Center for Political Studies
Institute for Social Research
University of Michigan
P.O. Box 1248
Ann Arbor, MI
48106-1248

Voice: (734) 763-1348
Fax: (734) 764-3341

Title
The 25th Annual Summer Meeting of the Political Methodology Society

PI
Rob Franzese

Abstract
The Political Methodology Annual Meeting is the leading conference for quantitative methods in the discipline. The conference has grown from approximately ten participants at the beginning to demand from more than 250 applicants in 2006. The meeting offers scholars a unique opportunity to receive feedback during a lengthy presentation to a large audience that is sure to include most of the leading scholars in the field of political methodology. It also provides for extensive follow-up discussion beyond the presentation.

The interaction provided by these political methodology conferences allows for quick diffusion across subfields within the discipline. For example, scholars working in American Politics learn what is being developed in methods to deal with International Relations questions and data, and vice-versa. The summer meeting is the only setting in the discipline where this activity occurs regularly. Furthermore, it is also the primary setting for cross-discipline diffusion. Each of the past several meetings has featured two or more participants from another discipline—generally either statistics or economics—presenting research on methodology from a discipline outside political science and often serving as discussants as well.

In addition to its direct contributions to the academic advancement of and the dissemination of methodological innovation and sound practices across the discipline, the conference's other main achievements are its tremendous contributions to graduate-student and junior-faculty mentoring. Graduate students witness the state of the art in political methodology, without regard to specific subfield. This occurs not only with the presentation of the research in each session, but in the discussions that might highlight the potential shortcomings of the research, and possible extensions of the method that the presenter had not considered. Graduate students not only receive the intellectual benefits of the material presented at the meeting, but they receive valuable professional socialization and the opportunity to network with each other. The mentoring environment and networks are especially valuable for women and minorities who may not have as many contacts at their own university.