![David Niven standing by a handrail in Clifton Court Hall. Niven is wearing a grey suit and red tie.](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2024/06/n21258651/jcr:content/image.img.cq5dam.thumbnail.500.500.jpg/1718914582120.jpg)
Born to run
UC political scientist David Niven shares opinion on sports figures in politics in The Atlantic
It’s become accepted practice for Hollywood celebrities to run for, and win, public office; and now something similar is happening with former professional athletes, according to an article in The Atlantic.
An athlete’s celebrity status and access to wealthy donors has its advantages, says UC political scientist David Niven, who was interviewed for the article.
Niven, who teaches a class on sports and politics in the School of Public and International Affairs, explained: “One of the very first questions anybody who’s thinking about running for office is going to be asked by political professionals is, ‘How quickly can you raise your first $100,000? How quickly can you raise your first million?’ And for an athlete, the answer is like, ‘I’ll do that this afternoon.’”
The candidate is also reaping the reward of continued public recognition, he said.
“One of the things you read in so many accounts of former athletes is how difficult it is for them to live in the regular-world context where people just exist, they don’t win,” Niven said, adding, “but you know, in politics, people do win and lose.”
The Atlantic is a subscription-based publication. A pdf of the article can be provided upon request to angela.koenig@uc.edu.
Featured image at top: Photo by Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Born to run
June 20, 2024
![The Atlantic logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/the-atlantic.png)
Former professional athletes have advantages in running for political office, UC’s David Niven tells The Atlantic. Niven, an associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs, teaches a course on sports and politics.
What you post on social media matters to employers
February 15, 2023
What you post on social media can be in conflict with your employers standards, says UC social media expert Jeffrey Blevins. More and more often people are getting dinged, or worse, for posts that put their employers in a bad light. Blevins suggests a social media review/edit of content and more thought put into posts.
USA Today: April 2024 total solar eclipse renews debunked flat Earth conspiracy theories
March 11, 2024
UC's social media expert Jeffrey Blevins says misinformation is picking up speed as the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse approaches. Blevins is citied in a USA Today article that talks about flat Earth conspiracy theories surrounding the eclipse.
Tanium: UC expert explains cybersecurity risks from Israeli-Hamas conflict
October 13, 2023
University of Cincinnati Professor Richard Harknett, director of the School of Public and International Affairs, tells 700-WLW that latest conflict in Israel started with a 'massive surprise attack.' Israel has declared war on Hamas.
WVXU: What is pink-slime journalism?
August 24, 2023
WVXU interview with UC's Jeffrey Blevins and other experts on the topic of "pink-slime" journalism (media outlets pretending to be something that they are not). In the interview, experts provide tips on identifying and avoiding these outlets. One example is "The Buckeye Journal" which had Cincinnatian's thinking it was a community paper, when it is actually a partisan funded organization.
Fox 19: Political science expert talks Vivek Ramaswamy’s rise
August 24, 2023
Vivek Ramaswamy might be a novice politician, but he is not a novice public speaker, says UC's David Niven. In an interview with Fox 19, Niven explains that Ramaswamy's experience in the corporate world would likely give him confidence on the debate stage.
College Matters. Alma Matters: UC grad and UC faculty featured on podcast
September 29, 2023
College Matters. Alma Matters. podcast features molecular geneticist Dr. Anil Menon, associate dean of undergraduate education and director of the undergraduate program in biomedical sciences in the UC College of Medicine and Pateek Raj, graduate of SPIA.
ABC News: Key Ohio primary with Trump backed candidate
March 21, 2024
As a trusted media source, David Niven, is cited in national media regarding Ohio politics. Niven is an associate professor at UC who teaches American politics and conducts research on campaigns, political communication and death penalty policy in UC’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA).
The Guardian: Injury pay cuts and limited leverage: five brutal truths about NFL
January 17, 2023
What an NFL player does both on and off the field can affect them financially, says an article in The Guardian. For example, players who protest can see a cut in salary, according to a research study by David Niven, an associate professor in UC's School of Public and International Affairs.
Wired: Is psychedelic therapy bubble about to burst?
September 9, 2022
UC postdoctoral researcher Nese Devenot talks to Wired magazine about challenges facing psychedelic therapies.