Bio

Dr. Tony Dell’Aera is an Associate Professor of Political Science, focusing on American Politics and Public Policy. He currently serves as the Coordinator of the Political Science Program and as a member of the All University Committee (AUC), which he chaired from 2022-2024. He also served as the inaugural Faculty Fellow to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate. His teaching and research interests include health care, environmental policy, American political development, city politics, political parties, elections, Congress, and the Presidency. His published works examine the US health care system, the pharmaceutical industry, and the development of the prescription drug regulatory state. In 2024, Dr. Dell’Aera received the university’s George I. Alden Excellence in Teaching Award.

Dr. Dell’Aera graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College, where he earned a B.A. with dual honors in Political Science and American Studies, and then Brown University, where he earned a Ph.D. in Political Science. Prior to arriving at Worcester State, he held Visiting Assistant Professorships at Union College and Trinity College. Dr. Dell’Aera served for over 12 years in state and local politics in Connecticut. As a resident of Worcester, he served as a member of the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals and presently serves on the city’s Planning Board. He is a strong proponent of civic education and community engagement both on and off campus. He encourages his students to get involved in public service, not only as a responsibility of citizenship but also as an educational experience which enriches the lessons that are learned inside the classroom. To further this goal, Dr. Dell’Aera organized a Minor in Civic Engagement, which brings together courses and experiential programs of study aimed at preparing students for effective participation in democracy. Dr. Dell’Aera also believes in the importance of free and open political discourse. To that end, he founded the Pizza & Politics discussion series of informal campus conversations, and he has worked closely with the Binienda Center for Civic Engagement to organize several debates and election forums on campus. In January 2021, Dr. Dell’Aera delivered the keynote address at the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts’ Presidential Inauguration Day forum.

Dr. Dell’Aera frequently serves as a political analyst for various media outlets, including CNBC, NBC-10, WBUR, WGBH, WNPR, Spectrum News, the Telegram & Gazette, the Milford Daily News, and the Hartford Courant.

For interview requests and other media inquiries, please contact Dr. Dell’Aera at adellaera@worcester.edu

Education

2008

Brown University

Political Science

Ph.D.

2000

Brown University

Political Science

M.A.

1998

Trinity College

Political Science and American Studies (Phi Beta Kappa)

B.A.

Achievements

Award

George I. Alden Excellence in Teaching Award

2024 - Worcester State University

Grant

Campus Compact Today's Vote Grant

2019

Award

Faculty Civic Engagement Award

2018 - Worcester State University Binienda Center for Civic Engagement

Award

Faculty Excellence Award

2011 - Trinity College Student Government Association

Publications

"Health Care Regulation and the Fragmentation of Federalism” in Brent S. Steel, ed. Science and Politics: Issues and Controversies (Washington DC: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2014).

"How a Pill Becomes the Law: Prescription Drug Regulation and Institutional Asymmetry in American Politics” in James Morone and Daniel Ehlke, eds. Health Politics and Policy (New York: Cengage, 2014).

Current and Previous Research

My current research studies the politics and policies related to prescription drug regulation, the post-pandemic health care regulatory state, patent reform, drug pricing, and the regulatory state for vitamins and nutritional supplements in US health policy.

I have presented peer-reviewed papers, chaired panels, and served as panel discussant at over 30 professional conferences including the annual meetings of the American Political Science Association, the Northeastern Political Science Association, the New England Political Science Association, the Southern Political Science Association, and the Southern Conference on African-American Studies.

University Service

I currently serve on the All University Committee, which I chaired from 2022-2024. I also serve as Faculty Advisor to the Worcester State chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. I have also served on the Student Affairs Committee, the Capital Planning Committee, the Liberal Studies Advisory Board, the Civic Engagement Advisory Board, the Interdisciplinary Studies Advisory Committee, and the MSCA Local Chapter Election Committee.

Courses Taught

American Government

This course introduces students to the American political system and thus it will be an exploration of American republican democracy. We will attempt to understand the way that the political system operates by examining Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, federalism, political parties, interest groups, elections, civil liberties and civil rights, and policy issues relevant to Americans. We will explore the way that institutional arrangements facilitate debate, which ultimately leads to policy changes. Our objective in this class will be to understand the workings of American democracy.

Foundations of Legal Studies

This course introduces the fundamentals of the American legal system. Primary topics will include the sources of law; constitutional interpretation; the roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government; federal and state judicial systems; civil and criminal law; legal ethics; and questions of power, authority, justice, inequality, individualism, and the community. Students will also learn the fundamentals of legal research, such as locating the texts of statutes, regulations, and court decisions on specific subjects; reading and analyzing statutes and case law; and developing techniques for legal writing and oral presentations.

Introduction to Civic Engagement

What are the responsibilities of citizenship? How do we define community? What are the ways we can participate in civic life? This course in civic learning and civic engagement will help prepare individuals for effective democratic participation, which in turn promotes growth of healthy communities, global economic vitality, social and political well-being and democratic human interactions. Through a variety of readings and experiential activities, students will be introduced to the four core pillars in the Civic Engagement field: Civic and Democratic Knowledge, Civic and Democratic Skills, Civic and Democratic Values, and Civic and Democratic Action.

First Year Seminar in Political Science

Introductory level course covering topics of special interest to first year students.

Political Parties and Interest Groups

Political Parties and Interest Groups are two important sets of institutions through which people have the ability to influence government decisions and political outcomes. The first part of the course will consider political parties as organizations that attempt to control government through the electoral process. We will examine what parties do, how they operate, the extent to which they connect voters to government, and the degree to which party itself influences governance. The second part of the course will consider interest groups as non-party organizations that attempt to influence government policy. We will examine what interest groups are, what interest groups do, and the extent to which interest groups affect government decisions. Specific topics to be studied include the development of the party system from the founding period to the present, an examination of party processes, party machines, the electorate, nominating techniques, political campaigns, the electoral process, types of interest groups, organization and strategies of interest groups, and campaign finance.

The U.S. Congress

The nature and function of the United States Congress, including the complexities of the lawmaking process, Congressional elections, the relationship between individual members of Congress and their constituencies, major issues of public policy, and institutional relations between Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary.

City Politics

This course examines the political development and the political processes of America's cities. The actors in this story include machine bosses, reformers, immigrants, bureaucrats, politicians, average citizens, the rich, the poor, and the marginalized. Particular attention will be given to the political institutions of city government, structures and strategies of city elections, local party organizations, governing strategies of mayors, evolving urban populations and interests, and enduring problems such as racism, prejudice, discrimination, poverty, crime, education, economic decay and exploitation.

Doing Political Science: An Introduction to Research Methodology

This course introduces students to the research process in Political Science. There will be an emphasis on both quantitative and qualitative methods of generating and analyzing social science statistics and other data in order to answer research questions about the political world around us. In this course students will learn what makes Political Science a "science." No previous experience in math, statistics, or programming is required.

American Political Thought

This course examines the evolution of American political thought as a means to better understand the role of political ideology in contemporary politics. Through a close reading of mainly primary source documents in political theory spanning the colonial period through the present era, students will critically engage topics such as American iterations of Republicanism and Democracy, American character, slavery, race, women's rights, ethnicity, class, and immigration. These topics will reveal challenges to core American values which would shape American political development. We will also examine how different varieties of liberals and conservatives confront these political questions.

Environmental Politics and Policy

Investigation of the factors that determine the formation of public policy on the environment with consideration of the roles played by federal, state, and local regulatory agencies in the United States. Case studies will include global climate change, air and water pollution, energy, land use, brownfields, waste management, endangered species, and population growth.

Health Politics and Policy

Examination of the process and factors that influence formulation, implementation and modification of health policy in the United States. Topics will include health ethics, insurance, finance, prescription drug regulation, Medicare/Medicaid, epidemics, private markets, public interest, distributive justice, and the role of government.

Constitutional Law of Government Powers and Constraints

A critical analysis of key US Supreme Court decisions addressing the horizontal allocation of power among federal government branches and institutions, and the vertical allocation of power between federal and state governments. Attention will also be given to unresolved constitutional issues between the legislative and executive branches, the Massachusetts state constitution, and to the theoretical foundations of the United States Constitution (such as Locke, Montesquieu, and the Federalist Papers).

Senior Research Seminar in Political Science

A capstone research seminar for Political Science majors in which students integrate their training as political scientists in terms of research, analysis, and evaluation of recent and seminal scholarship in one or more of the major subfields, culminating in a large scale original research paper that uses appropriate methods to answer emerging questions in the discipline.

Internship in Political Science

Internships in government agencies, political parties, election campaigns, non-governmental organizations, the news media, and other institutions in the public and private sectors. Students will perform a variety of tasks in a professional setting, combining the academic study of politics with practical work experience.

Internship in Pre-Law

Internships with Courts, Law Firms, the District Attorney's office, the Public Defender's office, Legal Aid societies, and other institutions involved in the practice of law. Students will perform a variety of tasks in a professional legal setting, combining the academic study of Pre-Law with practical work experience.

Senior Thesis-Capstone Project in Political Science

An intensive independent research project that serves as a capstone experience for students majoring in Political Science. Students may opt either to (1) write a traditional formal thesis, or (2) complete an alternative large scale experiential project in applied political research, political action, or creative political arts. The Senior Thesis/Capstone Project may be used to substitute for the Senior Research Seminar requirement in the Political Science major.