INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Administration Building, Suite 136 355 N. Lansing Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-2896 317-274-7711 Fax: 317-274-5457

BULEN SYMPOSIUM TO ADDRESS HOW E-POLITICS AFFECTED THE 2000 ELECTION

INDIANAPOLIS - Could online voting have averted the current U.S. presidential election cliffhanger? What will happen when the democratic process takes the IT-road at full-speed? How will on-line ballots, electronic mailing lists, and instant messaging affect the outcome when Americans go to polls in the future?

Exploring the impact of technology on the political process is the focus of the third annual Bulen Symposium on American Politics on Monday, Dec. 4, 2000 at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

"Party of One? E-Politics and the Political Process in the New Millennium" will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the University Place Conference Center, 850 W. Michigan St., on the campus of IUPUI.

Ben Wattenberg of Grassroots.com and host of PBS' "Think Tank" will serve as moderator for the symposium sponsored by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) and the Department of Political Science, part of the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.

Jim Adler, president and CEO of online voting software provider VoteHere.net, Kathy Buskin, senior vice president for America OnLine and Richard Lowry of National Review Online are among the trailblazers who will participate as guest speakers in the lively discussions of how technology is changing American politics, including a review of how e-Politics affected the 2000 election.

"We are in the midst of a genuine communications revolution. It would be naïve to believe that the political infrastructure will not be profoundly affected by that revolution," said Sheila S. Kennedy, assistant professor of Public and Environmental Affairs and one of the symposium organizers.

The luncheon discussion will focus on the role of the Internet in the current, extraordinary post-election dispute concerning the presidency, she said.

Guest panelists for the symposium also include Curtis Gans of the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, Thomas Johnson of the Southern Illinois University School of Journalism, and Barbara Kaye of Valdosta State University.

State and national leaders from both political parties, including Indiana Republican Party Chair Michael McDaniel, and Indiana Democratic Party Chair H. Robin Winston, will participate, rounding out a list of guests sure to engage in serious, well-informed dialogue.

"The presence of practical politicians, scholars of the phenomenon, and those in the front-lines of the new technology will mean a more informed and vastly more probing discussion," Kennedy said.

The annual symposium on American politics honors the late L. Keith Bulen. For three decades, Bulen was a key political figure in Indiana and far beyond. Bulen, who died Jan. 4, 1999, is best remembered for his innovative management of major political campaigns, his leadership in revitalizing the Indiana Republican Party, and his unwavering commitment to the American two-party framework.

This year's symposium is expected to attract more than 300 local, state and national leaders in politics.

Registration, which includes parking and lunch, is $50.

Seating is limited. For guaranteed seating, interested individuals should send the registration fee to Bulen Symposium, c/o Sheila Kennedy, 801 W. Michigan St. #4061, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202.

For additional information, contact Kennedy by e-mail at shekenne@iupui.edu or check out the symposium web site: http://www.plainenglish.com/bulen.htm.

Note to editors and reporters: Sheila Kennedy is available for interviews to discuss e-politics and the 2000 election. To set up an interview, call Diane Brown at (317) 274-7711 or Kennedy at (317) 274-2895.

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