MPSA Blog

A Grad Life Recap of the 2016 MPSA Conference

As the MPSA 2016 conference wraps up, I wanted to share a few thoughts as a first time attendee. This has been a phenomenal experience for me and my colleagues (most of whom are also first time attendees) and has made me fall in love with this profession all over again. Creative Research and…


Your To Do List: One Week until MPSA 2016

MPSA2016_OneWeekWe are one week away from the MPSA 2016 conference and a lot of us are still scrambling to get everything in order. Those…


Sir Edmund and Hillary: A Surprisingly Likely Pair

MPSAblog_Smith_BurkeMainstream political scientists often struggle with the subfield called political theory. Otherwise known as…


Tough Enough? National Security Issues Could Affect the 2016 U.S. Presidential Race

MPSA_NationalSecurityNEW YORK CITY - MARCH 2, 2016: Hillary Rodham Clinton affirmed her status as front-runner for the Democratic…


Studying for Comps? Here are Three Approaches to Try Based on Learning Style

Rasool_MindMap_ModernizationAn example of the author’s mind mapping technique (click to expand). There comes a time in every…


Will the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election Be a Realigning Election?

MPSABlog_Smith_RealigningElectionIn his classic book Dynamics of the Party System, James L. Sundquist developed a…


Incorporating Family in Your MPSA Conference Experience

MPSA2016_FamilyinChicagoSo having done it recently myself, I understand how challenging it can be to have family join you during…


Three Methods to Ready Your Research for Public Absorption

MPSA_Blog_PublicConsumptionRecently one of the biggest discussions within the field of political science has been on how to…