Richard J. Powell is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. He is the author of journal articles and book chapters on state politics, presidential-congressional relations, presidential communications, and presidential and congressional elections. He has also published articles on the effects of term limits on the political system and co-authored the books Legislating Without Experience: Case Studies in State Legislative Term Limits and Changing Members: The Maine Legislature in the Era of Term Limits. His current work focuses on White House outreach to Catholics. In 2010 he was a Fulbright Lecturer at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.