics addresses when leaders
fear revolution is spreading and how that affects international politics.
It argues that leaders fear contagion only when they have a significant
revolutionary movement of their own. When leaders have a fear of
contagion, it will have a profound effect on international politics, prompting
hostility towards the revolutionary state and cooperation with states that
have similar fears, sometimes in contrast to geopolitical pressures.The book
tests this theory by assessing the response by major powers to revolutions
and revolts from an the major ideological movements of the last two
This book advances our understanding of when,
why, and how much states with different domestic
ideologies affect international relations. The contest
over regime types has had a profound effect on
international politics in certain times and places, and
the domestic contagion effects theory is a principal
way that this is manifested. In certain periods in
international relations, one simply cannot make sense
of international politics – patterns of alliances and
wars – without considering the fear of contagion.
25

Professors Michael Barber and John Holbein
in the Public Library of Science
Academic journal PLOS published an article written by Professor Barber and former BYU Political Science
Professor John Holbein (now at the University of Virginia). Their article, “400 million voting records show
profound racial and geographic disparities in voter turnout in the United States,” compares representative
democracy ideals with the reality of such governments.
One of the core tenets of a well-functioning representative democracy is that the people who vote to elect
government officials are representative of the public. However, reality is far from this lofty ideal. With a
level of granularity and precision unlike any previous research efforts, Barber and Holbien documented large
and persistent gaps in voter turnout by race, age, and political affiliation. Minority citizens, young people,
and those who support the Democratic Party are much less likely to vote than white people, older citizens,
and Republican Party supporters. Minorities, youth, and democrats are also much more likely to live in local
communities where fewer individuals vote—areas that we term turnout deserts. Turnout deserts are especially
harmful given that they are self-reinforcing—bolstered by the social dynamics that fundamentally shape
citizens’ voting patterns.
Barber and Holbein’s results show glaring inequalities in U.S. political participation. These patterns threaten
the very fabric of our democracy and fundamentally shift the balance of political power towards the interests
of white people, older citizens, and Republicans. They illustrate that participation in the United States is
strikingly unequal—far from the ideals that this country has long aspired to.
Independence Hall in Philadelphia by Ferdinand Richardt
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FACULTY AWARDS, GRANTS, & RECOGNITIONS 2022
FHSS College Awards
Chris Karpowitz
Martin B. Hickman Innovation in
Teaching Award
Mike Barber
FHSS Early Career Scholar
(ongoing)
Kelly Patterson
Martin B. Hickman Innovation in
Teaching Award
Darren Hawkins
J. Reuben Clark Jr. Grant
Adam Dynes
Mary Lou Fulton Young Faculty
Award
Celeste Beesley
Women’s Research Initiative
Grant/Outstanding Mentoring
Josh Gubler
BYU Early Career Teaching
Award (ongoing)
Krista Mortensen
Outstanding Rookie Award
Political Science Department Awards
Darren Hawkins
BYUPAS Professor of the Year
Adam Brown
Outstanding Teaching
Ethan Busby
Outstanding Scholarship
Sven Wilson
Outstanding Service
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TRIBUTE TO STAN TAYLOR
Stan A. Taylor was born on April 11, 1934 in Provo to Melvin
Taylor, an auto mechanic, and Arma Hancock Taylor, a nurse.
He grew up in Provo and graduated from Provo High School. He
served an LDS mission in the Chicago area and then returned to
Provo, where he attended BYU and persuaded Victoria Richards
from Salt Lake to marry him.
After graduating from BYU with a degree in Political Science, Stan
entered the Ph.D. program at the prestigious Fletcher School of
Law & Diplomacy, part of Harvard University and Tufts College
in Boston, MA. While in Boston, Stan served as the bishop of
the Billerica Ward in his mid-20s, and as the chair of the Political
Science Department at Bentley College.
In 1968, after receiving his doctorate from Fletcher, Stan took a position as a professor at BYU, teaching classes
for nearly four decades in political science and international relations. Stan was chair of the BYU Political
Science Department for six years. He also founded the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies,
becoming its first director. He received every award BYU gives to faculty members and was beloved by his
students. A scholarship fund was set up at BYU in Stan’s name to help students with their tuition and other
expenses. Stan took two two-year leaves of absence from BYU to work in government in Washington, D.C. He
was first a legislative assistant for Utah Congressman Gunn McKay and later a member of the US Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence, appointed by Utah Senator Jake Garn. Stan became an expert in national security
matters, teaching classes on the subject at BYU and in other schools around the US and the world, including in
New Zealand, England and Wales. He published numerous books and articles and advised presidents and prime
ministers.
Stan continued to serve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a number of capacities. He served
as a special senior missionary, advising members of The Church’s First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles on international political matters. Stan was a proficient musician and excellent trumpet player. After
his first mission for The Church, he formed The Stan Taylor Dance Band to help pay for his college expenses.
Later, he was a trumpet player with the Utah Valley Symphony for many years. He was also known to play the
Australian didgeridoo from time to time, to the amusement of his family and friends.
Stan died Saturday, January 15, 2022, at the age of 87, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He is
survived by his beloved wife, Victoria, and four of his five children, Paul, Dave, Julie, and John. He is also
survived by 24 grandchildren and an increasing number of great-grandchildren.
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IN CONCLUSION
From “Accountable Citizenship,” by Stan A. Taylor, May 5, 1998
There are two conditions under which the earthly kingdom of God cannot exist comfortably. The first
is under anarchy, where individuals are so concerned with physical survival that they cannot devote time and
attention to more eternal concerns. The condition of anarchy and the terror of living one’s daily life under
anarchy are well described in the Book of Mormon in Ether: “And now there began to be a great curse upon
all the land because of the iniquity of the people, in which, if a man should lay his tool or his sword upon . . .
the place whither he would keep it, behold, upon the morrow, he could not find it. . .Wherefore every man did
cleave unto that which was his own, and would not borrow neither would he lend; and every man kept the hilt
of his sword in his right hand, in the defense of his property and his own life and of his wives and children.”(1)
The second condition is dictatorship, where all or some religious practice is banned. As Elder Bruce D. Porter
has reminded us, “anarchy and dictatorship are related: As is often the case in history, absolute dictatorship was
made possible not by the steady growth of government into a leviathan of power, but rather by the destruction of
government, which left a vacuum into which ruthless men could move.”(2)
Both anarchy and dictatorship thwart God’s plan, since both deny agency. Both anarchy and dictatorship create
a society advocated and described by Korihor in the Book of Mormon: “a society in which every man fared in...
life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and...
every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime.”(3) D&C Section
134 requires us to respect government and work for the establishment of well-ordered and well-administered
governments to avoid the evil consequences of anarchy and terror. Government is the opposite of anarchy. It
was instituted by God to prevent that kind of society from existing. It is an exalted and ennobling principle.
And for this divine gift that was instituted for the benefit of man, what does the Lord expect of us in return? He
expects us to be accountable for this gift. . . D&C 134: “We believe that governments were instituted of God
for the benefit of man; and that he [God] holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them.”(4) God holds
us accountable for our acts in relation to our governments.
References:
1.) Ether 14:1-2. 2.) “The Virtue of Government,” address to the Pi Sigma Alpha Society of Brigham Young University, April
1996, p. 2. 3.) Alma 30:17. 4.) D&C 134:1.
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