Constitution Day presentation is Sept. 21 at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University will celebrate Constitution Day with a presentation titled, “The Puzzle of Presidential Selection” by Dr. Tom Mans, professor of Social Science at SMU. The public is invited to this event, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Salvi Lecture Hall, located on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall.

How to find the right president was one of the most difficult questions faced by the framers of the Constitution in 1787. Mans will discuss the options considered at the time and how the Electoral College system came to be chosen. Over time, with the emergence of political parties and communication technologies, the process has evolved in ways that the framers had not expected – and on some occasions has produced an electoral crisis.

Mans is a political scientist with expertise in American political institutions and processes. His undergraduate degree was earned at St. John’s University and his master’s and doctoral degrees are from the University of Iowa. Prior to coming to Saint Mary’s in 2007, he taught or was in academic administration at Berea College, The University of Iowa, Creighton University, and Saint Vincent College.