IRCPPS in the Links: Do We Need Smart Presidents? Revisited

Andrew Gelmman responds to the earlier John Sides piece in the Monkey Cage:

...I was bothered by some of the discussion of John’s recent post, “Do We Need Smart Presidents?” John and the discussants use the terms “smart,” “intellectual brilliance,” “IQ,” “intelligence,” and “candlepower.” Commenter Jordan Phillips mentions “emotional intelligence,” which seems more on the right track. Not that emotional intelligence is the only thing that matters, but politics in general (not just for presidents) involves a lot of negotiation. IQ-test skills presumably help with negotiation, coalition-formation, etc., but there are a lot of other important skills here...

Research Notes: How to Pick a Research Project

Chris Blattman passes on some advice on picking topics from Don Davis, a Columbia Economic Professor.

Research Notes: Don't Forget the General Social Survey

Andrew Gelman writes in the Monkey Cage to remind us of its usefulness.

IRCPPs in the Links: Partisan Shifts After Financial Crises

Erik Voeten considers a paper by Lawrence Broz in the Monkey Cage:

...The general claim that we should expect people to shift leftwards during crises is well-supported by logic and evidence; and not just in this paper. In this sense, Occupy Wall Street is not unexpected but the Tea Party is. Now, there is an obvious way the current US case is different: the shift to the left occurred as the crisis was unfolding. Indeed, in Germany, France, and the UK right-wing coalitions are all facing plummeting approval ratings and difficult reelection prospects (although not immediate in all countries). Perhaps the US is different in other ways too. Scholars have been debating for years why working-class radicalism is so weak in the US?. Nonetheless, the comparative perspective provides some useful context to a movement whose salience appears to surprise a lot of people...

Call for Papers: 3rd Global Conference on Revenge

via inter-disciplinary.net:

Revenge, so we are told, is a dish best served cold: a ‘sweet’ wreaking of vengeance on those who have – either in reality or in our minds – slighted, wronged or in some way ‘injured’ us and who are now ‘enjoying’ their just deserts by an avenging angel (or angels) on the great day of reckoning.

This inter- and multi-disciplinary research and publications project seeks to explore the multi-layered ideas, actions, and cultural traditions of vengeance or revenge. The project aims to explore the nature of revenge, its relationship with issues of justice, and its manifestation in the actions of individuals, cultures, communities and nations. The project will also consider the history of revenge, its ‘legitimacy’, the ‘scale’ of vengeful actions and whether revenge has (or should have) ‘limits’. Representations of revenge in film, literature, television, theatre and radio will be analysed; cultural ‘traditions’ of retaliation and revenge will be considered. And the role of mercy, forgiveness and pardon will be assessed.

Call for Applicants: Grant for Study of Transnational Crime and Corruption in Eastern Europe and Eurasia

via PSRT-L:

*Grant Opportunity for Graduate/PhD Students Pre-Tenure Faculty,
Scholars, and Professionals*

2012 IREX/WWC Regional Policy Symposium:
TRANSNATIONAL CRIME AND CORRUPTION IN EASTERN EUROPE AND EURASIA

Application Deadline: *December 9, 2011*

IRCPPS in the Links: Are Smarter Presidents Better Presidents?

Johns Sides considers this question in the Monkey Cage:

...Simonton measured various qualities of presidents by noting about 300 adjectives used to describe them in their biographies.  He then used a method of data reduction (factor-analysis) to reduce this long list of adjectives to 14 personality traits.  He demonstrates correlations between various of these traits and previous efforts at rating presidents on similar dimensions. Of course, no such effort is beyond reproach.  But Simonton’s is, on its face, a credible effort.  One of the dimensions he identifies is “intellectual brilliance”—precisely what we are discussing regarding Rick Perry.  He finds that a president’s intellectual brilliance is associated with a higher ranking by historians and others, controlling for other factors (years in office, the number of years the president presided over a war, whether the president was assassinated, beset by a scandal, or a war hero)...

IRCPPs in the Links: Did the European conquest of the Americas contribute to the "Little Ice Age"?

Abandoned Footnotes looks at the possibility of unintended environmental consequences following mass social change (in 1492!):

...Most native peoples in the Americas, lacking iron tools, practised forms of agriculture that made much use of fire. These were not "primitive" forms of agriculture, but complex land-management practices that made possible great population densities, even in places that are today only lightly inhabited (like the Amazon). Low-level burning kept grasslands from turning into forests, helped create forests that looked to Europeans like great parks, and produced charcoal that was used to make thin soils fertile through terra preta. And these practices effectively kept enormous amounts of carbon dioxide constantly in the atmosphere rather than locked into trees and other vegetation. When  native populations collapsed, however, the burning stopped or was greatly reduced, and the carbon dioxide was quickly locked up into forests again. Now, what follows is quite controversial. Mann cites some recent research that argues that this must have made a big contribution to the so-called Little Ice Age: the sudden drop in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, perhaps in combination with natural variations in solar radiation, generated global cooling from around 1550 to around 1660. And this global cooling in turn appears to have produced a great "general crisis" in Europe: famine, war, and pestilence....

Around Academia: The de-globalization of American higher education?

Dan Drezner responds to a Boston Globe article on the retrenchment many US universities are going through after greatly expanding their international presences over the last few decades:

...The logic of expanding overseas because of "prestige, planting the flag overseas, a presidential feeling that they needed to be doing adventurous things" is a depressing data point about the ways in the academy can be slaves to intellectual and business trends...

IRCPPS in the Links: Analyzing the Tymoshenko Verdict in Ukraine

the Monkey Cage provides analysis from a variety of experts:

Yesterday in Ukraine, the country’s most prominent opposition leader – and one of the heroes of the Orange Revolution – Yulia Tymoshenko – was sentenced to seven years in jail for harming Ukraine’s interest in gas negotiations with Russia during her time as Prime Minister of Ukraine. However, as the NY Times notes:

European leaders have condemned the case as politically motivated, and hinted that they are unlikely to ratify a free trade and association agreement with Ukraine, a project four years in the making.

Once again we are pleased to welcome a series of brief expert analyses from some of my colleagues at PONARS Eurasia

Summary: International Security Volume 36 - Issue 2 - 2011

In this issue of International Security:

• Brooks finds that Muslim "home grown" terrorism is not a serious threat in the United States.
• Lopez, McDermott, and Petersen offer a model for applying evolutionary psychology to international relations.
• Bennett and Lind examine what military missions to successfully stabilize North Korea would require if it suffered state collapse.
• Kennedy attempts to understand India's long path towards fielding nuclear weapons.
• Hymans discusses the domestic institutional barriers to Japan fielding nuclear weapons.

IRCPPS in the Links: The Unintended Consequences of Campaign Promises

Chris Blattman's blog offers an analysis of the Liberian elections, and an interesting vignette from Rob Blair about the unintended consequences of unfulfilled campaign promises:

In one community I visited, I asked the town chief how he adjudicated among the dozens of candidates on the ballot. He pointed to the village’s dilapidated school. During the previous congressional campaign, the district’s current representative had promised that he would repair the building, but never did. Now an opposition candidate has promised that he’ll do the job instead. That was enough to convince the town chief, who rallied the village in the opposition’s favor.

TeachIRCPPS: Doom and Gloom 101: Making Weak and Failed States Teachable

Duck of Minerva features a post tackling how to teach about weak and failed states with nuance and finesse:

Nothing risks inviting cynicism and despair like teaching and learning about failed states. For the second year I'm teaching an upper level International Relations course titled "Weak and Failed States" in the Poli Sci Department at UMass Amherst. Much to the confusion of my students, I introduce the course by explaining that "weak and failed states" is a highly contested concept, driven more by policy agendas than empirical consistencies, and analytical re-conceptualized so many times over that it's almost entirely useless. In other words, welcome to Political Science! But, as a catch-all concept it does manage to frame different types of governance challenges and threats and introduces students to case studies, like Haiti and DRC, that tend to fall off the radar for issues that matter in traditional IR. And surprisingly, the course went very well last year and so far, so good, this semester.

Conference Announcement: NYU Conference on Labor Studies and Academic Freedom

via PSRT-L:

NYU’s Frederic Ewen Academic Freedom Center Presents:

Labor Education and Academic Freedom

Recent attacks on labor studies programs violate some of the core
principles of academic freedom including the respect for the privacy
of students and faculty members to engage in free and open discussion
of ideas.

This conference will explore the current crisis in labor education and
the ways in which outside pressure groups are attacking labor studies
programs as part of a larger agenda to erode public support for the
labor movement.

IRCPPS in the Links: On Coding Corpse Counts

Michael Spagat writes to Duck of Minerva to clarify how his civilian targeting index was coded:

... UCDP coding of ‘deliberate’ or ‘intentional’ civilian targeting is not a judicial assessment (e.g. of manslaughter or murder), nor is it an attempt to ‘know’ a perpetrator’s motivations. Instead, UCDP coding methodology assesses whether particular conflict-related deaths were likely to be one-sided or battle-related based on a combined review of: the plausible target, the method by which a killing was carried out, presented evidence, and credible statements or attributions of guilt. In each situation of violence the human coders, using what evidence is at hand, first attempt to identify a likely target. Coders also consider what method of attack was used (bombing, shooting, IED, etc.)....

IRCPPS in the Links: Why did Slovakia vote "No" on the European Bailout Fund?

The Monkey Cage considers the question:

In a sentence.

Two key parties in Slovakia failed to support the EFSF expansion in the hope of domestic political gain, but now that the government has fallen it is highly likely one of those parties will shift its position and help pass the ESFS on the next round, though when this will happen depends on its intransigence in demanding concessions.

IRCPPS in the Links: Are Military Coups Making a Comeback?

Dart-Throwing Chimp runs the numbers:

The answer is a flat “no.” The chart below plots annual counts of successful coups from 1946 through the first half of 2011, using data compiled by the Center for Systemic Peace. As the chart clearly shows, the incidence of coups has fallen substantially in the post-Cold War period and remains historically low. (NB: Those figures don’t adjust for the large increase in the number of countries worldwide in the past 20 years. Against that growing baseline, the rate of successful coups has fallen even further.)

Around Academia: Should you blog about your academic work?

University Affairs looks at the pros and cons:

... for a growing number of academics the benefits of blogging outweigh the drawbacks. Those who blog – including me – agree there are positive outcomes, such as networking and collaborating, finding new audiences and opportunities, disseminating research more widely, and building one's reputation. Bloggers argue that far from diluting scholarly success, online writing can be a serious tool for academic practice.

Call for Applicants: Funded Pre-Doc Fellowship at George Washington University

received via e-mail:

*Predoctoral Fellowships*>>>      *at the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies*>>>      *Elliott School of International Affairs*>      *George Washington University*>      *Washington, DC*>> *Click here for the application form*> <http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eiscs/about/fellowapp.cfm>

IRCPPS in the Links: 2011 Polish Parliamentary Elections: Post Election Report

the Monkey Cage offers a rundown of the action:

The Polish parliamentary elections of Sunday 9 October resulted in an impressive victory for the governing liberal-conservative Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska, PO) over its main rival, the conservative-nationalist Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, PiS). PO becomes the first Polish governing party since the fall of communism to return to power. Although the race between the two main parties was – at least according to some polling agencies – substantially closer than expected given PO’s advantage over PiS for much of the parliamentary term, the two-month campaign was relatively uneventful, and the margin of victory was a surprise to most observers. The election also saw the further decline of the social-democratic post-communist successor party Democratic Left Alliance (Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej,SLD) and the spectacular arrival of a new party, the pro-market and libertarian Palikot Movement (Ruch Palikota, RP)...

Around Academia: California Lecturers Union Attempts to Block Online Class Offerings

Insider Higher Ed takes a look at the controversy:

The specter and promise of online education is perhaps nowhere more deeply felt than in California, where campus administrators and instructors are faced with a bloodletting. University of California officials have suggested that the system will have to innovate out of the current financial crisis by expanding online programs. (State house analysts agree.) Instructors, meanwhile, are terrified that this is code for cutting their pay, or increasing their workloads, or outsourcing their jobs to interlopers, or replacing them with online teaching software...

Summary: Comparative Political Studies Volume 44 - Issue 11 - 2011

In this issue of Comparative Political Studies:

• Doyle examines why populism has had such an enduring impact on Latin American politics, arguing that it comes down to distrust in institutions.
• Williams explains why opposition parties frequently force confidence votes in parliamentary systems, even when they are unlikely to succeed in bringing down the government.
• Carlin and Singer measure, "support for the basic rights, liberties, and practices associated with polyarchy in 12 Latin American democracies."
• Kelley disputes the common wisdom that international election monitors make election boycotts more likely.
• Herron presents a new method for garnering information about dissent in authoritarian regimes by analyzing vote returns in non-free elections.

Call for Papers: 5th Global Conference: Forgiveness, Probing the Boundaries

via inter-disciplinary.net:

This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference project seeks to investigate and explore the nature, significance, and practices of forgiveness. Asking for or granting forgiveness can be a routine part of everyday life, but the nature of forgiveness as a personal, cultural, and even international practice can be complex. The acts of stating an apology and asking for forgiveness have also become part of a spectacle: witness moments of national significance to break with past wrongs. Forgiveness raises a variety of questions that touch on a vast array of academic disciplines – anthropology, literature, history, philosophy, psychology, political science, etc. In cases of significant transgressions, social tensions, and even international conflicts there are questions of what counts as forgiveness and how it moves from the level of individual to community, national and international relationships. This conference will look at the full range of this complexity. To encourage innovative trans-disciplinary dialogues, we welcome papers from all disciplines, professions and vocations.

Call for Applicants: PhD Fellowships in Political Theory at Central European University

via Public Reason:

Call for Applications:

Political Theory Track of CEU Doctoral Program in Political Science,CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY

DOCTORAL SCHOOL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, PUBLIC POLICY, AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

We invite applications for the Political Theory Track of CEU Doctoral Program in Political Science for the Academic Year 2012-2013. The Political Theory track is designed to prepare students for a career in academia and institutions of applied research. It is highly competitive and welcomes applications from graduates of Political Science, Philosophy, Law, Sociology, Economics, and related disciplines.

Call for Applications: Stanford Center for Ethics in Society Postdocs 2012-13

via Public Reason:

Stanford 2012-13 | Application deadline 11 January 2012

A message from the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society at Stanford regarding their postdoctoral fellowship opportunities for 2012-2013:

Call for Papers: USIP Case Study Competition

via the ISA blog:

In association with the Academy for International Conflict Management and Peace building of the United States Institute of Peace, the Korbel School at the University of Denver and the Kroc Center at Notre Dame, Georgia State University announces a competition to develop case studies to support teaching, training and research in conflict prevention and management, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation. This competition aims to build a series of cases that illuminates current problems and challenges for practitioners engaged in conflict prevention and management, conflict resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation as well as for scholars studying peace and conflict. Each applicant must submit a one-page proposal that outlines (a) the proposed case study and the critical questions to be addressed, and (b) the qualifications of the applicant(s)  to  usipcompetition@gsu.edu by October 15, 2011. Please see the full announcement (PDF) for more information.

IRCPPS in the Links: Income and Voting, US 2010 Midterm Elections

voteview blog has two pieces analyzing some of the determinants of voting in the 2010 US mid-term elections:

Below we show the relationship between income and voting in the 2010 Midterm Elections using the Current Population Survey (CPS, November 2010: Voting and Registration Supplement). In the graph below we plot participation by family income level (1 to 16, beginning at $5000 with the top 5 categories being $60,000, $75,000, $100,000, $150,000, and $250,000 or more). The relationship between voting and income is quite clear. Around $30,000 family income about 50% in the category vote with the participation rising to 70% at higher income levels.

IRCPPS in the Links: The Drone Arms Race

Erik Voeten writes in the Monkey Cage about the incipient drone arms race between the US, China, and other players:

...The problem with current U.S. policy is that it is implausible to believe that you can set a meaningful precedent through secretive and unilateral legal memos, like the much discussed Barron-Lederman memo. Taking the lead certainly involves setting examples in practice but it would also help to bring these legal issues to multilateral fora. This is a case where the U.S. could increase the credibility of its promise not to overstep bounds by tying its hands. International treaties negotiated with (a sub-set of) nation states provide an imperfect yet important way to do this....

Call for Papers: 2nd Global Conference Images of Whiteness Exploring Critical Issues

via inter-disciplinary.net:

Saturday 7th July 2012 – Monday 9th July 2012
Mansfield College, Oxford, United Kingdom

---

In recent years academics from a range of positions have increasingly turned their critical attention to the subject of racial whiteness. Publications include historical accounts detailing the emergence of whiteness as a racial category, cultural studies exploring the meaning of whiteness across a variety of locations, film and television scholars examining narratives about white people, reflecting white themes, white obsessions, and white anxieties. Consistent with the shift in critical studies away from minority identity formations to consider ‘normative’ identities, the study of whiteness is increasingly understood as central to understanding the operation of ‘race’ as a form of social categorisation.

Inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary perspectives are sought from those engaged in any field relevant to the study of whiteness including media and film studies, performance and creative writing, cultural theory, sociology, psychology and medical.

Abstracting: The Democratic Deficit in US States

In the Monkey Cage, Andrew Gelman passes along an article by Jeff Lax and Justin Phillips:

We study how well states translate public opinion into policy. Using national surveys and advances in subnational opinion estimation, we estimate state-level support for 39 policies across eight issue areas, including abortion, law enforcement, health care, and education. We show that policy is highly responsive to policy-specific opinion, even controlling for other influences. But we also uncover a striking “democratic deficit”: policy is congruent with majority will only half the time. The analysis considers the influence of institutions, salience, partisan control of government, and interest groups on the magnitude and ideological direction of this democratic deficit. We find the largest influences to be legislative professionalization, term limits, and issue salience. Partisanship and interest groups affect the ideological balance of incongruence more than the aggregate degree thereof. Finally, policy is overresponsive to ideology and party—leading policy to be polarized relative to state electorates.