Eric Schansberg, professor of economics, said he takes economics and his faith seriously.
Schansberg is a faculty member who ran for congress in 2006 and 2008 under the lesser-known Libertarian ticket. He earned his doctorate in economics from Texas A&M University.
The two-time congressional candidate said he’s happy to be finished campaigning and probably won’t run again in 2010.
“Politics are all-consuming and all-demanding,” Schansberg said. “It was also a lot of time away from my family.”
The Libertarian Party currently has more than 200,000 supporters.
Schansberg said the message of the third party appealed to him for many reasons.
“I became convinced, over time, that it was the correct party — Biblically, practically and ethically,” he said.
Melanie Hughes, the coordinator of Automation and Technical Services for the IUS Library, worked as Schansberg’s campaign manager.
“He would make a great politician because he’s extremely honest, even keeled and intelligent,” Hughes said.
Because of the desire for smaller government, the Libertarian Party is often characterized as anarchic, but Schansberg said that a common misconception.
“Most Libertarians would argue that you do need a form of government for courts and protection,” he said. “Our founding fathers argued for small government.”
One policy Schansberg said he would like to see changed is government control of elementary and secondary schools. He believes the government has a monopoly on the current school system.
“We should have a voucher system,” he said, “much like food vouchers that would allow parents to choose where their children attend school. This government monopoly isn’t effective.”
Schansberg also said he disagrees with the current government bailout. He said it encourages illicit and unethical behavior.
“It’s impractical,” he said. “It’s a slippery slope that induces the very behavior you don’t want them to have. In economics, it’s referred to as the ‘moral hazard program.’”
Schansberg also said he opposes government intervention within the healthcare industry.
He said it doesn’t address the biggest issues and it’s costly at a time when we can’t afford it.
During his campaign, Schansberg wrote a column and kept a personal blog at schansblog.blogspot.com.
As a Libertarian, Schansberg said he finds the current foreign policy disappointing.
“Unless our immediate or direct interests are in danger we should not get involved,” he said.
Schansberg, who’s taught Bible study for 18 years, said he believes faith plays an important role in his life and positively impacts his teaching.
“God’s grace extends himself through me,” Schansberg said.
David Eplion, assistant professor of business administration, said Schansberg is a great professor.
“He has high expectations and effectively uses the Socratic method of teaching,” Eplion said.
The author of four books, including “Turn Neither to the Left nor to the Right: A Thinking Christian’s Guide to Politics and Public Policy,” Schansberg wrote that Christians don’t spend enough time thinking about the proper roll of government in a Christian worldview.
“Christians need to be more active in government,” Schansberg wrote.
By MATTHEW CHINN
Staff Writer
mchinn@ius.edu