Associate Professor - Emeritus
Ambler Coordinator

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mhooper@temple.edu File Download CV (14.84 KB) 203 West Hall 580 Meetinghouse Rd Philadelphia PA 19002

I came to Temple University straight from graduate school at the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana, in 1968. I immediately liked virtually every aspect of Temple. As a result, I have been at Temple uninterruptedly ever since, except for a three-year stint at Temple University Japan in Tokyo from 1993-1996. My scholarly interests formed early in graduate school and persist to this day. At the center of my interests are individual differences in a variety of psychological characteristics such as attitudes, group identifications, and personality and the consequences of these differences for individual political behavior and the functioning of political systems. Individual psychology provides the foundation for the courses I teach in public opinion, mass media and politics, and personality and politics. In all of these courses, the goal is to learn why individuals behave, and political systems operate, the way they do. There is also considerable emphasis on learning to think critically and write well in all my courses.

Since fall, 2000 semester I have been the Political Science Department’s coordinator on the Ambler campus. As part of my duties, I serve as the advisor to political science majors as well as to any other students with an interest in political science. I offer variety of courses in my specialties including PS 125, Mass Media and Politics, PS 126, Public Opinion and Propaganda, PS 274 Human Nature and Politics (aka Personality and Politics). I will be adding PS127 Campaigns, Election, and the Media, PS 275 The Theory and Uses of Power (Political Leadership), and PS 151 Public Policy Analysis.

On a more personal note, when not attending to my Temple duties, I spend much of my time reading, usually political news, history, and biography. Music is a very important part of my life. I am a serious amateur saxophone and clarinet player. I practice regularly and get together with other musicians to play on average two to three times a month. My preferred playing style is what is usually characterized as straight-ahead or mainstream. Stan Getz’s playing style is an excellent example of what I am talking about here. As far as listening goes, my favorite musicians are Charlie Parker for jazz and Mozart for classical and others of similar style. Both my wife and I are particularly interested in opera. Annual highlights are our trips to New York City to attend the Metropolitan Opera