2006 Conference Program - Midwest Political Science Association

PaperDisc.Ethnic Minority Interest Group Attributes and ForeignPolicy InfluenceTrevor P. Rubenzer, University of Wisconsin, MilwaukeeOverview: To what extent are ethnic minority interests groupsable to influence U.S. foreign policy? The current study usesQualitative Comparative Analysis to isolate necessary andsufficient conditions for ethnic minority influence.Richard Sobel, Harvard University22-5 OPINIONS ABOUT TERRORISM AND THEWAR ON TERRORRoomChairPaperPaperPaperPaperPaperDisc.TBA, Fri 3:45 pmMichael Wolf, Indiana University-Purdue University, FortWayneThe Politics of Fear: Personal Concern and Perception ofPublic Concern about Terrorist AttacksDonald P. Haider-Markel, University of KansasMark R. Joslyn, University of KansasAllan Cigler, University of KansasOverview: We expolore the partisan dimensions of anxietyabout terrorism. Using several national surveys, our findingsindicate a strong partisan dimension, especially in theimmediate aftermath of 9-11 and in the weeks prior to Iraq War.The War on Terror in the Context of US Foreign PolicyMoods and InterestsJack Holmes, Hope CollegeKurt Pyle, Hope CollegeOverview: The Mood/Interest Theory of U.S. Foreign Policyprovides a useful framework for the analysis of the War onTerror in historical context. The Eisenhower administrationseems a more relevant comparison than the Kennedy andJohnson administrations.Fear Factor: The Impact of Terrorism on Public Opinion inthe US, UK and IsraelWilliam J. Josiger, Georgetown UniversityOverview: Impact of terrorism in the U.S., UK and Israel onpublic opinions from 1979–2004. Does terrorism have adebilitating impact on a country’s morale or do attacks rally thepublic? Do the characteristics of an attack lead to differentialimpacts?Media 'Framing' in the 'War on Terror' and Support forCivil LibertiesLinda M. Merola, Georgetown UniversityOverview: This project examines media framing of the ‘War onTerror,’ identifying frames frequently employed andinvestigating the effects of exposure to such frames uponAmericans' support for civil liberties through the use of surveyexperimentation.Modeling Responses to Terrorism: British Public Opinionand 7/7Paul J. Tran, University of Texas, DallasHarold D. Clarke, University of Texas, DallasOverview: British public opinion data are used to investigatemodels of public opinion about responses to terrorist attacks.Model selection and encompassing tests are used to comparerival morality, benefits-costs, and general heuristic models.Gary C. Jacobson, University of California, San Diego23-1 VOTER TURNOUT, POLITICALPARTICIPATION, AND REPRESENTATIONRoomChairPaperTBA, Fri 3:45 pmPaul S. Martin, University of VirginiaExclusion Through Abstension? Voter Turnout andDemocratic RepresentationRachel K. Cremona, Flagler CollegeOverview: This paper examines the implications of voterturnout for democratic representation through a comparativeanalysis of the impact of turnout on the position of the medianvoter.PaperPaperPaperAn Essay on Political Participation: Measuring Voters andNon-Voters Policy PreferencesJean-Francois Godbout, Northwestern UniversityOverview: The following paper is a study of politicalrepresentation. The analysis focuses on the differences ofopinion expressed by voters and nonvoters in a series of publicopinion surveys. We also adopt a novel approach in measuringstate level opinion.The Representational Costs of Nonvoting: The Influence ofDistrict Participation on Policy ResponsivenessPaul S. Martin, University of VirginiaOverview: This paper examines the influence of voter turnoutand voter support for incumbent members of Congress on policyresponsiveness.Participation for What? Links Between Participation andAgenda SettingMatthew B. Platt, University of RochesterOverview: This paper attempts to link political participation topolicy responsiveness using the case of black participation. Thearguments borrow from diverse literatures to test the most basicassumption in the subfield: political participation matters.Disc. James W. Endersby, University of Missouri, Columbia24-8 THE POLITICS OF ENTERTAINMENT ANDENTERTAINMENT AS POLITICSRoomChairPaperPaperPaperPaperPaperDisc.TBA, Fri 3:45 pmKimberly Gross, George Washington UniversityLate Night Comedy's Influence on Perceptions ofPresidential CandidatesCarrie A. Cihasky, University of Wisconsin, MilwaukeeOverview: Presidential candidates often appear on late-nightshows and are the main targets of shows' jokes. This paper usesdata from the 2000 NAES to examine how viewers' perceptionsof the candidates are influenced by late-night comedy duringcampaigns.Late Night Comic Characterization of the Vice President'sAneurysm SurgeryJosh Compton, Southwest Baptist UniversityOverview: This textual analysis project builds on late nightcomedy political research and expands the scope to the domainof health by examining late night comic characterization of VicePresident Cheney's aneurysm surgery in September 2005.Where Have All The Protest Songs Gone? SocialMovements Message and Their Voice in PoliticsShelley M. Deane, Bowdoin CollegeElizabeth Bloodgood, University of PennsylvaniaOverview: Where Have All the Protest Songs Gone? In 2003-5a plethora of articles asserted a surprising lack of protest musicin response to issues of the new millennium, includingglobalization, war, peace, civil rights, and the environment.Public Opinion and Legal Closure: The Politics of Law andOrderGeoff Peterson, University of Wisconsin, Eau ClaireSally Trnka, University of Wisconsin, Eau ClaireOverview: This paper examines the connection between publicopinion on high profile legal cases and how those cases are "recreated"on television.What's Law Got To Do With It? Media Coverage of theMichael Jackson TrialRobert W. Van Sickel, Indiana State UniversityOverview: This paper explores mass media coverage of pop starMichael Jackson' s recent criminal trial, in an attempt to assessthe intersection of law, entertainment, and public educationregarding legal issues and processes.Kimberly Gross, George Washington University179