Prof. Gibson’s Magical Mix of Policy and Politics

Above, Dr. Gibson introduces Sen. Maria Chapelle Nadal to students for a state leader forum discussion on campus.

Looking for predictions of where the controversial showdown between President Obama and the Republican Congressional leaders is headed? You’ll find extremely detailed and carefully analyzed projections on The Washington Post blog page “Monkey Cage,” from Westminster Professor of Political Science Dr. Tobias Gibson. Professor Gibson’s views have even been cited by a member of The Washington Post’s editorial staff to support his viewpoint.  This comes as no surprise to Professor Gibson’s students who find themselves engaged in lively discussions and detailed political analysis every day in his classroom.

Gibson’s courses at Westminster run the gambit from everything to American government, foreign policy, politics, and constitutional law to national security. He is also heavily involved in seeing that students gain real world application of policy and politics through such experiences as the Westminster State Capitol Intern Program and the Westminster State Leader Forum.

Read on to learn more about Dr. Gibson in his own words.

Why did you become a teacher?

Because in my lifetime, I had the benefit of excellent teachers who had incredible impacts on my life. I would not be where I am without teachers who gave of themselves in and out of class, who led me and challenged me and taught me to dream big, work harder, and analyze more carefully.

What do you like best about teaching?

Helping students succeed. There are few feelings I like more than hearing from a student who just got into a high quality law school or graduate program, who has landed a dream job, or earned a scholarship.

What do you like best about your students?

This depends on the student. Overall, though, I have been impressed with the best students that WC has to offer. Work ethic, intellectual curiosity and a will to succeed will get a person pretty far, and several of my students have shown that they have these, and other, qualities.

Your research focuses on the Presidency, Supreme Court, and security policy. Why did you pick those subjects?

They chose me. One of those teachers I had along the way was an adjunct who taught Constitutional Law at Indiana University as a sabbatical replacement. Her Con Law class was so interesting, demanding, and well taught that I knew I had to study this. To this day, I try to emulate her. I went to Washington University in St. Louis, which has a great reputation for teaching judicial politics in its Political Science Department. There, I also fell in love with executive branch politics, and had a great mentor. From there, the well-known balance between security and liberty was a fine extension of my work in executive power, separation of powers and constitutional law.

You have been responsible for bringing some new curriculum additions to what was being offered to Westminster students.  What are they and why did you feel these additions would be valuable to students?

I’ve added depth in the study of American political institutions, especially the Supreme Court and Congress. These classes add depth the understanding our students have in the co-equal branches of the national government, and help the students think critically about the powers vested in these branches and understand current events at a level few people, let alone college students, ever reach. I’ve also added classes like Politics and Film, which shows students the connection between a piece of pop culture and politics. So, I have helped students to see that Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is more than a great, old movie. But, I have also taught students that Clint Eastwood films are rife with politics. In other words, I hope to enable our political science students with a deep knowledge core and the skills to assess political events and issues.

Finally, I have added a minor in Security Studies. The curriculum in this minor is designed to teach students to be able to think critically about the major security questions of our time (and the future), apply those lessons if they decide to seek a career in homeland or national security and, quite frankly, to get those jobs.

Your opinions are now appearing on national blogs. How did you become interested in writing for them?

The national blogs my work has appeared on thus far are well regarded, professional blogs in political science and international relations. They have a wide readership. I am interested in writing for them to illustrate the quality education that students can get at Westminster. I am writing in the same venue as professors from much more “national” universities and colleges.

Why do you feel political science is important today?

The tools of informed citizenship are necessary if this country is to continue to be a beacon in the world. Informed citizenship is the only way to insure that we have a citizenry that can understand the complexities of domestic and foreign policy, and elect the right people at the national, state and local levels to meet those challenges.

On a more personal note, how did you become interested in martial arts?

Like most martial artists, I suspect. I loved Kung Fu Theater and martial arts movies as a boy. When I began training in martial arts, I was inexperienced and chose the wrong school for me. My second school was much more accommodating to my mindset and skill set. I was able to commune with my fellow students, and Apex Training Center (in St. Louis) offered, and continues to offer me, a real world skill set and the opportunity to train with world-class teachers, including Dan Inosanto and Marc Denny.