The Kansas Institute for Politics was established in 2010 to serve as a resource for students, scholars, historians, researchers, politicians, and the general public. The Institute was founded on the premise that a curious, active and informed citizenry is an essential element of a well-functioning democracy and promotes and makes available informational materials and scholarly research about Kansas politics and history.
Kansas Governors
The Kansas Governor is the key figure of Kansas Politics and government. In this section are resources on Kansas Governor's and their administrations. Most notably is the
Kansas Governor's Project by the Washburn Department of Political Science, an ongoing research project that has, to date, produced a series of articles, published in the journal "Kansas History," on Governors
John Anderson,
William Avery,
John Carlin, and
Mike Hayden.
Transcripts of interviews with these governors, along with former governors
Bill Graves,
Kathleen Sebelius, and
Mark Parkinson, are also available. Additionally, a photo archive of
rare photos of Kansas governors—many donated by the governors themslves—is featured.
Kansas Candidate Debates
The Kansas Institute for Politics is the central repository of Kansas radio and television debates. Included in this archive is access to televised candidate debates going back to the early 1990's, along with recent TV and radio debates between candidates for offices in Kansas that include Governor, US Congress, and US Senate.
Kansas Political Ads
The Kansas Institute for Politics is the foremost archive dedicated to preserving and allowing access to political radio and television ads from Kansas campaigns over the past forty years. This ongoing project strives to make available not only the ads shown in the state from recent campaigns, but also ads shown in Kansas state and local races from the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's.
Kansas Elections
Kansas elections for state and federal offices have have been the focus of a number of studies over the years. In this section are studies of Kansas elections that includes races for congress, governor, Attorney General, and other offices. Also in this section is election data of past Kansas primary and general elections.
Kansas Governor Documentary "The Kansas Governor" is a one hour documentary focusing on the chief executive of the state and the challenges, duties, and surprises that go along with the job, along with the human element that shapes why and how candidates run for the office. The documentary is based on extensive interviews with former Kansas governors John Anderson, William Avery, John Carlin, Mike Hayden, and Kathleen Sebelius, and also spotlights former governors Robert Docking, Robert Bennett, and Joan Finney. It was written and produced by Dr. Bob Beatty and directed by Lyall Ford, both of Washburn University.