#MPSAchat
How Salient Are Traditional Family Values and Gender Stereotypes in Asia? Survey Evidence from Mainland China
by Peter Chai, Ph.D. Researcher at the Graduate School of Political Science, Waseda University The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the MPSA (Midwest Political Science Association). Any content…
One Small, Moderately Attractive Introduction to the Federal Budget
by Michael A. Smith, Professor of Political Science, Emporia State University Why is the Trump administration determined to cut funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the National Weather Service? The entire NOAA budget is 0.1% of federal spending.…
Another Dimension of Citizenship
By: Tona Hangen, PhD, professor of history at Worcester State University This blog has been reprinted with permission from Wiki Education. Tona Hangen is a professor of history at Worcester State University. She incorporated a Wikipedia assignment into her course for the first time last term. For…
The Overused Syllogism: Logic, Institutions, and the Integral Exploration of Reason
by Miguel S. Zanella Section #1: Etymology – Philosophical, Scientific, and Lexicographical Perspectives The term "syllogism" comes from the Greek syllogismos, meaning "joint inference." Aristotle was its primary systematizer, framing it as a form of deductive reasoning: from two premises arises a…
Inside Criminalized Governance. A Review.
By Juan Corredor-Garcia, PhD student in political science at the Graduate Center, City University of New York The study of organized criminal groups and its relationship with the state and society used to be an exclusive field of inquiry for sociologists and criminologists. The ground-breaking work…
Presenting, Learning, and Growing — Insights from Inside MPSA 2025
by Bakhytzhan Oskeyeva, PhD student in Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Note: This blog post is Part 2 of a reflection series based on a voluntary questionnaire I shared during MPSA 2025. It gathers informal insights from attendees about what they presented, what they…
Conference aftermath and reflections on current affairs
Written by a current MPSA member requesting anonymity The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the MPSA (Midwest Political Science Association). Any content provided is for informational purposes only…
A Symposium By and For Graduate Students
by Carolina Bermejo Goodwin and Edwina Chih-Yu Chen, Department of Political Science, University of South Carolina As graduate students, we often find ourselves searching for spaces that prioritize our needs: places where we can share ideas, get meaningful feedback, and connect with others who are…
First Impressions, Real Impact — Who Attends MPSA and Why It Matters
by Bakhytzhan Oskeyeva, PhD student in Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Note: This blog post reflects responses to a voluntary conference reflection questionnaire I created and circulated among attendees. The survey was independently designed and does not represent an…
An Academic Book Gets Noticed
by Michael A. Smith, Professor of Political Science, Emporia State University Political science books are not usually associated with book tours. Before 2024, I had published four academic books, one solo and the others co-authored. I certainly never did a book signing (not counting copies for…