#MPSA17
The Loss Lab
“Trump was an alternative to interchangeable robots whose goal is to avoid saying anything interesting.” - Molly Ball, political reporter, The Atlantic “If you wanted to write a playbook for how to lose an election, Trump did that and he won anyway.” - Steve Peoples, AP reporter What rotten luck…
Four Stormy Days - #MPSA17
This year’s MPSA has been an interesting experience as opposed to other years. That is due to a near perfect storm of political events in the last few months. Add to this already interesting mix the fact that, due to inclement weather and flight cancellations, we end up with a more intimate…
Election 2016: Did New Voting Laws Tip the Balance?
Since the early 2000s, a flurry of new voting laws have passed in the states. There is a marked Democrat-Republican divide. Democratic-leaning states, such as California, Oregon, and Massachusetts, have passed laws making access to the ballot easier. Oregon now automatically registers citizens to…
Judicial Review, Federalism, and Representation
Two years ago, in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage, thereby striking down laws in several states banning same-sex marriage. In dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia argued that the majority had acted…
Chicago's "Must See" Locations for Political Scientists
We asked Chicagoan members: What are the “must see” locations for political scientists while visiting the Chicago area? In addition to the Palmer House’s own History is Hott tour, MPSA members from the Chicago area have provided us with the following “must see” locations of political, historical,…
On the Eve of the 2017 Conference Season
As the Fall semester comes to a close, most academics in our field are readying for the upcoming hectic conference schedule starting with SPSA in New Orleans in January, ISA (February) in Baltimore, MPSA (April) in Chicago, and ending with WPSA (April) in Vancouver. Keeping this in mind, this post…