Date of Birth: May 21, 1966
Education:
B.A., Political Science, Southern Methodist University, May 1988
B. FA., Advertising, Southern Methodist University, May 1988
M.A., Political Science, Ohio State University, March 1992
Ph.D., Political Science, Ohio State University, March 1995
Courses Taught:
Introduction to American Government -- taught seven times at Ohio State University
American Political Institutions - taught Fall 1999 and Spring 2000 at SJSU
Legislative Politics -- taught twice at Ohio State University, twice at San Jose State
Law and Society -- taught Fall 1994 through Spring 2000
Controversial Legal Issues -- taught Fall 1994 through Spring 1997
Judicial Politics -- taught Spring 1996 - 1999
Constitutional Law: The Supreme Court -- taught Fall 1996-1999
Judicial Internship -- taught Spring 1997, 1998, 1999
Senior Seminar B taught Fall 1998
Courses Developed:
Judicial Politics -- approved, SJSU College of Social Sciences Curriculum Committee, 3/95
Legislative Politics On-Line Course (PoliSci 105)
American Political Institutions On-Line Course (PoliSci 101)
Research Grants Received:
November 1998 - recipient of SJSU Professional Development Lottery Grant, $2000
November 1997 B recipient of SJSU College of Social Sciences Research Grant, $850
October 1997 B recipient of SJSU Professional Development Lottery Grant, $850
November 1996 -- recipient of SJSU Professional Development Lottery Grant, $900
April 1996 -- recipient of SJSU College of Social Sciences Research Grant, $1500
April 1995 -- recipient of SJSU College of Social Sciences Research Grant, $750
Journal Publications:
Brent, James. (1999). "An Agent and Two Principals: United States Courts of Appeals
Responses to Employment Division, Department of Human Resources v. Smith and the
Religious Freedom Restoration Act." American Politics Quarterly 27:236-66.Brent, James. (1998). "Supreme Court Support for the United States: The Effect of Presidential
Appointments." Southeastern Political Review 26:79-102.Brent, James. (1996). "State Attorneys General Before Their State Courts of Last Resort: A
Research Note." Comparative State Politics 17:16-34.
Book Chapters:
Valenty, Linda O., and James C. Brent. (2000). "On-line Voting: Calculating Risks and Benefits
to the Community and the Individual." In Ingo Vogelsang, ed. Proceedings of the 27th Annual
Telecommunications Policy Research Conference. Boston: M.I.T. Press. (forthcoming)
Books Edited:
Brent, James C., ed. (1999). American Government: Readings with WebLinks. Guilford, CN:
Morton Publishing.
Presentations at Professional Conferences:
Valenty, Linda, and James C. Brent. (1999) "On-line Voting: Calculating Risks and Benefits to
the Community and the Individual." Paper presented at the 1999 annual meeting of the
Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, Alexandria, VA."A Principal-Agent Model of Judicial Decision Making in Affirmative Action Cases." Paper
presented at the 1998 meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, Atlanta GA.
October 1998."Confirmation Battles for State Supreme Court Justices: A Descriptive and Explanatory
Analysis." Paper presented at the 1998 meeting of the Western Political Science
Association, Los Angeles, CA, March 1998."Lower Court Responses to State Supreme Court Decisions: The California Courts of Appeals
and Criminal Justice.@ Paper to presented at the 1997 meeting of the Southern Political
Science Association, Norfolk, VA, Nov. 5-7, 1997."An Agent Serving Two Principals: Responses of the Court of Appeals to Employment Division
v. Smith and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act." Paper presented at the 1997 meeting of
the Midwest Political Science Association, April 10-13."Lower Court Responses to the Supreme Court and Congress: The Case of Employment
Division v. Smith." Paper presented at the 1997 meeting of the Western Political Science
Association, Tucson AZ, March 13-15."Explaining Individual-Level Support for Governors as Litigants Before Their State Courts of
Last Resort: A 50-State Comparative Analysis." Presented at the 1996 meeting of the Northeast
Political Science Association, Boston MA., November 14 - 17."Governors as Litigants Before State Courts of Last Resort: A 50-State Comparative Analysis"
Presented at the 1996 meeting of the Western Political Science Association, Reno NV."Supreme Court Support for the United States: The Effect of Presidential Appointments."
Presented at the 1995 meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, Tampa FL."Support for the State Attorney General on State Supreme Courts: A Comparative Analysis"
Presented at the 1994 meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL"Presidential Support Among Freshmen in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1952-1985"
Presented at the 1991 meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, Tampa FL
Reviews:
Have served as anonymous reviewer for American Politics Quarterly
Have served as anonymous reviewer for Political Research Quarterly
Have written reviews for CHOICE, a publication of the Association of College and Research
Libraries
Participation in Other Forums:
October 1994 -- Moderator, Associated Students Forum on IRA Fee Increase, San Jose State University
January 1995 -- Judge and Coach, Santa Clara County Board of Education's "We the People" Competition
March 1995 -- Panelist, League of Women Voters Forum on Children and Welfare Reform
April 1995 -- "Affirmative Action: Obstacles and Opportunities for Democrats", Speech given to the Santa Clara County Democratic Club
May 1995 -- Moderator, Markham Hall Forum on the "Contract with America"
October 1995 -- Panelist, Academic Senate/Associated Students educational forum on Affirmative Action
November 1995 -- Panelist, Junior Statesman Forum on Ethics and Politics, Santa Clara Marriott Hotel
January 1996 -- Judge, Santa Clara County Board of Education's "We the People" Competition
March 1996 -- Moderator, Associated Students Election Board Candidate Forum
March 1996 -- Panelist and Discussant, SJSU Pre-Law Club Pre-Law Forum
April 1996 -- Panel Chair and Discussant, Western Social Science Association panel on State and Local Politics, Reno NV.
May 1996 -- Interview with KSJS (90.5) on the Balanced Budget Amendment
January 1997 -- "Public Financing of Congressional Campaigns: A Bargain at Any Price."
Speech given to the Santa Clara County Democratic Club.
February 1997 -- Analyzed and Presented data from the Higher Education Research Institute survey on SJSU faculty to the SJSU Academic Senate.
March 1997 -- Panel Chair, Western Political Science Association panel on the Impact of Legal Structures on Elections, Tucson AZ.
September 1997 B "Using States= Rights for Conservative Advantage: Congress, the Supreme
Court, and Federalism in the 1990s." Speech given to the Evergreen Valley Democratic Club.
January 1998 B attended seminar sponsored by the C-Span Cable Television Network entitled
"Using C-Span in the Classroom." Washington D.C.
March 1998 interviewed regarding Bill Gates' appearance before the U.S. Senate Judiciary
Committee on ASilicon Valley Business This Week, KICU-TV (Channel 36), San Jose.
April 1998 "The Initiative Process: A Disaster for California." Speech given to the Evergreen
Valley Democratic Club.
May 1998 Served as expert witness, Cupertino High School debate on Campaign Finance
Reform
July 1998 participated in the CSU Institute for Teaching and Learning Summer Conference,
Long Beach, CA
Awards and Honors:
1989 -- recipient of the Bryan Award for best political science graduate student paper, Ohio
State University
1991 -- Winner of the Brooks/Cole Award for Best Graduate Student Paper at the annual meeting
of the Southern Political Science Association, Tampa FL
1992 B Summer Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship, Ohio State University
Other Research Experience:
1988 -- collected data on Supreme Court cases for Dr. Lee Epstein, which resulted
in an article published in the Journal of Politics (1990)
1990 -- assisted in formulating coding rules and collected data for two projects undertaken by Dr. Lawrence Baum. Resulted in an article published in Political Research Quarterly.
1998 B contributed to the State Supreme Court Database being compiled at the Wisconsin State University by Melinda Gann Hall and Paul Brace
Committee Service:
SJSU Academic Senator, Fall 1996 - present
Vice Chair of the Academic Senate, May 1999 to present
Chair, Organization and Government Committee, Fall 1997-Spring 1999
Member, Executive Committee, Fall 1997-present
Member, University Outstanding Professor Committee -- Fall 1994 to Spring 1997
Chair, 1995-96 and 1996-97 Academic Years
Member, University Library Board - Fall 1999 to present
Member, Academic Fairness Committee -- Fall 1995 to Spring 1997
Member, Department of Political Science Student Support Committee -- Fall 1994 to Spring 1996
Member, Department of Political Science Scholarship Committee -- Spring 1995 to ???
Member, Department of Political Science Curriculum Committee B Fall 1998 to present