Student Profile: Michael Cote
In 2003, Maine citizens voted in two separate referenda to allow gambling
at racetracks while prohibiting the construction of a casino, raising the questions:
did Maine citizens vote inconsistently? Were they unable to vote rationally?
Or did direct democracy work in this case? For his dissertation, Muskie School
PhD student Michael Cote is conducting case studies of Questions 2 and 3 to
investigate the role of citizen initiatives and referendum voting in the democratic
process.
"I find the challenges of the public sector stimulating and never-ending — there is something to bring you to work every day. I wanted to stay in Maine and saw economic development as a critical policy area."
Michael Cote is a Lecturer at the USM Department of Economics. After owning a successful small-business, he returned to school for an MBA and then went on to the Muskie PhD. program.
