MPSA Blog
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…
#MPSA16-- Is Political Science Still Relevant?
It is only 35 minutes from the Palmer House to 4100 S. Pulaski Road. Downtown Chicago’s ornate Palmer House hotel will host the 74th annual Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) conference, as it does every spring. Eight miles away, Pulaski Road is where a Chicago police officer fatally…
Interested in Blogging for MPSA?
MPSA seeks to feature blog posts that focuses on research relevant to current topics in the media, teaching trends and professional development. The blog will be a place for MPSA to highlight the vast amount of knowledge held within and created by members of our community. Just as the MPSA…
When Grievances Do Not Mean Violence
By Bethany Lacina The vast majority of political violence is within rather than between states. How do national politics—that is, the central government's attempts to stay in office—make civil violence more or less likely? Social science has ignored that question in favor of debate, catalyzed by…
