Dr. Eric Schmidt
Professor of Legal Studies & Political Science
eric.schmidt@kwc.edu
Faculty Office Building
Education
Hope College, BA, 2009. Political Science; Philosophy
Louisiana State University, MA, 2016. Philosophy
Louisiana State University, PhD, 2016. Political Science
Welcome Message and Background
Welcome to KWC Political Science and Legal Studies! My name is Eric Schmidt, I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science and the Program Coordinator of both the Political Science and Legal Studies programs.
I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. For my undergraduate instruction I attended Hope College, a small liberal arts school similar to KWC. At Hope, I majored in philosophy and politics. Upon finishing, torn between a PhD or a JD, I chose to pursue a PhD in Political Science at Louisiana State University. At LSU, I wrote my PhD thesis under Professor James R. Stoner, Jr. on American journalist Walter Lippmann and American political thought. I began my professorship at KWC in 2017 and I hope to spend my career here. I feel deeply blessed to be at an institution that cares about the liberal arts and I am passionate about passing that experience on to my students. I also enjoy serving as our Pre-Law Advisor and Fellowship Advisor for nationally competitive scholarship programs. In 2020 I married my wife, Avery. She is an Owensboro native, a KWC alum, and a recently graduated PharmD from the University of Kentucky. In my spare time I enjoy the outdoors, basketball, baseball, fishing, video games (strategy and RPGs), fitness, art, and literature.
Research Interests
American Politics and Political Institutions; Political Philosophy; History of Political Thought; Public Opinion and Mass Politics; Literature and Politics; Philosophy; Phenomenology; 20th Century Political Philosophy; Religion and Politics.
Courses Taught
American National Government
State and Local Government
Constitutional Law
Introduction to Law
International Relations
Comparative Politics
Public Administration
Populism, Media, and Rhetoric
Congress and the Legislative Process
The American Presidency
Campaigns and Elections
The Judiciary
American Political Thought
Modern Political Thought
Ancient Political Thought
Contemporary Political Thought
Survey of Political Thought
Senior Seminar
Internship in Government Operation – Supervision
Internship in Legal Assistance – Supervision