2008 Conference Program - Midwest Political Science Association

Saturday, April 5-12:45 pm
22-10 NEW AND/OR YOUNG VOTERS IN ELECTIONS
Room Suite 13-250 on the 13th Floor, Sat at 12:45 pm
Chair Joseph D. Giammo, University of Arkansas, Little Rock
jdgiammo@ualr.edu
Paper In Need of an Update or Overdue Re-Evaluating the Political
Life Course Model
In recent years, many characteristics of the early and middle stages
of the political life course have moved to a higher average age. This
trend calls for a re-evaluation of the life course model and how it
explains youth voter turnout.
Kaat Smets, European University Institute
kaat.smets@eui.eu
Paper Mobilizing a Wayward Youth: Presidential Campaigns and the
Mobilization of a New Generation
To determine whether or not youths are mobilized when presidential
candidates use outlets that allow a more direct way to participate in
their campaigns and to assess if this translates into an increase in
voter participation at the polls.
Jennifer Blair Wilson, West Virginia University
jwilson7@mix.wvu.edu
Paper Electoral Mobilization and the Newly Registered Voter
A study that examines the effects of political mobilization among
newly registered voters and their electoral participation.
Erik D. Heidemann, Ohio State University
heidemann.3@osu.edu
Paper The Dynamics of Turnout and Attitudes
Panel data are used to examine the extent to which changes
in behavior, with a focus on the change from non-voting to
voting, lead to changes in attitudes. The results show that static
comparisons of non-voters and voters can be misleading.
Michael J. Hanmer, University of Maryland
mhanmer@gvpt.umd.edu
Disc. Jody C. Baumgartner, East Carolina University
jodyb@jodyb.net
23-11 CAMPAIGN MOBILIZATION: MARSHALLING THE
TROOPS
Room PDR 8 on the 3rd Floor, Sat at 12:45 pm
Chair Jamie Patrick Chandler, Graduate Center,CUNY
jchandler@gc.cuny.edu
Paper Parties as Mobilizers: Party Efforts to Get Out the Vote in 2000
and 2004
How hard do political parties work at getting out the vote This
essay uses FEC data to determine campaign expenditures for GOTV
efforts during the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections—allowing
an assessment of the effect of soft money on turnout.
Raymond V. Carman, Jr., Binghamton University
raymond.carman@binghamton.edu
Ian M. Farrell, Binghamton University
ifarrel1@binghamton.edu
Jonathan S. Krasno, Binghamton University, SUNY
jskrasno@gmail.com
Paper Mobilization of Youth During the 2000 and 2004 Elections
Analysis of the use of popular culture resources to mobilize youth
ages 15-25 to engage in political activities during the 2000 and 2004
presidential campaings. Youth apathy is a participatory and electoral
issue being addressed through mobilization.
Bart A. Biroschak, University of Cincinnati
biroscba@email.uc.edu
Paper Generation Y and Partisan Outreach
In an attempt to dissect the causes of the increase in youth voter
turnout, my study examines the type of youth voters that Republican
and Democratic parties are targeting in mobilization efforts.
Erin Lauren Estelle Byrd, University of Texas, Austin
erinbyrd42@gmail.com
Paper
Disc.
Why Does Canvassing Work
Many authors have shown that canvassing is effective at increasing
voter turnout, but without saying why. Based on over two years
experience working on canvasses, I assess why grassroots
mobilization works and what it means for democratic practice.
Peter C. Mohanty, University of Texas
pete.mohanty@gmail.com
Jason Adam Johnson, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
johnsonja@hiram.edu
25-11 WHAT DOES THE PUBLIC REALLY KNOW
Room Salon 6 on the 3rd Floor, Sat at 12:45 pm
Chair William G. Jacoby, Michigan State University
jacoby@msu.edu
Paper Knowledge Gaps and the Information Environment
This paper analyzes the effects of the “information environment”
on the maldistribution of political knowledge. I suggest that the
direction of the effects is variable and test my hypotheses with NES
data collected over the past several decades.
Benjamin Highton, University of California, Davis
bhighton@ucdavis.edu
Paper Political Knowledge and Endorsement of Direct Democracy
A clear majority of voters endorse the idea of direct democracy.
But if voters realize they know very little about the issues they
are to vote on, do they still show signs of strong support for direct
democracy
Loren Collingwood, University of Washington
lorenc2@u.washington.edu
Paper Reconsidering the NES Interviewer Rating
We investigate the measurement properties of the NES interviewer
rating item. In particular, we show that scale-use heterogeneity
reduces the utility of this item as an indicator of political
knowledge.
Matthew S. Levendusky, University of Pennsylvania
mleven@sas.upenn.edu
Simon D. Jackman, Stanford University
jackman@stanford.edu
Paper A Curious Tale of Interviewer Ratings and Increases in
Knowledge
Interviewer ratings of political knowledge are seen as valid and
reliable measures of political knowledge. However, ratings of
knowledge are rising. Is this evidence of poor validity, a change in
interview protocol, or sampling bias
Buddy Lee Peyton, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
peyton@uiuc.edu
Disc. Greg M. Shaw, Illinois Wesleyan University
gshaw@iwu.edu
26-5 PARTICIPATION IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE
Room PDR 5 on the 3rd Floor, Sat at 12:45 pm
Chair James Melton, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
melton@uiuc.edu
Paper Immigrant Exeptionalism A Comparison of Immigrant
Turnout in Denmark and the U.S.
Studies in the US have shown the existence of “immigrant
exceptionalism”, i.e. that traditional variables do not have any
effect on immigrants. Do we find the same exceptionalism in a high
turnout country like Denmark
Lise Togeby, Aarhus University
ltogeby@ps.au.dk
Paper Comparing the Influence of Compulsory Voting on Political
Participation
This research tests claims that compulsory voting enhances
democracy by comparing levels of political participation and
engagement between compulsory and non-compulsory electoral
systems.
Heather Elaine Yates, University of Kansas
hey@ku.edu
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