“I’ve taught election law for years…but never in Armenia,” says Dr. David Schultz, referring to his courses at Hamline University and University of Minnesota law schools. A professor in the Graduate School of Management, Schultz has been chosen for a Fulbright Senior Specialists project to teach election law at the American University in Armenia. 

Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Armenia, which borders Turkey and Iran, has been evolving into a fledgling democratic republic. Schultz notes that Armenia has established a parliamentary form of government but is "still trying to get the kinks out of free elections."  Which is where he comes in. While his effect on improving the spring 2007 elections in Armenia will “probably be negligible,” his law students will become attorneys for the government, political parties, and media of the new Armenian democracy. Thus, the long-term impact of his work could be significant.

“The first week I am going to concentrate on democratic theory,” says Schultz. “What is a democracy supposed to do? Where do elections fit into a democracy and what are the principles of free and fair elections?” His class will cover voting rights, the roles of media and political parties, and elections administration—how to count votes. To that end, Shultz will cite Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98(2000), the case which determined the outcome of the 2000 presidential race. “I would have no credibility if I just went over and waved the flag and say we have all the problems solved.”

A specialist in election law and government ethics, Schultz’s ability to communicate complicated concepts extends beyond the classroom. He regularly serves as an expert source for media ranging from City Pages to The New York Times. You can read him in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the Los Angeles Post; see him on CNN and Fox. In Minnesota, MPR listeners know his voice. 

Another—equally important—task on his Fulbright duty list is to help develop the administrative law system. And it is this work that is closest in focus to his work in the Graduate School of Management, where he teaches public administration and policy.

"When the Soviet Union broke up, the legal system in Armenia collapsed. Armenia is just rolling out its system of administration law, rules and courts. It sounds strange to say that they are just learning to come up with the rule of law, but that is what they are learning how to do. ..They are figuring out how to make decisions—from mundane to more important ones…They are trying to become a constitutional democracy,” says Schultz. 

As with his students in Armenia, who will influence their fledgling democracy, Schultz’s public administration students will play a critical role in the future of Minnesota. His doctoral students include two county administrators, a city administrator, two senior administrators for the state of Minnesota and a captain in the Minneapolis police department. 

"These are people who are presently leaders in Minnesota and are going to be major policy makers in the state for many years to come. This high caliber group is what makes Hamline unique,” says Schultz. “This is the kind of student we are aiming for." 
                              
Schultz's program in Hamline University's Graduate School of Management is the only doctoral program in public administration in Minnesota for working adults that is still classroom-oriented.