John P. Forren, Ph.D.

John Forren

Chair and Associate Professor

Affiliate, Political Science

103F Phelps Hall, Hamilton Campus
forrenjp@MiamiOH.edu
513-785-3276

A native of Pataskala, Ohio, Dr. Forren is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of Miami University’s Department of Justice & Community Studies and the Executive Director of the University’s Menard Family Center for Democracy.  Previously, he taught in Miami’s Department of Political Science and served as Associate Director of the University’s Honors Program. Beyond Miami, Dr. Forren has also taught at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, East Carolina University, the College of William and Mary and the University of Indianapolis.  From 2013-2016, Dr. Forren served as the Academic Director of Miami University’s Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Civic Engagement, which was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State.

Dr. Forren’s research interests lie in the fields of civic engagement, American constitutional law and history, criminal justice, judicial politics and public policy-making.  In that vein, he has written previously on a range of issues including the development of federal workplace safety standards in Congress, the state of ‘civic health’ in Ohio, the responses of various policymakers to U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the evolution of First Amendment doctrines in the lower courts and the policy implications of presidential decision-making regarding social service delivery by faith-based groups. His writings and commentary have appeared in various outlets including the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, Journal of Markets and Morality, PS: Political Science and Politics, Publius: The Journal of Federalism, Law and History Review, the Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America, and the American Political Science Association’s Teaching Civic Engagement Across the Disciplines.  He is also co-author of the 2013 and 2016 Ohio Civic Health Index Reports, published by the National Conference on Citizenship.

Education

  • Ph.D., Political Science, The Johns Hopkins University
  • A.B. with College Honors, Political Science, University of Chicago

Teaching

  • American Political System
  • Politics and National Issues
  • Theories of Civic Leadership and Democracy
  • Introduction to Nonprofit Organizations and NGOsState and Local Government and Politics
  • Law and Courts
  • Constitutional Law
  • Civil Rights and Liberties
  • Administrative Law
  • Criminal Law and Procedure

Publications

John P. Forren, “Partnering With Campus and Community to Promote Civic Engagement:  Miami University’s Citizenship and Democracy Week,” in Alison Rios Millet McCartney, Elizabeth A. Bennion, Elizabeth Matto and Dick Simpson, eds., Teaching Civic Engagement Across the Disciplines (Washington, DC: American Political Science Association, 2017), pp. 215-229

Linh Dich, Karen Brown, Jeff Kuznekoff, Theresa Conover, John Forren and Janet Marshall, “Growing Lemon Trees from Lemons:  Lessons Reaped from a SoTL Faculty Learning Community’s Research ‘Failures,’” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 17(4):  1-16 (October 2017)

Timothy A. Krehbiel, Peter A. Salarulo, Michelle Cosmah, John P. Forren, Gerald Gannod, Andrea Hulshult and Jeffrey Merhout, “An Agile Manifesto for Teaching and Learning,” Journal of Effective Teaching 17(2):  88-110 (2017)

John P. Forren, “State and Federal Legal Protections for Peyote Use in the United States,” in Beatriz Cauby Labate and Clancy Cavnar, eds., Peyote:  History, Tradition, Politics and Conservation (Santa Barbara, CA:  Praeger, 2016), pp. 85-104

John P. Forren and Theresa Conover, 2016 Ohio Civic Health Index Report (Washington, DC:  National Conference on Citizenship, 2016) -- http://www.ncoc.org/research-type/2016ohchi/

Shyam Sriram, Amy Atchison, Elizabeth Bennion, John Forren, Arthur Sanders and John Theis, “Innovative Ideas in Civic Engagement Across Two-Year and Four-Year Colleges,” eJournal of Public Affairs 4 (3):  83-98 (Dec. 2015).

John P. Forren and Sarah Woiteshek-Pietzuch, 2013 Ohio Civic Health Index Report (Washington, D.C.: National Conference on Citizenship, 2014) -- http://www.ncoc.org/research-type/2013ohchi/

Rebecca JoAnn Cruise, John Forren and Robbin E. Smith, “Civic Engagement I,” in Kimberly A. Mealy, “2012 APSA Teaching and Learning Conference Track Summaries,” PS:  Political Science and Politics 45 (3):  522-523 (July 2012)

John P. Forren, “Government Support of Faith-Based Social Services:  A Look at Three Potential Pitfalls,” Journal of Markets and Morality 1:  161-170 (Spring 2006)

John P. Forren and Robert Trudeau, “2005 APSA Teaching and Learning Conference Track Summaries Track 8:  Technology,” PS:  Political Science and Politics 38 (3):  427-428 (July 2005)

John P. Forren, “Revisiting Four Popular Myths About the Peyote Case,” 8 University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law 209-253 (March 2006)

John P. Forren, “Delegation of Legislative Power,” in S. Schechter, T. Vontz, T. Birkland, M. Graber and J. Patrick, eds.,  American Governance, 1st Edition (Macmillan Reference, 2016), v. 2, pp. 11-13

John P. Forren, “Freedom of Speech in Schools,” in S. Schechter, T. Vontz, T. Birkland, M. Graber and J. Patrick, eds.,  American Governance, 1st Edition (Macmillan Reference, 2016), v. 2, pp. 314-315

John P. Forren, “Seventeenth Amendment,” in S. Schechter, T. Vontz, T. Birkland, M. Graber and J. Patrick, eds., American Governance, 1st Edition (Macmillan Reference, 2016), v. 5, pp. 52-54

John P. Forren, “Zenger Trial,” in S. Schechter, T. Vontz, T. Birkland, M. Graber and J. Patrick, eds., American Governance, 1st Edition (Macmillan Reference, 2016), v. 5, pp. 317-319

John P. Forren, “The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970,” in B. Landsberg, ed., Major Acts of Congress (Macmillan, 2004), pp. 94-99.

John P. Forren, “Search Incident to Arrest,” in David Schultz and John Vile, eds., Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America (M.E. Sharpe, 2004), pp. 849-850.                

John P. Forren, “United States v. Drayton,” in David Schultz and John Vile, eds., Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America (M.E. Sharpe, 2004), pp. 975-976.

John P. Forren, “United States v. Santana,” in David Schultz and John Vile, eds., Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America (M.E. Sharpe, 2004), pp. 983-984.

John P. Forren, Review of Mark Killenbeck, ed., The Tenth Amendment and State Sovereignty: Constitutional History and Contemporary Issues (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003), in Publius: The Journal of Federalism (Summer 2005):  491-92.

John P. Forren, Review of William G. Ross, Forging New Freedoms:  Nativism, Education and the Constitution, 1917-1927 (Lincoln, NE:  University of Nebraska Press, 1994), in Law and History Review (Spring 1997):  192-94.