Second-year political science student Shacori’ya Eaves got an added bonus when she signed up for the popular POLI 360 Political Parties class this fall semester: It would feature multiple classes taught by South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Matt Moore and South Carolina Democratic Chairman Jaime Harrison.
“It actually teaches us about what really goes on,” Eaves said, “Because the people who ... speak to us are actually a part of the political process.”
The class is by no means a new addition to the political science program at the University of South Carolina. POLI 360 has been taught for many years by professor Don Fowler, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. However, the addition of Harrison and Moore has added a new layer of depth to the lectures that is especially valuable in the midst of a presidential election cycle.
Tuesday’s class focused on the 2016 presidential primaries, but both chairmen directed attention away from individual candidates and guided it toward the broader context of the election within the political system.
“In addition to all of the divisions that we have internally within our parties, we also have various looming issues that are weighing down and forcing those divisions, even bigger divisions,” Harrison said in his lecture.
Teaching about the political system within context while using their experiences is an important aspect of the teaching philosophy of both chairmen, according to Moore.
“Our goal is to bring a real-time political perspective to the classroom ... We’re covering every aspect of modern political campaigns, from Snapchat and Instagram to predictive analytics,” Moore said in an email to The Daily Gamecock.
The story of how the two came together for the class goes back years, according to Moore.
“Jaime and I were substitute teachers, when necessary, in Poli 360 over the past few years,” Moore said. “We thought it would be a unique opportunity for students to formalize our participation.”
Moore also noted that working with two prominent Democrats provides a good example for students hoping to pursue careers in politics themselves.
“First and foremost, we are all South Carolinians who love our state and country,” Moore said. “Despite our differences in political party, Jaime is a great friend and student of politics. I admire him immensely. We agree on much, but mainly disagree on how to get it done. The same is true of Dr. Fowler. He’s a living legend!”
Harrison shared similar sentiments on his relationship with Moore.
“Matt and I bring a unique perspective to this course given that we are two of the youngest state party chairs in the country and are orchestrating the presidential primary process for an early state,” Harrison said in a statement. “I hope that the students in this class learn that Democrats and Republicans can and should work together where they can, and secondly, I hope they see that young people can achieve great things if given an opportunity.”
Moore also noted that his and Harrison’s youth allows them to better connect with college students and understand that they too care about the political system.
“College students and millennials like myself get a bad rap for being the 'selfie generation' — I believe it’s a misnomer. Young people care deeply about the world around them,” he said.
Eaves values the innovative way in which the class is taught, going so far as to call Harrison and Moore's participation her favorite part of the class.
“With this [class], we get hands-on experience,” Eaves said.