The Center for the Study of Democracy presents

"Ninth Annual California Graduate Student Conference"

May 18, 2013
9:00 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Rooms 1517

Click here for a detailed agenda and links to the papers.

Democracies are becoming more diverse. The past decade has witnessed the birth of the world’s first Islamic democracies, the proliferation of illiberal democracies, and the continued renaissance of populism in Latin America and Europe. New mass movements decrying income inequality contend with elite-driven austerity packages, while growing ideological polarization redefines political communities across the West. Global trends are having a momentous effect: the rise of transnational advocacy, international election monitoring, increased migration, and social media are creating new constituencies both within and beyond national borders. And new ideas are flourishing in expanding public spheres, polities are experimenting with a greater variety of institutional assemblages, and leaders are struggling to respond to increasingly heterogeneous populations. How does increasing diversity within and across democracies influence how democracy functions and shape the prospects for democratic governance around the globe?

The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) at the University of California, Irvine is pleased to announce a conference to address these questions. Doctoral students from California universities are invited to submit paper proposals for research related to the conference theme including (but not limited to) papers addressing the democratic process, democratic institutions, the consolidation of democracy, sociological and economic conditions related to democratic development, the role of citizens and their access and influence, the role democracy within institutions and social/political groups, and international aspects of democracy promotion. The conference provides an excellent venue for doctoral students to present work-in-progress and receive expert guidance on, and support for, projects on democracy-related topics. Faculty from UC Irvine and possibly other California universities will serve as discussants. In addition, we anticipate publication of the best conference papers by the University of California's eRepository.
Limited financial assistance is available for students traveling to the conference by airplane.

How to submit a proposal for potential inclusion in the conference:
Please e-mail the following to CSD administrative specialist Shani Brasier (csd@uci.edu) by no later than March 1: (1) abstract (300 words); (2) a one-paragraph biography including the name of a faculty member familiar with the proposed research; and (3) a brief summary of progress on the research (e.g., completed data collection, finished with analysis, completed first full draft).

Applicants will be notified of the status of their proposal by March 8. Completed papers should be submitted by no later than April 26 for distribution to discussants and other conference participants.

For further information, please contact Diana Kapiszewski, UC Irvine assistant professor of political science, dianakap@uci.edu.