Innovative Session Formats

In addition to traditional panels, APSA offers innovative session formats that allow attendees to take a deeper dive into various topics of interest.

  • Mini Conferences
  • Teaching Café
  • Research Café
  • 30-Minute Featured Paper Panels

Mini-conferences are full days of content devoted to a theme. Each mini-conference can be in pursuit of a larger cohesive goal than traditional panels provide, such as an edited volume or an omnibus dataset. Sessions within the mini-conference might be comprised of other formats in this list.

Saturday, August 31

Chinese Politics Mini-Conference
Marriott Wardman Park, Washington 3

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.                     Historical Institutions and Persistence in China

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.                 Public Officials and Corruption in China

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.                   Policy and Governance in China

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.                     Cyber/Media/Ideology in China

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.                     Public Opinion/Trust/Legitimacy in China

Exploring Democratic Mobilizations Against Right-Wing Populism: Tapping, Historical, Contemporary and Global Reservoirs of Opposition
Marriott Wardman Park, Salon 1

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.                Co-Opting Right-Wing Populism as a Tactic for the Left?

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.                   Racializing Populist Subjectivity

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.                     Populism and Affect

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.                     Grassroots Reformulations of “the People”

Justice and Injustice: Political Science Perspectives on Crime and Punishment
Omni Shoreham, Diplomat Ballroom

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.                     The Electoral Connection: Democratic Control of Criminal Justice Elites

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.                 Surviving and Contesting State Violence

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.                   Lunchtime Poster Session: New Questions in the Politics of Punishment

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.                     The Political Origins of State Violence

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.                     What We Know and What We Don’t: Methodological Approaches to
                                                           Crime and Punishment

This session format incorporates a handful of topic clusters, each staffed with a scholar (or scholars) in the field that has successfully used particular methodologies or epistemological frameworks. Attendees would group together to discuss research processes, methodologies, ask questions, and brainstorm together around issues in the field.

Friday, August 30

Methods Café
APSA Panel
Marriot Wardman Park, Washington 4
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.    

This session format provides a discussion forum for scholars to participate in the scholarship of teaching and learning, share pedagogical techniques, and discuss trends in political science education. Each topic cluster will be staffed with a scholar (or scholars) in the field that has demonstrated success in the use of practical instructional methods to share with attendees to take with them to their home institutions. Attendees would group together to ask questions and brainstorm together around core opportunities and issues in the field.

Saturday, August 31

Teaching Experimental Methods to Undergraduates
TLC at APSA  
Marriott Wardman Park, Madison A
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.         

This format allows a scholar to present his or her work for a longer period of time and to have a dedicated discussant who isn’t overburdened by having to read multiple papers. One session chair would guide the time, but each paper would have its own discussant. The sessions might follow the “Brookings format,” in which the discussant presents and then comments on the paper; the author would then have a chance to respond.

Thursday, August 29

Co-Opting Right-Wing Populism as a Tactic for the Left?
Theme Panel
Marriott Wardman Park, Salon 1
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Race and American Democracy: Problems and Solutions
Division 36: Elections and Voting Behavior
Location: Washington Hilton, Holmead
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Racializing Populist Subjectivity
Theme Panel
Marriott Wardman Park, Salon 1
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Populism and Affect
Theme Panel
Marriott Wardman Park, Salon 1
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Grassroots Reformulations of “the People”
Theme Panel
Marriott Wardman Park, Salon 1
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday, August 30

Institutions of Democratic Representation through Historical Lens
Division 7: Politics and History
Omni Shoreham, Congressional B
 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

From Past to Present: Women’s Political Mobilization and its Policy Impact
Division 31: Women and Politics Research
Marriott Wardman Park, Thurgood Marshall South
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.   

Saturday, August 31

Ethics in International Practice: The Politics of Responsibility and Obligation
Division 45: Human Rights
Washington Hilton, Columbia 10
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 1

Justice in the World Economy
Division 2: Foundations of Political Theory
Marriott Wardman Park, Harding
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.