2008 Conference Program - Midwest Political Science Association

Friday, April 4-4:45 pm
Paper
Disc.
Declining Participation in Modernization: Paradox of China's
Urban Participation
Contrary to the prediction of modernization theory, China's urban
political participation exhibits continuous decline in the past decade
despite economic growth. The paper employs Generalized Linear
Model to model and explain declined participation.
Diqing Lou, Texas A&M University
stella@polisci.tamu.edu
Andrew Mertha, Washington University in St. Louis
amertha@artsci.wustl.edu
7-7 NATIONAL PARTY SYSTEMS AND THE EU
Room UEH 410 on the 4th Floor, Fri at 4:45 pm
Chair Konstantinos Kourtikakis, Eastern Illinois University
kkourtikakis@eiu.edu
Paper Politicizing Europe: The Impact of European Integration on
Domestic Electoral Politics in East-Central Europe
Are we witnessing a rise in political contestation regarding
European Union (EU) issues in East-Central Europe (ECE) This
study demonstrates that EU issues indeed have a significant effect
on party and electoral politics of the ECE states.
Catherine Eunice De Vries, Leiden University
cvries@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Erik R. Tillman, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
etillman2@unlnotes.unl.edu
Paper Europeanisation and Party Competition in East Europe
How has the process of Europeanisation affected East European
party systems This paper draws attention to a possible indirect
effect of Europeanisation on party systems and party competition in
the recently joined EU member states from East Europe.
Galina Zapryanova, University of Pittsburgh
gmz5@pitt.edu
Paper The Party’s Over: The Reality of the Relationship Between
Citizens, Domestic Political Parties and the European Union
Given the decline in support for major political parties in Western
Europe, specifically, France, the UK, and German, this paper
investigates the relationship between citizens, political parties, and
the European Union.
Tracy S. Harbin, St. John Fisher College
tharbin@sjfc.edu
Paper The EU Game in Two Levels: National Electoral Choice and the
Integration
European integration is a mandatory theme on the national parties’
agendas in European region. The regional politics in Europe is an
important aspect to shape the ideological face of political parties,
and it has been considered by the voter.
Ana Paula Tostes, Michigan State University
tostes@msu.edu
Disc. Konstantinos Kourtikakis, Eastern Illinois University
kkourtikakis@eiu.edu
9-12 GENDER AND POLITICS IN EAST ASIA
Room Suite 11-250 on the 11th Floor, Fri at 4:45 pm
Paper Confucianism, State Feminism and Domestic Violence in Japan
State initiatives may empower women but not necessarily because
they are either state funded or feminist. This paper applies state
feminist literature to Japan and seeks to expand the definitions and
activities examined by scholars in this field.
Nicole Lynn Freiner, Lafayette College
freinern@lafayette.edu
Paper Hidden Propellers of the Child Sex Trade in Thailand
Theoretical perspectives of realism and liberalism have affected
the preservation and augmentation in scope and substance of the
child sex trade in Thailand. Indifference masked by superficial
benevolence has engulfed and destroyed many more.
Veronika Kolesnikov, California State University, Sacramento
vkkgiga@yahoo.com
Paper
Disc.
Women, Work, and Partisanship in Japan
The purpose of this paper is to explain how employment affects
Japanese women’s partisanship and policy attitudes, using a survey
data before and after the Lower House election in 1996.
Natsu Matsuda, Yale University
natsu.matsuda@yale.edu
Nicole Lynn Freiner, Lafayette College
freinern@lafayette.edu
10-5 PARTIES AND ELECTIONS IN AFRICA
Room UEH 408 on the 4th Floor, Fri at 4:45 pm
Chair Eric S. McLaughlin, University of New Mexico
esm@unm.edu
Paper Information and Voting in Africa: Results of Survey
Experiments in Uganda
How are changes in Africans' abilities to access information
affecting voting behavior In order to test a theory on information
processing in African contexts, I am conducting survey experiments
in Uganda. This paper presents early findings.
Jeffrey Karl Conroy-Krutz, Columbia University
jkk2003@columbia.edu
Paper “Clientele” Democracy: Political Party Finance and
Candidates’ Selection in Nigeria
TBA
Sulaiman Balarabe Kura, University of Birmingham
sulaimankura@yahoo.co.in
Paper Floor Crossing in South Africa and Its Impact on
Representation
This paper examines what factors influence floor crossing in South
Africa, where candidates switch parties in a two week period
following elections.
Roseanna Michelle Heath, Texas A&M University
rheath@polisci.tamu.edu
Paper On the Origins of Electoral Systems: The Cases of Ghana and
South Africa
Ghana and South Africa are among the leading lights of
democractic countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the
consistently linear growth, they differ in the choice and designing of
basic electoral institutions. What accounts for the differences
George K. Keteku, Binghamton University, SUNY
gketeku1@binghamton.edu
Disc. Joshua M. Kivuva, University of Pittsburgh
joshuakivuva@hotmail.com
11-7 ISLAM: POLITICAL THOUGHT AND PRACTICE
Room Suite 12-250 on the 12th Floor, Fri at 4:45 pm
Chair Susan P. Liebell, Saint Joseph's University
sliebell@sju.edu
Paper Islam and Democracy Political Themes in Public Language
An analysis of political themes, with particular attention to
democracy, liberalism, tolerance and religious freedom, in speeches
from Middle Eastern clerics, scholars and politicians to Western
audiences.
James M. Quirk, Loyola College, Maryland
jquirk2@loyola.edu
Paper Moderate vs. Extremist Trends in Arab and Islamic Societies
This Paper examines perspectives, personal narratives and policy
recommendations from Arab and Muslim moderates to strengthen
positive trends and combat radicalism within contemporary Arab
and Islamic societies in the Middle East as well as the West.
Miriam E. Mendelson, University of Akron
Cyclgrrl@aol.com
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