Political Science News - News

More Accolades for the International Encyclopedia of Political Science

mathieu.stlaurent — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:38:31 +0000

By Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain, and Head of Reference Emeritus, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29401)

The International Encyclopedia of Political Science (2011, 978-1412959636, $1,095) is a new eight-volume set published by Sage and is a major undertaking developed in partnership with the International Political Science Association. As such, well-respected scholars Bertrand Badie, Institut d’etudes politiques Paris, France; Dirk Berg-Schlosser, Philipps-Universitat Marburg, Germany; and Leonardo Morlino, LUISS Guido Carli were enlisted to serve as general editors. They and the publishers have set an ambitious goal of covering “every field of politics from political theory and methodology to political sociology, comparative politics, public policies, and international relations.” In order to meet this demanding challenge, an international cast of scholars was gathered drawing particularly from Europe and the United States. The overall results are impressive.

Although the Encyclopedia mentions events and people, for the most part it is not about them. The focus is on key ideas and concepts as well as the numerous “aspects of political life” that make up the study of political science globally. Specifically, there are articles on topics as different as Anarchy and the Rule of Law; Electoral Behavior and Military Rule; Colonialism and Nationalist Movements; Monetary Relations and Social Class; Stalinism and Theories of Democracy; and Street Level Bureaucracy and Monarchy. There are also individual articles that cover gender, race, and ethnic concerns, those that explore both qualitative and quantitative methods of research; and those that discuss the impacts of various religions on political life.

While some non-scholars may find it of interest, this set is not intended for a lay audience. All of the articles are grounded in serious research and informed by the literature of the discipline. Although there are a few tables and charts included, the articles are text rich and dense. Nonetheless, they will be accessible to undergraduate majors not to mention graduate students and faculty. As you would expect, each entry has a useful bibliography and relevant “see also” references. In addition, there is a Reader’s Guide that organizes articles by broad topic to assist researchers.

The International Encyclopedia of Political Science offers the reader informed and well researched discussions of the ideas, concepts, and theories that lie at the foundation of the discipline. It also touches on the international aspects of the various topics covered as well as in specific entries like those on Balance of Power, Alliances, Genocide, Multilateralism and International Trade. As such, this title is an ideal companion to Sage’s more U.S. focused Encyclopedia of Political Science (2010, 978-1933116440, $800). Academic libraries that support strong political science curriculums will want this new title in their collection.

Excerpt from the "Reference Desk", In Against the Grain, Vol.23, No.6 (Dec 2011-Jan 2012).

http://www.against-the-grain.com/2012/02/v23-6-table-of-contents/

Call for papers | The future of public enterprises. Mission, performance and governance: Learning from success and failures. A research agenda 2012-2014

mathieu.stlaurent — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:15:58 +0000

The CIRIEC Scientific Commission on Public Services/Public Enterprises has decided to launch an international research project on the future of public enterprises. The ambition of the project is to revive the subject of public enterprise as an important field of analysis in the perspective of public economics and of social sciences in general. This project hopes to bring together international scholars from a variety of disciples such as political science, economics, public administration and sociology who share an interest in public enterprises.

Despite the large-scale privatizations in the last three decades, governments, either at national or local level, still own or partly-own a wide range of organizations providing public services. Privatization policies have left under the control of government a core of public enterprises. Recently, some episodes have also been reversing the previous policy trend. The question arises: how should governments define the missions, the performance criteria, and the governance mechanisms of the public enterprises in a changing environment? For the purpose of this project, we shall refer to “public enterprises”, in the broad meaning of organizations (a) directly producing public services, either through liberalized market arrangements or under franchised monopoly, (b) ultimately owned or de facto controlled by public sector entities, (c) with a public mission, (d) whose ownership in principle can be shifted to the private sector. The theme is intended to be a broad inquiry into the phenomenon.

The project will last three years (2012-2014), and it is open to the participation of scholars interested by the topic who are already or not yet members of CIRIEC. It aims at working towards a renewed interest in public enterprises through promoting and networking high quality independent scientific research. A more developed version of this text presents the context, rationales, concepts, scope of the analysis, methodology, policy implications, organizational arrangements, and milestones of the project (+ first bibliography). It can be downloaded on http://www.ciriec.ulg.ac.be/fr/pages/3_2recherches.htm#ep

IPSA Leads the Way for the next World Social Science Forum of the ISSC

mathieu.stlaurent — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:07:35 +0000

The IPSA is very pleased to announce that the next World Social Science Forum (WSSF) of the International Social Science Council (ISSC) will take place in Montreal, Canada on 13-15 October 2013 and focus on the topic of “Social transformation and the digital age”.

Organised in partnership with a Canadian consortium led by the Montreal secretariat of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), the Forum has received the formal support of the Canadian Prime Minister, the Quebec Prime Minister and two Québécois Ministries, the Mayor of Montréal Tourism, IPSA, major Montréal-based universities, and others.

In line with ISSC’s strategic objectives to ensure synergies and continuity across its activities, the Forum will draw on the theme of WSSF 2009 – ‘One planet, worlds apart’ – and the ‘Knowledge divides’ highlighted in the 2010 World Social Science Report, and explore the evolving digital world, its opportunities, challenges and impacts on society, industry, individuals and the environment. It is planned that its format will illustrate and complement these themes, offering innovative and inclusive-beyond-the-venue linkages.

The continuity principle will also link the 2013 WSSF forward to the 2015 WSSF which will take place in South Africa and focus on themes of global justice.

Next steps will include the setting up of the 2013 Forum organising committee and programme committee.

http://www.worldsocialscience.org/

1st IPSA-NUS Summer School for Research Methods in Social and Political Science (Singapore)

mathieu.stlaurent — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:57:10 +0000

The International Political Science Association and the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore are proud to announce the first IPSA-NUS Summer School for Research Methods in Social and Political Science.

The first event of its kind in Asia, the Summer School will take place from June 25 to July 6, 2012, at the National University of Singapore. It offers intensive training in advanced social science research methods. All courses are directed by outstanding international faculty from the U.S. and Europe with experience of teaching at similar events.

The Summer School is intended primarily for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty working in the social sciences, but is suitable for anyone who wishes to improve their qualitative or quantitative research skills.

For more information on Summer School courses, registration, scholarships, and more, please visit http://sg-summerschool.ipsa.org/. If you have any questions, please contact Eugene Tan anytime at ipsa@nus.edu.sg.

http://www.ipsa.org/summer-school/singapore-2012

IPSR special issue on Quality of Democracy: FREE Online Access

mathieu.stlaurent — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:41:42 +0000

We are pleased to announce that the recent special issue of International Political Science Review on The Quality of Democracy in Asia Pacific (Volume 35, Issue 5), edited by Leonardo Morlino, Björn Dressel and Riccardo Pelizzo, is completely free to access online until the end of March 2012.

Contributors to this issue assess the quality of democracy in Asia-Pacific on the basis of both quantitative and qualitative data from an eight-country study. In doing so, they seek to make a contribution to the debate both empirically and conceptually. Empirically the project is the first effort, to the best of our knowledge, to apply an analytical framework developed by Morlino and his colleagues elsewhere in assessing the democratic qualities of Asian-Pacific countries. Conceptually the study advances the debate in two important respects. First, by combining qualitative and qualitative analysis and specifically drawing attention to how various democratic qualities are related, the projects brings new rigor to assessing the quality of democracy. Moreover, in applying the assessment model to a fairly diversified sample of Asian countries, this issue ventures beyond earlier applications of the model and offers directions for conceptual advancement. This study thus in effect sets out two agendas: one for political actors, both collective and individual, and the other for scholars of democracy. Members of the former group need to understand how to promote the necessary aspects of the rule of law within their own countries, securing growth and promoting democratic values among their citizens. Members of the later group need a more refined understanding of the rule of law in all its aspects and what the possibilities are for its effective implementation. This special issue provides a starting point for further research on this question, and hopefully real progress.

Please let your colleagues know about this opportunity to read this ground-breaking research.

http://ips.sagepub.com/content/32/5.toc

The International Encyclopedia of Political Science Was Presented the Dartmouth Medal Honorable Mention Certificate

mathieu.stlaurent — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:43:34 +0000

IPSA is very proud to announce that its very own International Encyclopedia of Political Science, published in association with Sage Reference, won the 2012 Dartmouth Medal Honorable Mention Certificate from the Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association.

2012 Recipients

Green's Dictionary of Slang (Chambers)
Honorable Mention: International Encyclopedia of Political Science (Sage Reference in association with the International Political Science Association)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Statistical Abstract of the United States (United States Department of Commerce)

Established in 1974, Dartmouth Medal honors the creation of a reference work of outstanding quality and significance, including, but not limited to: writing, compiling, editing, or publishing books or electronic information. The award is given to works that have been published or made available for the first time during the calendar year preceding the presentation of the award. Dartmouth Medal Honorable Mention certificates may also be presented.

Dartmouth College established sponsorship of the award in 1974 upon the suggestion of Dean Lathem, Dartmouth College librarian. Dartmouth College commissioned the internationally celebrated graphic artist Rudolph Ruzicka to design the bronze medal. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, who presided not only over the arts and sciences, but over all intellectual aspects of human life, is featured against a filigree of olive branches.

With entries from leading scholars from around the world, the International Encyclopedia of Political Science presents a definitive, comprehensive picture of all aspects of political life, including theoretical foundations, and it features empirical findings from across the globe. The eight volumes cover all the main subdisciplines of political science in detail, including comparative politics, epistemology, political economy, political sociology, and international relations.

Entries are arranged in alphabetical order, and a list of entries by subject area appears in the front of each volume for ease of use.

The Encyclopedia contains a detailed index as well as extensive bibliographical references. Approximately 80 entries on the use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods in political science are provided.

The process of democratization will remain a vital topic during the 21st century, and the encyclopedia contains extensive coverage of the evolution of democracy as well as other political systems. Readers will find theoretical and empirical background on other important issues such as global security, the relationship between religion and the state, and political issues related to gender and race/ethnicity.

The International Encyclopedia of Political Science provides an essential, authoritative guide to the state of political science at the start of the 21st century and for decades to come, making it an invaluable resource for a global readership, including researchers, students, citizens, and policy makers.

"[...] the Dartmouth Medal is by far the most prestigious award in reference publishing. [...] Considering the hundreds of reference works they look at and to emerge at the highest honor truly speaks volumes of the effort and passion you put into the encyclopedia. - Rolf Janke, Sage Publications

"[...] a true recognition of the work everybody involved in the Encyclopedia" - Max Kaase, IPSA Past-President (2003-2006)

http://www.ala.org/rusa/awards/dartmouth

What’s new on the IPSAPortal?

mathieu.stlaurent — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:24:52 +0000

1) A one-hour webinar (February 8) will present datasets and supporting materials freely available through the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS). This is an opportunity to learn how to use ESDS datasets to develop high-impact research and how to find, download and analyze datasets (catalogue records, data documentation, guides, and online data visualization tools such as Nesstar). (Data Banks on the IPSAPortal)

2) In his new research paper, Gone Rogue: Time to Reform Presidential Primary Debates, Mark McKinnon, political consultant and Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, seeks to answer the question, “Does the current primary debate process best serve voters, the candidates, the parties, the nation – or is there a better way?” (Thematic Sites on the IPSAPortal)

3) FlackCheck.org, a counterpart to FactCheck.org (the award-winning program of the Annemberg Public Policy Center), held its official launchdebut on January 5. The website “produces original video parodies that debunk false political advertising and hold the media accountable for their reporting on political campaigns.” Among the newest additions: The worst political ads of 2012. (Thematic Sites on the IPSAPortal)

4) The Brookings Institution has been named "top think tank in the world" by an academic program that evaluated over 5,000 think tanks worldwide. Promoted by the Think Tank and Civil Societies program at the University of Pennsylvania, the project involved 793 experts, 150 journalists and scholars, 55 current and former think tank directors, 40 public and private donors, hundreds of think tanks, 25 to 30 intergovernmental organizations, and 120 academic institutions. (Thematic Sites on the IPSAPortal)

5) The EPractice.eu portal created by the European Commission presents the Portuguese open data portal, launched in beta version on November 24, 2011. The open government platform Dados.gov was created to promote free access to public information, transparency in public administration, and participation on the part of civil society. (eGovernment on the IPSAPortal)

European Administrative Governance: Publishing Opportunities

mathieu.stlaurent — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:03:12 +0000

Palgrave Macmillan and the Maastricht Centre for European Governance (www.mceg-maastricht.eu) are launching a new book series and are inviting proposals for authored or edited books in the area of “European administrative governance.” Edited by Thomas Christiansen and Sophie Vanhoonacker of Maastricht University, the new series will be open to both theoretical perspectives and empirically driven studies.

Proposals from a broad spectrum of disciplines are welcome, providing that they concern the study of European public administration. In particular, contributions are sought on the role and nature of evolving bureaucratic processes inside the European Union, including the study of the EU civil service and institutions such as the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the External Action Service, the European Parliament, the European Court and the European Central Bank. Also of interest is scholarly work on inter-institutional relations between these institutions and other actors. Other areas of interest include the growing role of EU agencies, networks of technical experts and national officials, and the administrative dimension of multilevel governance, including governance within international organizations. Of special interest in this regard is the emergence of a European diplomatic service and the management of the expanding EU commercial, foreign, development, security and defence policies.

Beyond this strong focus on EU administrative governance, the series will include texts on the development and practice of administrative governance within European states. Areas of inquiry may include the administrative history of Europe, with a focus not only on rules and regulations governing bureaucracies or formal criteria for measuring their growth, but also on the concrete workings of public administration in both its executive and policy-making functions. Furthermore, the series will include studies on the interaction between the national and Europe-wide levels of administration, with particular attention on the EU’s impact on domestic administrative systems.

Using the standard form available from Palgrave Macmillan at http://www.palgrave.com/authors/publishing.asp, please forward your proposals by email to the series editors (t.christiansen@maastrichtuniversity.nl and s.vanhoonacker@maastrichtuniversity.nl) and to Amber Stone-Galilee, Senior Commissioning Editor at Palgrave Macmillan, at A.StoneGalilee@palgrave.com

The editors will be glad to answer any questions from authors interested in submitting a proposal.

Podcast of Seminar on the Euro Crisis, 9 November 2011

mathieu.stlaurent — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:38:21 +0000

The podcast below from a recent seminar on the Euro zone crisis is now available here. It boasts an impressive lineup of experts and experienced guest speakers:

John Purvis CBE, Conservative MEP 1979-84 and 1999-2009, former Vice Chairman of the European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (2001- 9)
Dr Jacques Cailloux, Chief European Economist, Royal Bank of Scotland
Professor Jacques Mélitz, Professor of Economics, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, formerly Professor at Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Paris.
Dr David Howarth, Jean Monnet Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Edinburgh University’s School of Social and Political Science.

The event was sponsored by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence at the University of Edinburgh’s Europa Institute, in association with the European Parliament Office and the European Movement.

The seminar was aimed at looking at how and why the Euro zone has plunged into crisis, assessing what at stake and, looking ahead, considering the likely economic and political consequences based on the courses of action taken by Euro zone leaders.

There were some minor recording problems at the start, but most of the proceedings are very clear.

http://www.pol.ed.ac.uk/research_themes/index/jean_monnet_centre_of_excellence/e...

Jean Monnet Conference, “Global Dissatisfaction: Criticism of Democracy, Longing for Democracy”

mathieu.stlaurent — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:22:47 +0000

IPSA lent its support to the Jean Monnet Conference, titled “Global Dissatisfaction: Criticism of Democracy, Longing for Democracy”; this event was held at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome, Italy, on December 15 and 16, 2011.

The two-day conference was attended by many leaders in the field, including:

Sergio Fabbrini, Director of the LUISS School of Government
Giovanni Sartori, Columbia University
Jim Caporaso, University of Washington, Seattle
Jack Citrin, University of California, Berkeley
Stephen Holmes, New York University
Jean Michel De Waele, Universitè Libre de Brussels
Sergio Fabbrini, LUISS School of Government
Marc Lazar, Science Po, Paris and LUISS Guido Carli
Leonardo Morlino, LUISS Guido Carli & IPSA President
Giovanni Orsina, Deputy Director, LUISS School of Government
Massimo Campanini, Oriental University Institute, Naples
Scott Thomas, University of Bath
Abdallah Saaf , University of Rabat-Agdal
Hatem M'rad, Président de l'Association Tunisienne d'Etudes Politiques
Francesca Corrao, LUISS Guido Carli
Melina Decaro, LUISS Guido Carli
Giuliano Amato, Past Prime Minister of Italy and LUISS School of Government

Participants debated and discussed two main topics:

Dissatisfaction with Democracy: A Global Perspective
Longing for Democracy: The North African Experience