Political Science Bulletin (Spring 2003)
Recent Department Accomplishments

GRANTS/AWARDS

Miguel Centellas and Yazmine Watts have both been awarded Fulbright Scholarships to study abroad next year.  These scholarships will fund Miguel's research in Bolivia and Yazmine's research in Senegal.

Kevin Corder.  April 2003.  "Women's Suffrage and New Deal Realignment."  Western Michigan University Faculty Research and Creative Activities Support Fund Grant.

Katia Levintova.  WMU Dissertation Completion Fellowship for 2003-2004.

Four graduate students were recognized by the Department and the Graduate College for outstanding research and teaching.  Research award winners include Moataz Abdel-Fattah (PhD) and Kevin Dockerty (MA).  Kiragu Wambuii (PhD) and Martin Kleiber (MA) were honored as Teaching Effectiveness winners.

PLACEMENT

PLACED: Moataz Abdel-Fattah, Assistant Professor, Department of
Political Science, Central Michigan University.  Tenure Track.

PUBLICATIONS

Kuersten, Ashlyn and Donald R. Songer.  2003.  "Presidential Success of Judicial Nominees," American Politics Quarterly.

Rhodes, Sybil.  2003.  "Progressive Pragmatism as a Governance Model: An In-Depth Look at Porto Alegre, Brazil," in Social Justice in Latin America: Past Experiences and Future Prospects. Edited by Susan Eckstein and Timothy Wickham-Crowley.  Berkeley: University of California Press.

Schaffner, Brian F. and Patrick J. Sellers.  2003.  "The Structural Determinants of Local Congressional News Coverage," Political Communication Vol. 20, No. 1.

Schaffner, Brian F., Wendy J. Schiller and Patrick J. Sellers.  2003.  "Tactical and Contextual Determinants of U.S. Senators' Approval Ratings."  Legislative Studies Quarterly Vol. 28, No. 2.

LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS

Baxter, Lavinia.  "The Contribution of Education and the Role of the Media in Creating Justice."  Presented at the 2003 Michigan Academy of Science, Arts & Letters Conference at Hope College, Holland, MI.

Butterfield, Jim.  "Civil Society and the State: Setting the Public Agenda in South Africa," Centre for African Studies, University of Cape Town, May 7, 2003.

Butterfield, Jim.  "Civil society and democratic deepening," Invited presentation at University of Stellenbosch, March 27, 2003.

Corder, Kevin.  "Monetary Politics: A Taylor Rules Approach."  Presented at the 2003 Midwest Political Science Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

Corder, Kevin and Christina Wolbrecht.  January 2003.  "Women's Turnout After Suffrage: New Answers to Old Questions."  Invited talk at the University of Notre Dame.

Hauptmann, Emily.  "Why History Matters: New Research on History of the Discipline."  Roundtable at the 2003 Midwest Political Science Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

Hoffmann, Susan.  "The Role of Federal Home Loan Banks in Preserving Local Capital."  Presented at the 2003 Midwest Political Science Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

Kwon, Uisoon.  "Lower Class Participation in Presidential Elections from 1984-2000: Michigan and Minnesota." Presented at the 2003. Midwest Political Science Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

Rhodes, Sybil.  December 2002.  "Privatización y movimentos de consumidores."   To the Faculty of Social Science and Law of the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste in Corrientes, Argentina.

Tanner, Scot.  "Instability in China: Rethinking the Sources of Unrest."  Invited talk at Columbia University, March 2003.

Thomas, Aparna.  "Women's Participation in the Panchayati Raj: A Case Study of Maharashtra."  Presented at the 2003 Midwest Political Science Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Moataz Abdel-Fattah.  Presentation on Democratization in Middle East at Friendship Village.

Ashlyn Kuersten.  February 2003.  "Are the Fireman at Our Door?  Civil Liberties Post 9-11."  Kalamazoo Public Library.

Ashlyn Kuersten.  April 2003.  "Civil Liberties and the Patriot Act."  People's Church Forum.

NOTE:  The next version of the Department Bulletin will be distributed at the end of the summer.  Please send information to be
included in the end of summer bulletin to Brian Schaffner (brian.Schaffner@wmich.edu).