Biography
Dr. Bruce Bordner
Dr. Bruce Bordner received his Doctorate in Government in May of 2001 from the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics at the University of Virginia. He currently serves as Adjunct Faculty within the Division of Politics, Administration, and Justice at California State University, Fullerton. He also serves as Associate Faculty in Political Science at Mt. San Jacinto College. He has previously taught political science at both the University of California, Riverside, and at the University of La Verne.
In addition to his doctorate, Dr. Bordner holds a Master of Arts Degree in Public Policy from the Claremont Graduate School. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna College where he served as Senior Class President, served on the Board of Directors of the Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College, as well as a student representative on the Board of Trustees Committee on Buildings and Grounds.
Bordner’s research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of political science and applied public policy. His foci have been on institutions, the law and public policy, and regulation. Specific interests involve the United States Congress, the federal and state judiciaries, issues related to federalism, the federal bureaucracy, many topics dealing with regulation, as well as democracy and political campaigns.
His dissertation (“By Design: The FEC: The Federal Election Commission and Regulatory Decision-making as a Constrained Bargaining Process”) examined the role of the Federal Election Commission in, and its enforcement of, federal campaign finance laws in the United States. The dissertation explored the need for federal campaign finance laws, the Federal Election Commission as a regulatory agency, and the factors constraining the regulatory agency’s enforcement of federal campaign finance laws. The study also contains profiles detailing the enforcement of individual allegations of violations of federal campaign finance laws by the Federal Election Commission from 1988 to 1998. Finally, the dissertation argues that previous studies that focus on closing “loopholes” in the federal campaign finance laws are only addressing a part of the problem. Actual reforms in the manner of enforcement of federal campaign finance laws by the Federal Election Commission may need to be considered beyond simply revising our nation’s campaign finance laws.
His dissertation committee included Dr. Matthew Holden, Jr.; Dr. James W. Ceaser; Dr. David Klein; and, Dr. Philip D. Zelicow.
Professionally, Dr. Bordner has worked in various capacities in the California State Assembly, the California State Senate, and the United States House of Representatives. He has also worked in government affairs professionally designing and managing legislative strategies, and completing federal appropriations requests for both corporations and municipalities.
Dr. Bordner, his wife, Christine, and their two young children, reside in Riverside, California.