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(1) Time to Pre-Register for the APSA Preconference on Political Communication!

Power and Strategy in a New Communication Environment, the 8th Annual APSA Preconference on Political Communication, will be held on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at the George Washington University. The theme of this year's conference is the exploration of political power in a new communication environment, and the possibilities for strategic action this environment affords within and across various levels. From local politics to international relations, new communication technologies and processes are transforming how political actors seek to achieve their goals.

This conference seeks to bring together a broadly focused group of scholars to discuss how political actors understand, pursue, and use power in this new communication environment. The pre-conference features three panel sessions, a distinguished luncheon speaker, and a closing reception. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage with political communication scholars.

There is no fee for the pre-conference, as the Political Communication Section and generous university sponsors are covering the costs.  However, participants need to pre-register by August 15.  To pre-register, go to http://apsagwu.eventbrite.com.

We hope that you will be able to join us!

(2) ICA Annual Conference

Singapore, June 22-26, 2010

(3) CALL FOR PROPOSALS
 
Symposium: The 2010 Congressional Elections
PS: Political Science & Politics
April 2011 (Proposal deadline: June 15, 2010)
Symposium Editor: Costas Panagopoulos, Fordham University
 
PS: Political Science & Politics will publish a symposium on the 2010 congressional elections in the April 2011 issue.
 
Scholars are invited to submit proposals to examine all aspects of the 2010 midterm elections, including (but not limited to): analyses of election outcomes and results, campaign finance, party activity, voter turnout and mobilization, policy preferences and voting behavior.
 
Proposals (250 words maximum) should briefly describe the topic of interest and the methodological approach and are due by June 15, 2010. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by July 1, 2010. Manuscripts for accepted proposals will need to be 12-15 pages, double-spaced (including notes and references) and will be due on December 1, 2010. Manuscripts will be peer-reviewed in accord with journal practices, and final manuscripts will be due in early January 2011.

Queries and proposals should be directed to the symposium editor, Costas Panagopoulos, at cpanagopoulos@fordham.edu.

(4) ANES Announcement: The 2010-2012 Evaluations of Government and Society Study

As of March 5, 2010, the American National Election Studies will be accepting proposals for questions to include on a new series of studies — The 2010-2012 Evaluations of Government and Society. Proposals may be submitted through the ANES Online Commons. The following describes the goals of this study and the opportunity to include questions on it.

About The 2010-2012 Evaluations of Government and Society Study

The overarching theme of the surveys we propose for the period of 2010-2012 is citizen attitudes about government and society. These Internet surveys represent the most cost-effective way for the ANES user community to gauge political perceptions during one of the most momentous periods in American history. Aside from the historic nature of the current administration and the almost unprecedented economic crisis facing the country, we believe it is imperative that researchers assess attitudes about politics and society in the period leading up to the 2012 national elections. Specifically, we have in mind here attitudes about the performance of the Obama administration on the major issues of the day, evaluations of Congress and the Supreme Court, identification with and attitudes about the major political parties, and levels of interest in and engagement with national politics. This is primarily because these perceptions are unmistakably correlated with both presidential vote choice and levels of political participation. We intend to measure each of these topics at multiple points throughout the two-year period preceding the 2012 elections. However in addition to these subjects, we envision that each of these surveys would explore a particular aspect of these political perceptions.

This study will include five cross-section surveys conducted over the Internet with representative probability samples of American citizens.  These surveys will allow us the opportunity to pilot new items for possible inclusion on the 2012 times series.  By offering multiple opportunities for the user community to place their items on one or more surveys, we will provide the capacity to survey on a diverse set of topics that are relevant to a wide set of research communities. Lastly, the flexibility of these surveys as to both  content and timing will allow the ANES to respond promptly to emerging political issues in this volatile period in our country’s history.

About the Online Commons

The design of the questionnaires for The 2010-2012 Evaluations of Government and Society Study will evolve from proposals and comments submitted to the Online Commons (OC). The OC is an online system designed to promote communication among scholars and to yield innovative proposals about the most effective ways to measure electorally-relevant concepts and relationships. The goal of the OC is to improve the quality and scientific value of ANES data collections, to encourage the submission of new ideas, and to make such experiences more beneficial to and enjoyable for investigators. In the last study cycle, more than 700 scholars sent over 200 proposals through the Online Commons.

Proposals for the inclusion of questions must include clear theoretical and empirical rationales. All proposals must also clearly state how the questions will increase the value of the respective studies. In particular, proposed questions must have the potential to help scholars understand the causes and/or consequences of turnout or candidate choice. For more information about the criteria that will be used to evaluate proposals, please see: http://www.electionstudies.org/studypages/2010_2012EGSS/2010_2012EGSScriteria.htm or http://tinyurl.com/ydp43ql 

The 2010-2012 Evaluations of Government and Society Study waves are currently scheduled to be in the field in late 2010, Spring 2011, late 2011, early 2012, and Summer 2012. The ANES Online Commons will begin accepting proposals for The 2010-2012 Evaluations of Government and Society Study on March 5, 2010. The deadline for proposals for the first and second wave of The 2010-2012 Evaluations of Government and Society Study is 3:00p.m. EDT, May 5, 2010. The deadline for members of the Online Commons community to comment on proposals will be May 12, 2010. The deadline for revisions to proposals will be end at 3:00p.m. EDT on May 19, 2010. The deadlines for later waves of the study will be announced on a future date. For additional information about how to submit a proposal, please visit: http://www.electionstudies.org/ and click on the "Online Commons" button.

This opportunity is open to anyone who wants to make a constructive contribution to the development of ANES surveys. Feel free to pass this invitation along to anyone (e.g., your colleagues and students) who you think might be interested. We hope to hear from you.

(5) THE 2010 SUMMER INSTITUTE IN POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY

at Stanford University from July 11 – July 30, 2010

Applications are being accepted now for the 19th Annual Summer Institute in Political Psychology, to be held at Stanford University July 11-30, 2010.

The Summer Institute offers 3 weeks of intensive training in political
psychology.  Political psychology is an exciting and thriving field that explores the origins of political behavior and the causes of political events, with a special focus on the psychological mechanisms at work. 

Research findings in political psychology advance basic theories of politics and are an important basis for political decision-making in practice.

SIPP was founded in 1991 at Ohio State University, and Stanford has hosted SIPP since 2005, with support from Stanford University and from the National Science Foundation.  Hundreds of participants have attended SIPP during these years.

The 2010 SIPP curriculum is designed to (1) provide broad exposure to theories, empirical findings, and research traditions; (2) illustrate successful cross-disciplinary research and integration; (3) enhance methodological pluralism; and (4) strengthen networks among scholars from around the world.

SIPP activities will include lectures by world-class faculty, discussion groups, research/interest group meetings, group projects, and an array of social activities.    

Some of the topics covered in past SIPP programs include race relations, conflict and dispute resolution, voting and elections, international conflict, decision-making by political elites, moral disengagement and violence, social networks, activism and social protest, political socialization, and justice.

In 2010, SIPP will accept up to 60 participants, including graduate students, faculty, professionals, and advanced undergraduates.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/sipp

Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until all slots are filled, so applying soon maximizes chances of acceptance. 

(6) APSA Political Communication Section Pre-Conference

Power and Strategy in a New Communication Environment

The 8th Annual APSA Preconference on Political Communication will be held on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at Georgetown University. The theme of this year's conference is the exploration of political power in a new communication environment, and the possibilities for strategic action this environment affords within and across various levels. From local politics to international relations, new communication technologies and processes are transforming how political actors seek to achieve their goals. Changes can be found in local communities with individual blogs and citizen-action websites, at the national level with campaigning and issue-oriented activism played out on the internet, and at the international level with states (and other international actors) attempting to use strategic narratives to shape the future international system or to pursue particular political goals. This conference seeks to bring together a broadly focused group of scholars to discuss how political actors understand, pursue and use power in this new communication environment.

(7) Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP)

July 7th - 10th 2010
San Francisco

"Making our World Anew: Political Psychology in an Age of Global Challenges."

Conference website: http://ispp.org/meet.html.

(8) We have recently received the MP3 files from the following roundtable at APSA 2005. Click here to check it out!

Bennett, W. Lance, Doris Graber, Roderick Hart, Shanto Iyengar, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Elihu Katz, Gladys Engle Lang, Kurt Lang, Thomas Patterson, and Donald Shaw. “The future of political communication research: Where we’ve been, where we’re going.” Roundtable discussion at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association in Washington, DC, Aug. Sep. 1–4, 2005.