blog posts Courting Extremism: How State Supreme Court Selection Methods Fuel Ideological Divides Jul 18, 2023 9:00 am81 views Every summer when the US Supreme Court releases their most high-profile decisions the public is reminded of the influence judges have on everyday life. How do we decide who gets to make these tough decisions? An Existential Threat to the Indian Child Welfare Act May 31, 2023 9:15 am423 views Passed by Congress in 1978, The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) faces an existential threat from the current Supreme Court case Haaland v. Brackeen. Elevated Gun Violence in U.S. Cities of All Sizes May 1, 2023 10:00 am191 views Observes political science professor, Magic M. Wade, “Gun violence is not merely a red state or blue city problem, it is a worsening, widespread phenomenon affecting American communities everywhere.” Illinois Could Adopt Ranked-Choice Voting. What Do Illinois Voters Think of It and Other Alternative Electoral Systems? Apr 18, 2023 10:00 am92 views Illinois was once known for its innovative electoral system, where it was the only state in America to utilize cumulative voting to elect some members of the Illinois General Assembly. We asked voters what they think about more recent electoral innovations proposals. The Law of Motherhood in the Gender-Dependent Application of Criminal Responsibility for Failing to Protect Children Apr 17, 2023 10:00 am119 views When a child is injured or killed by an adult in the home, a marked gender division appears in the application of criminal responsibility against the non-abusing parent. When children are harmed by a man in the home, mothers are regularly prosecuted under statutes criminalizing the failure to protect one’s children, yet men virtually never face charges when the roles are reversed and the mother has harmed the children while the father has failed to protect them. Everything you wanted to know about Ranked-Choice Voting (and maybe somethings you didn’t) Apr 12, 2023 10:00 am1768 views In recent months, there has been increased news coverage of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in Illinois. At this point, you may be asking “what in the world is ranked-choice voting?” Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson defies respectability politics: Is a paradigm shift underway? Apr 11, 2023 11:30 am194 views The recent election of Brandon Johnson as Chicago’s new mayor has been the center of attention in the US this week. This outcome raises questions about the existence of a paradigm shift in urban politics. Last Chance to Register for the Railsplitter’s Banquet Mar 21, 2023 12:00 pm55 views You are invited to attend this in-person event located at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum at 212 N 6th St, Springfield, IL 62701, with Federal District Court Judge Brian Stacy Miller as the keynote speaker. Help celebrate the public service award recipient. Registration ends March 24th. The Workers’ Rights Amendment Passed in Illinois. How?! Mar 6, 2023 9:00 am552 views On November 9, 2022, the Illinois Constitutional Amendment 1, also known as the “Workers’ Rights Amendment,” was approved by the majority of the 4.1 million voters who cast a ballot in the election, however, the passage of the amendment was not a foregone conclusion. You Are Invited to the Railsplitter’s Banquet on March 31st Mar 1, 2023 3:30 pm122 views You are invited to attend this in-person event located at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum at 212 N 6th St, Springfield, IL 62701, with Federal District Court Judge Brian Stacy Miller as the keynote speaker. Help celebrate the public service award recipient. Announcing the 2023 Railsplitter's Banquet on March 31st Feb 9, 2023 3:30 pm139 views You are invited to the 2023 Railsplitter's Banquet on March 31st, 2023 at 6:30pm featuring guest speaker Federal District Court Judge, The Honorable Brian S. Miller. Sponsored by the UIS School of Public Management and Policy. Making My Case Jan 23, 2023 9:00 am225 views Scott Pyles, a political science graduate student in the UIS School of Politics & International Affairs, discusses his experience arguing a case before the Illinois Supreme Court last week. Call for a National Conference on Restoring Civility in American Politics Dec 20, 2022 9:30 am72 views Dean Smith explains his call for a national conference focusing on solutions for the seeming rise in political violence and discontent across the nation over the past several years. Forecasting as (Fallible) Science and Art Dec 15, 2022 9:45 am39 views Given the high level of uncertainty in the world now, forecasters should definitely admit that they have less of an idea about the potential outcomes in the economy than they usually would. CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Meghan Kessler, School of Education Dec 8, 2022 9:00 am160 views CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Meghan Kessler, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education in the UIS School of Education, whose recent research focuses on the implementation of new state standards for educator preparation. CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Brooke Depenbusch, Legal Studies Dec 1, 2022 9:00 am166 views CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Brooke Depenbusch, Assistant Professor in the Department of Legal Studies, whose teaching and research center on the intersection between economic inequality, state structure & social policy, and social movements in the modern United States. Want to know who is going to win an election? Ask the voters! Nov 21, 2022 9:00 am264 views Out of growing concern about the ability of polling to accurately capture voter intention and “predict” the results of an upcoming election, some researchers have begun to explore a switch from asking voters who they intend to vote for to so-called “citizen forecasts.” “The Election is Over. Now What?” - Nov. 11th Event Nov 9, 2022 12:00 pm65 views The UIS School of Politics & International Affairs will host a post-election panel discussion on “The Election is Over. Now What?” on Friday, November 11th at 6pm. 2022 U.S. Senate Elections Nov 4, 2022 9:00 am200 views This semester in PSC 407: Campaigns and Elections, political science students at UIS have been researching some of the most competitive and high-profile congressional elections taking place in 2022. Here is some of their analysis. CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Beth Ribarsky, School of Communication & Media Oct 27, 2022 9:00 am231 views CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Beth Ribarsky, Professor in the UIS School of Communication & Media, who's areas of teaching, scholarship, and service include interpersonal communication, especially within romantic relationships, as well as public speaking, assessment and pedagogy. Become an Election Judge This Election Day Oct 20, 2022 9:15 am83 views With less than three weeks until Election Day, our TVs, mobile screens and U.S. mailboxes have been bombarded with advertising messages from political candidates and the organizations who support them. Let me provide you with one more election-related message – if not for this election, then the next one: Sign up to be an election judge. The 2022 Midterm Elections and Illinois 13 Sep 29, 2022 9:00 am272 views Election Day is fast approach. This year, many members of the UIS community, those who are registered to vote in Illinois’s 13th congressional district, will have the relatively unique opportunity of electing a new representative to the U.S. House of Representatives. Time for a social media break? Sep 27, 2022 9:00 am92 views Many of today’s college juniors and seniors report opening their first social media account (usually on Facebook, with a parent’s help) when they were around 10 years old. That means they’ve spent half of their lifetimes on the app! CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Jennifer Martin, School of Education Sep 22, 2022 9:00 am95 views CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Jennifer Martin, Associate Professor in the UIS School of Education, who's teaching, scholarship, and service intersect with her educational advocacy for historically marginalized and underserved populations. Dean Smith's September Public Affairs Minute Sep 15, 2022 9:00 am75 views Welcome back as we start our new 2022-23 academic year! I’m going to jump right in and address a topic that represents the ”Elephant in the Room” in any discussions about public affairs, public policy and politics today! It involves the political volatility or outright violence being displayed between our two main political parties and zealous followers at both ends of the political spectrum. table. CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Daniel Platt, Legal Studies Aug 25, 2022 9:00 am288 views CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Daniel Platt, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies, whose research focuses on the intersection of legal history, legal culture, and the history of capitalism. Institutional Fixes for Growing Political Polarization Aug 18, 2022 9:00 am57 views Previously I wrote a detailed blog about the rise of affective partisan polarization in America. A question I’ve gotten since that post is “well what do we do about it?!” CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Jae Sik Ha, School of Communication & Media Aug 4, 2022 9:30 am81 views CPAE Faculty Spotlight of Dr. Jae Sik Ha, Associate Professor in the UIS School of Communication & Media, whose background is in journalism and whose teaching and research focuses on the relationships bewtween media and society. Conservative Judges and Transgender Rights After Bostock v. Clayton County Jul 27, 2022 9:30 am216 views In a book recently published by the University Press of Kansas, Before Bostock: The Accidental Precedent of Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, I explore the background of the recent landmark LGBTQ rights case of Bostock v. Clayton County (2020). One Last Thought Jul 21, 2022 9:00 am356 views In August of 2017, I was fortunate to be offered my dream job as Director of the Office of Graduate Intern Programs in the Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS. July Represents a Month of Renewal for our College and University Jul 14, 2022 8:45 am49 views As of July we are now officially the College of Public Affairs and Education. American Attitudes towards Potential Firearm Policies: Surprising Areas of Agreement, Unsurprising Partisan Influence Largely Remains Jul 11, 2022 9:00 am55 views This blog post is meant to address what Americans think about such firearm safety proposals using public opinion data. To be clear, this blog post is not advocating for or against such proposals. There are plenty of passionate write ups advocating for certain positions and you can find those elsewhere. Ariel Van Cleave named PAR broadcast instructor Jun 28, 2022 9:00 am48 views Ariel Van Cleave, senior editor for audio and interim managing editor for Chicago public radio station WBEZ, will serve as the Public Affairs Reporting program's adjunct broadcast writing instructor beginning this fall. GPSI: Onward and Upward! Jun 23, 2022 9:00 am193 views We’re thrilled to announce a record-breaking interview round for GPSI this May, not only did we place the highest number of interns, but we also had the most intern positions and intern applicants. Investing in Youth – Youth Evolvement Summit & Job Fair on July 1 Jun 22, 2022 9:00 am100 views UIS students and alumni are playing important roles in a collaborative community effort to host a Youth Evolvement Summit to be held at Springfield HS on July 1. (Affective) Partisanship is a Heck of a Drug: What is it and Why We Might Want to Be Concerned About it. Jun 8, 2022 9:30 am451 views The growing animosity between Democrats and Republicans in America is a well-discussed problem. A term academic research uses to describe the problem is “affective polarization.” What’s fascinating (or perhaps a bit alarming) is that the rise in affective partisanship is less about supporting or disagreeing on matters of legislative policy and instead is about our partisanship becoming key component of our identity. UIS to host Midwest Public Affairs Conference Jun 1, 2022 9:00 am138 views On June 23-24, the UIS College of Public Affairs and Administration is hosting the 2022 Midwest Public Affairs Conference (MPAC) and this year the theme is “Designing and Running the Innovative Public Service Agency.” Dr. Junfeng Wang appointed Lead for MPA Program May 26, 2022 11:30 am68 views The School of Public Policy and Management at the University of Illinois Springfield congratulates Dr. Junfeng Wang on her appointment as Academic Program Lead for the Masters of Public Administration Program. Continuing America’s Laboratory of Democracy Through State and Local Electoral Innovations May 24, 2022 9:00 am112 views A recurring finding among researchers is that American voters have grown dissatisfied with the electoral system in America. This post discusses alternative voting systems and related research conducted by the staff and faculty of the Center for State Policy and Leadership which was recently published in American Politics Research, a peer-reviewed academic journal. Dr. Betsy Goulet Appointed APL for the Human Services Program May 23, 2022 2:30 pm43 views The School of Public Policy and Management at the University of Illinois Springfield congratulates Dr. Betsy Goulet on her appointment as Academic Program Lead for the Human Services Program. ILSIP Interviews - Round #2 May 19, 2022 9:00 am313 views The Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program (ILSIP) has announced a second round of interviews, focused on filling ten remaining positions. Commencement and Graduation and Pomp and Circumstance: What does it Really Mean? May 18, 2022 9:00 am179 views Just what is graduation, what is commencement, why are they important life milestones? Let’s take a brief look. Some Career Reflections as Graduation and Next Steps Lie Ahead for Our Students May 12, 2022 9:00 am105 views Send us your advice to new graduates on how to start their career. The $195 Billion Challenge: Facing State Fiscal Cliffs After COVID-19 Aid Expires May 9, 2022 9:00 am27 views Join an exclusive webinar to discuss the forthcoming issue paper: The $195 Billion Challenge: Facing State Fiscal Cliffs After COVID-19 Aid Expires, part of the State and Local Budgeting in the COVID Era Issue Paper Series, on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at 11 a.m. EDT. CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Yu-Sheng Lee, MPH May 5, 2022 9:00 am267 views CPAA Faculty Spotlight of Dr. Yu-Sheng Lee, Assistant Professor of Public Health, whose research has focused on various chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, lung cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Join PAR May 4 for ‘The State of Statehouse Reporting’ Apr 25, 2022 9:00 am55 views Jason Piscia, PAR Director, invites you to a Zoom event the Public Affairs Reporting program is hosting at noon on May 4 on a report released earlier this month by the Pew Research Center which details the number of journalists who cover America's statehouses, including our own here in Springfield. Waiting on the world to change? Happy Earth Day everybody – now let’s talk about the climate crisis! Apr 22, 2022 9:15 am67 views In February of this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began to roll out its Sixth Assessment Report (or AR6). As Dr. Brandon read the report, a familiar pattern caught his eye - “things are getting worse, but there’s a bright side….” MPA- A Master of Plentiful Activities Apr 21, 2022 9:00 am113 views Research shows undergraduate students benefit immensely from active participation in on-campus activities, so why shouldn’t the same be true from graduate students? Journalism: Where we’ve been, where we’re going Apr 20, 2022 9:00 am42 views My talk focused on the critical role of local journalism and how cutbacks in local newsrooms over the years have affected media outlets' abilities to adequately cover their communities, providing residents with the information they need to make informed decisions. My report wasn't all gloom, however. CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Youngjin Kang, SPMP Apr 14, 2022 9:00 am320 views CPAA Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Youngjin Kang, Assistant Professor of Human Services in the UIS School of Public Policy and Management, whose research focuses on how family members develop and maintain their relationships after transitions in family structure (e.g., divorce, remarriage).
