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Newsletter 11-2014

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VOLUME 7, ISSUE 2 FALL 2014 Department of Political Science Newsletter INSIDE THIS ISSUE: A Note From The Chair 1 A NOTE FROM THE Fall is an exciting time to be on campus. New students CHAIR are fresh with anticipation to begin their college experience. Continuing students are ready to begin another chapter of CONFERENCE HOST their college careers. Faculty prepare to teach a new crop of Department Hosts Pre-APSA students. The department this fall welcomed many new Conference undergraduates who plan to major in political science, looking forward to taking classes and experiencing Washington as a 2 ENGAGED STUDENTS GW student. We welcomed new graduate students to our Undergraduates Receive Luther doctoral and masters’ program. And, we welcomed four new Rice Research Fellowships faculty: Eric Kramon, Corrine McConnaughy, Ismail White and Adam Ziegfeld. We appreciate the gifts of friends and alumni who allow the department’s faculty and students to pursue their goals. Your donations allow us to support undergraduates who IN THE CLASSROOM participate in professional conferences and work with faculty on research projects. Your Former Senate Parliamentarian gifts also allow us to provide seed grants for graduate student research, which has led to two Teaches Congressional Leadership dissertation improvement grants from the National Science Foundation in the past year. Course The financial resources you provide also support faculty engagement. On behalf of my colleagues, thank you! 3 GRADUATE STUDENT The year moves by quickly, of course. Soon enough, we’ll break for Thanksgiving NEWS and then the holidays. As we approach that season, we are thankful for our alumni and Ph.D. Graduate Wins Prestigious friends. Dissertation Award -Paul Wahlbeck, Department Chair ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Conference Host Alumna Devoted to Public Service Department Hosts Pre-APSA Conference as Family Court Judge With the end of summer and the start of a new school year, the American Political Science Association (APSA) holds their annual conference for members. This year’s conference took place here in Washington, D.C., giving the department a unique opportunity 4-5 SPOTLIGHT ON NEW to host some of the leading political scientists for sessions of collaboration and discussion. FACULTY As APSA members from around the U.S. flew into town, the department hosted a series of pre-conference workshops in Monroe Hall and the Elliott School as a way to provide an FACULTY IN THE NEWS environment where scholars could present their work before the main conference sessions. The Monkey Cage Thrives With The All the pre-conference sessions were organized by Assistant Professor Yonatan Lupu. Washington Post Reflecting on his idea to host the workshops, Professor Lupu said: “I thought it would be useful to take advantage of the fact that many of our colleagues from across the discipline 6-7 ALUMNI NEWS & would be in D.C. for APSA. The goal of the pre-APSA workshops was for the junior faculty in our department to meet with other scholars doing similar work, exchange ideas and receive NOTES feedback in a more in-depth setting than is generally provided at APSA panels.” One of the junior faculty members participating in the day was Assistant THANKS TO OUR Professor Harris Mylonas, who joined the workshops and reported: “I had the opportunity DONORS to present the prospectus of my second book manuscript, The Strategic Logic of Diaspora Management, and receive comments by top scholars in that field such as Alexandra Delano, Yossi Shain and Stephen Saideman.” Looking back at the series after its conclusion, Professor Lupu noted: “The organizers of the individual workshops reported that they were a great success, that they received useful feedback on their own work and that they learned a great deal from the discussions. I hope we can repeat this event next time a large conference is in town.” DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE ● THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 1 POLITICAL SCIENCE NEWSLETTER FALL 2014 Engaged Students Haines found his Introduction to American Politics class Undergraduates Receive Luther helpful to his research as it dispelled some misconceptions about Rice Research Fellowships interest groups and how they work. Haines believes that while the Luther Rice Undergraduate Research Fellowships are subject of interest groups is a common topic within political sponsored by the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences to discourse, interest groups’ tactics and operations are not well promote discovery and inquiry-based education throughout the understood. He hopes that it will be worthwhile to try and learn undergraduate experience at GW. The fellowships offer support more about how they work and how effective they actually are. for student research carried out under the guidance of a faculty Professor Binder is thrilled with Haines’ work. She explains, member. This year, political science majors Jacqueline “Helping students to learn how to do research—and hopefully to Sodano, ’15, and Theodore Haines, ’16, are conducting enjoy it—is always a rewarding experience for me.” original research in collaboration with Professors Steven Balla Both Sodano and Haines credit their GW political science and Sarah Binder, respectively. Sodano’s research focuses on courses with preparing them for research and also see the Luther the rulemaking process, more specifically, studying regulatory Rice Fellowship as a step toward continuing their education gridlock in executive branch agencies. Haines’ research is an beyond GW. Sodano explains, “I work with the Boeing analysis of the electoral strategies used by the conservative Government Operations Team, and I often have the opportunity interest group Club for Growth, specifically looking at the to discuss how the regulatory process impacts our competitive contributions they make to Congressional candidates. position. After graduation, I hope to have the opportunity to Sodano’s interest in her topic was sparked during Professor continue my work at the company. In addition, I would eventually Balla’s pro-seminar course, Politics of Regulation. She had always like to continue my education and seek an advanced degree.” been interested in regulatory processes, but this class prompted For Haines, this experience has inspired him to focus on her to explore the topic in-depth and seek out more information continuing his education in political science. Though he hasn’t about the reality of “ossification” in the rulemaking process. decided on a concentration yet, he states, “At this point, I'm Professor Balla is thrilled to see the evolution of Sodano from interested in pursuing a PhD in political science, since academia student to researcher. He states, “It has been a rewarding seems like the most worthwhile career path for me at this point. I experience for me as a faculty member to witness Jackie's enjoy writing, and I pursued the Luther Rice Fellowship in large progression from a student in my class to a researcher who can (a) part to see how well-suited I am to doing research work in the identify a gap in our understanding about the politics of long term.” regulation and (b) execute a project that fills in that gap.” In The Classroom real sweetheart of a guy—I knew our students would love the Former Senate Parliamentarian class.” Deering recalled. “I also knew the Congressional Teaches Congressional Leadership Professorship was available and I called [then-GW President] Course Steve Trachtenberg and we made it happen.” Being the official rule keeper for the United States Senate is Dove began teaching a department pro-seminar on not for the faint of heart. Knowing the elaborate “Congressional Leadership” after arriving in procedures and rules of order that govern the nation’s 2001. “I loved teaching undergrads. They legislature is a tall order in the first place—enforcing those are not yet cynical about politics and I find rules on your own employers makes the job of Senate that refreshing. I think that Congress is the Parliamentarian a uniquely challenging position. most misunderstood branch of government It should be no surprise then, that former Senate and I loved teaching about how it works.” Parliamentarian Robert Dove found the chance to teach Dove said “I was attracted [to GW] by the undergrads right here at GW a rewarding change of pace. fact that GW students often had internships Twice-appointed Senate Parliamentarian and twice- on the Hill and could bring their dismissed (first by Majority Leader Robert Byrd in 1986 experiences into the classroom.” and later by Majority Leader Trent Lott in 2001), Dove Department Chair Paul Wahlbeck left Capitol Hill for good and brought his wealth of agreed, saying “Our students are attracted to knowledge and perspective to Foggy Bottom, where he joined the GW for many reasons, but one of the primary attractions is our Political Science Department. location in the nation's Capital. Bob Dove shared with students his Then-Department Chair Chris Deering brought the insider knowledge of how work is done on Capitol Hill. His former Parliamentarian into the department as an adjunct perspective was a perfect complement to our curriculum.” professor, where Dove’s direct teaching style and years of Dove stepped down from teaching this past summer, after 13 experience working for Congress engaged students from day one. years with the university. He remains involved with the downtown “I got word that Bob was about to become available, he had an lobbying firm Patton Boggs, where he provides public policy and inside knowledge of Congress, with a PhD from Duke, and he is a Congressional strategy advice to firm partners and clients. DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE ● THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 2 POLITICAL SCIENCE NEWSLETTER FALL 2014 Graduate Student News interest in state bailouts dating from the Ph.D. Graduate Wins Prestigious 2001 U.S. airline bailout and an interest Dissertation Award in financial markets from my time A recent graduate of the political science Ph.D.
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