Providence College political science professor James Carlson told about 75 students who came to watch the final presidential debate and a panel discussion on the school’s campus that presidential campaigns don’t matter. The American election process instead is about the state of the economy.

It’s a theory, however, that he doesn’t completely agree with. He was playing the part of the skeptic – arguing against students and honors program adviser Joseph Cammarano – in an hour-long panel discussion before the debate began. But there is at least some truth in the notion, Carlson said in an interview later in the week.

“The argument is based on a lot of research in political science that indicates that what ultimately determines presidential elections are: the state of the economy and the approval ratings of the president,” he said, “And, oftentimes, there are some other variables, like whether the party is seeking a third term.”

Predictions based on that theory are usually correct, he added, and have picked the right candidate as early as June in past election seasons. (The exception, he said, was the 2000 election.)

Providence College was not alone in bringing a drove of higher education students out to watch and discuss the final presidential debate on Oct. 15. That’s partly because at least four Rhode Island universities held on-campus gatherings that day.

Rhode Island College held roundtable workshops before each debate. University of Rhode Island’s Political Science Department professor Maureen Moakley held an interactive questionnaire before and after the debate, with students’ voting electronically and their responses showing up simultaneously on a PowerPoint presentation.

For the educators, the events are a step toward getting students into the actual political world, “because we want to include students in the conversation, as our equals,” Cammarano said.

The events are predominantly social, but they are also a chance to bolster students’ critical thinking outside the classroom, Carlson said. “That’s what we like,” he said. “We would like to extend the classroom, really. So, over the years, we’ve tried to bring in interesting speakers and [have] created incentives for our students to attend them and talk about them.”

At Salve Regina University, associate professor and Political Science Department Chairman Clark Merrill moderated a pre-debate discussion for about 80 students. “We had a discussion that went on for about 45 minutes before 9 p.m. and then there were a handful of students that even stuck around after the debate to almost 11 p.m.,” he said.

The student body there “might be more conservative than some schools, but that’s not saying much,” Merrill said. He added that it’s likely well-balanced between conservative and liberal students. (Providence College is about the same, Cammarano said.)

The Salve Regina event was also a chance for students to step back from the personal attacks that have in the past few weeks dominated the campaign. The were able to engage in calm, rational discussions about the candidates’ merit, Merrill said, instead of students yelling at each other – “it was a pretty respectful audience, nobody hooted or hollered or anything like that.

“I think it’s good for them to see other students, as well as adults, that are engaged in debating politics and debating politics reasonably, with [thoughtful] arguments, not just sound bites and insults,” he said.

Although the students seem to be split evenly between camps, Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama would probably win in a vote at the university, he said. But that might not be based on the discussions of his political stances, he said.

“Hmm, I’m not sure if it’s policies,” Merrill said, “or just image.”

Because of that “image” issue – also a factor on the GOP ticket with Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin – the race has generated the most student interest in presidential politics that Merrill has seen during his nine years at Salve Regina. For a political science professor, there’s an encouraging surge in student interest, he said.

And, of course, a presidential debate is not the only time during the year when educators are looking to engage their students in political discussions outside the classroom. At Providence College, the debate gathering – organized primarily by students – was just one of several political events that are planned through June, Cammarano said. The debate- watching was designed as a catalyst.

“It was a way to start this process, to get [students] to think about what campaigns mean, what they add,” he said.

This week the students at Providence College are scheduled to act out a “more traditional, rip-roaring” debate, he said. After the election, the school will bring in alumni that work in public affairs to talk about presidential issues. One of the potential speakers – not yet confirmed – works in a national security advisement role, he said.

While interest in the campaigns seems to have grown this year, some students are still only interested to a point, Cammarano said. “A lot of students came for the [panel discussion] and then didn’t stay for the debate,” he said. “As the debate went on, we lost about half our audience. Either they said, ‘We’re not learning anything new,’ or, ‘There’s something better to do, so let’s get out of here.’”

But Carlson said the students who attended the pre-debate panel this year were more skeptical than usual about his argument that presidential campaigns don’t matter. “I think that’s why a lot of students were upset,” he said. “Which I think is terrific.” •