UC Merced Magazine | Volume XIX, Issue V

We are arming students with the skillset to rise above those dramatic shi s in ideology and campaigns. To approach things in a more objective manner, to be able to understand the forces behind the swings. We have seen swings before, and we will see swings again. — Adam Gray

The Main Question Gray and Monroe said they want students to ask themselves a fundamental question: Why do people do what they do in politics? “If you have the wherewithal to think to ask, and the skillset to try and understand the answers, it is much easier to, instead of vilifying someone who does not agree with you, say, ‘OK, what is motivating them?’” Gray said, “ en, not only are you able to understand how you might go about changing things, but you will be able to understand why things shi when they do.” He said an important question to consider when marking the ballot this fall is how we can all move forward in a practical way.

Monroe is the Tony Coelho Chair of Public Policy and studies American politics with a focus on legislatures, especially the U.S. Congress.

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