#MPSAchat
Wondering how to organize a mini-conference at MPSA? Prof. Martin Castillo shares some clues
By Juan Corredor-Garcia, PhD student in political science at the Graduate Center, City University of New York One format that students and faculty alike should consider at MPSA is organizing a mini-conference. This format offers a unique opportunity for creating panels on very specific (and new)…
The Case for (Revised) Political Theory
by Michael A. Smith, Professor of Political Science, Emporia State University “So,” asked my friend, “have you gotten rid of theory yet?” I don’t think he was prepared for my emphatic, “No!” My friend is a political scientist at another university. He happened to be passing through town, so we had…
A conversation with a sociologist fellow who attended MPSA
By Juan Corredor-Garcia, PhD student in political science at the Graduate Center, City University of New York As one of the most prestigious regional conferences in the discipline, MPSA not only attracts political scientists but also social scientists from around the world. We interviewed…
How to Conference for the First Time: Strategy, Reflection, and Recharging at MPSA 2025
by Muhammad Hassan Bin Afzal, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Service, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga When I first visited Chicago in 2017 to volunteer for a conference and workshop, I fell in love with the city. Then, MPSA entered my life. One of my…
More COPS, Higher Turnout?
By: Brandon J. Romero, University of Michigan The following blog post summarizes the research that was a co-winner of the Midwest Political Science Association’s Best Paper in Political Behavior Award for research presented at the 2024 MPSA Annual Conference. In my paper "More COPS, Higher…
The Subnational Roots of Democratic Stability
By: Julian Michel, Ph.D. in Political Science from UCLA, Postdoctoral Fellow at LMU Munich The following blog post summarizes the research that won the Midwest Political Science Association’s Kellogg/Notre Dame Award for the best comparative politics paper presented at the 2024 MPSA Annual…
My Experience Balancing Life, Research, and Conferences
by Bakhytzhan Oskeyeva, PhD student in Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte As I prepare for the upcoming MPSA Annual Conference, I find myself juggling multiple roles—researcher, attendee, and, most importantly, a single mother of two wonderful children: my 13-year-old daughter…
A Practical Politics Primer
by Michael A. Smith, Professor of Political Science, Emporia State University Note: The author discusses certain political views in this blog post. In sharing these personal opinions, he does not speak for his employer, for the Midwest Political Science Association, or for any of their respective…
Adding critical context to felony disenfranchisement
by Colleen McCoy, Communications and Outreach Coordinator at Wiki Education This blog has been reprinted with permission from Wiki Education. As Canisius University’s public safety liaison and deputy supervisor for its work-study program, senior Tariq LeFever often dedicates time to serving…
Adam Smith on the Effectual Truth of Imagination
By: Trevor Shelley, Arizona State University The following blog post is a summary of the research that won the Midwest Political Science Association’s Review of Politics Award for research presented at the 2024 MPSA Annual Conference. In this article (recently published in Perspectives on…