Manhattan College Homepage Presidential Inauguration

Faculty Profile

Dr. Margaret Groarke

Dr. Margaret Groarke

Associate Professor of Government

Director, Peace Studies Program

 

Education:

  • A.B., Social Studies, Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges, 1984
  • Ph.D., Political Science, City University of New York, 2000

Research and Scholarly Interests:

American and comparative politics (with a particular interest in Europe).  Political participation in all its varied forms - voting, elections, interest group lobbying, party politics, protest movements, how social and political change happens, and political action in pursuit of peace and justice.

Dr. Groarke wrote her dissertation on efforts to ease voting since the 1970s, which culminated in the National Voter Registration Act (also known as the Motor Voter Act). Since then, she has researched the compliance with, and effectiveness of, the Act.

She co-authored Keeping Down the Black Vote: Race and the Demobilization of American Voters with Frances Fox Piven and Lorraine Minnite (The New Press, 2009).  The book explores the long history of efforts to discourage, rather than encourage, voting, especially voting by African Americans.

Dr. Groarke serves as co-chair of the Peace and Justice Studies Association, a North American organization of peace scholars, teachers and activists.

Publications:

"Using Community Power Against Targets Beyond the Neighborhood" New Political Science 26:2 (June 2004).

"Organizing Against Overfinancing:  The Northwest Bronx Coalition campaign against Freddie Mac"  Bronx County Historical Society Journal (Winter 2002).

"Keepin' It Real:  Community Organizing in the Bronx", with Jordan Moss, in Ben Shaped and Ron Hayduk, eds.  From ACT UP to the WTO: Urban Protest and Community Building in the Era of Globalization.  New York:  Verso Books, 2002.

"America First Party" and "Constitution Party", in The Encyclopedia of Third Parties in America.  Immanuel Ness and James Ciment, eds.  New York:  ME Sharpe, 2000.

"Power, Agency and Structure:  An Examination of Steven Lukes."  New Political Science.  Winter 1994.

Community Activities:

Dr. Groarke is active in the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, a grassroots multi-issue community organization, which fights for better schools, affordable housing, good jobs and sensible development in our neighborhoods.

Courses Taught/Teaching:

Government Program and Courses

  • Govt 203 United States Government and Politics
  • Govt 320 United States Parties, Public Opinion and Voting Behavior
  • Govt 306 The United States Presidency
  • Govt 330 Western Europe: Government and Politics
  • Govt 332 Central and East European Politics
  • Govt 371 United States Political Thought
  • Govt 432 Seminar:  The European Union

Peace Studies Programs and Courses

  • Peace 201 Introduction to Peace Studies
  • Peace 451-52 Peace Studies Field Project

Contact Information: