Biography

Stephen Baker, Ph.D., Jacksonville University Professor Emeritus of Political Science, began teaching at the University in 1985. After nearly 30 years he retired but continued to offer courses in the Master’s degree program at the JU Public Policy Institute. Before earning a Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University he was a Peace Corps Volunteer on a cotton development project in Malawi and worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice on voter discrimination cases in Chicago. He also taught at the University of Texas at Arlington before coming to Jacksonville.

Dr. Baker has been a life-long student of political behavior, particularly how people develop their political ideas. Since no group can survive without politics—the basic process by which binding decisions are made in any group—it must have a long tradition and is likely the world’s second oldest profession. Unfortunately many people associate politics with the oldest profession. When Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen was asked how he could engage in such a dirty enterprise as politics he responded, “Politics is a bit like sex: it’s dirty only if you are not doing it right.” We can all learn how to “Do it right” by developing a better understanding of—and appreciation for—politics.

Besides teaching and conducting research on elections, Baker is a frequent media contributor and speaker at community political forums. He previously served as Chair of the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, President of the Florida Division of the United Nations Association, President of the First Coast Tiger Bay Club and on the boards of the Florida Political Science Association and the Northeast Florida Aids Network.