Year: 2016
Tough Enough? National Security Issues Could Affect the 2016 U.S. Presidential Race
NEW YORK CITY - MARCH 2, 2016: Hillary Rodham Clinton affirmed her status as front-runner for the Democratic presidential nominations with a speech at Jacob Javits Center. Following the November 2015 Paris and Beirut terrorist attacks, and the more recent bombings in Brussels and Pakistan,…
Studying for Comps? Here are Three Approaches to Try Based on Learning Style
An example of the author’s mind mapping technique (click to expand). There comes a time in every PhD student’s career where they have to sit through the dreaded qualifying exams (or “comps” as they are often called). The structure of the exam changes from department to department, but the essence…
Will the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election Be a Realigning Election?
In his classic book Dynamics of the Party System, James L. Sundquist developed a theory of how party alignments change around new issues. As a winner-take-all system, (also called “first past the post” or FPTP), the U.S. is hard-wired to have only two dominant parties at a time. However, one party…
Incorporating Family in Your MPSA Conference Experience
So having done it recently myself, I understand how challenging it can be to have family join you during a conference. Out of necessity, I recently had my two little ones (both under the age of five) accompany me to an out-of-state conference. Crazy, yes, I know. I worried constantly about how I…
Three Methods to Ready Your Research for Public Absorption
Recently one of the biggest discussions within the field of political science has been on how to use our research for policy making purposes. The debate has focused on finding the best possible avenues to disseminate the research work in a manner that is suitable for public consumption but more…
Q&A with the Founder of Women Also Know Stuff
Samara Klar is an Assistant Professor at the School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona and is the founder of Women Also Know Stuff. A database of female experts in politics, policy, government, and methods in the social sciences, called Women Also Know Stuff, was launched…
Primaries and Caucuses 2016: Experiencing the Energy and Demystifying the Math
INDIANOLA, IA - FEBRUARY 1, 2016: Indianola mayor Kelly Shaw (second from right) and Smith's Emporia State University students at the Iowa caucus. (Photo courtesy: Michael A. Smith) The 2016 Primary/Caucus season started this week in snowy Iowa, and my students and I were there to see it. Eight…
Gender and Emotions on the Campaign Trail
WASHINGTON - JANUARY 13, 2009: U.S. Secretary of State Nominee and incumbent U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) During a recent interview, when Christian…
Presenting At Conferences – A Grad Student’s Guide
Presenting at a conference is a daunting task for any academic. Be it a big name academic who has spent a career presenting at conferences around the world or a graduate student who is just starting out; conference anxiety still kicks in. To help presenters, especially grad students, I came up with…
On the Hill: Linda Trautman’s Experience at COSSA’s Advocacy Day
Linda Trautman, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Ohio University Lancaster who specializes in American Government and Politics with a focus on legislative politics, mass political behavior and urban public policy. Before presenting her research on “Racial Advocacy and Bill…