Summer Research College
The Department of Political Science is pleased to announce summer research positions for undergraduates. Participants will work directly with a faculty mentor for ten weeks and receive a $6,000 stipend. The program, which is part of the Summer Research College, is designed to foster close intellectual exchange by involving students in the ongoing research of Stanford professors.
Eligibility: Participants must be current undergraduates at Stanford. Co-term students and seniors are eligible only if the bachelor’s degree will not be conferred before the end of the research appointment.
Expectations: Students will be expected to work 40 hours per week during the program. The program will run from June 25 through August 31, 2012. Students and faculty will present their collaborative research in a departmental colloquium.
Stipend: Each student will receive a stipend of $6,000 for ten weeks of full-time research work.
Restrictions: VPUE policy prohibits students from receiving both credit and pay for the same research activity. Students receiving full summer stipends may not register for more than 5 credits of coursework.
Housing: (For students who want to apply for on-campus summer housing) Room, board, house dues, and other academic expenses are paid by the student. Students are responsible for paying their university summer bill, which will include any other academic expenses incurred. Students may review the summer room and board rates on the Housing Assignment Services website.
How to Apply: Download the preference form and use it to express your preference regarding faculty mentors and research projects. Please email the preference form, cover letters, resume and transcript to rosellen [at] stanford [dot] edu (Kelly Rosellen). If your application is approved, someone will contact you to set up an interview.
The department is only accepting applications via email.
Click here for cover letter guidelines
Please submit applications via email to rosellen [at] stanford [dot] edu
Deadline: Friday, February 24.
Questions? Contact Kelly Rosellen, Political Science, Encina Hall West Room 100, phone 723-1908, email rosellen [at] stanford [dot] edu
2012 Summer Projects:
Click project title for more information about the project
Project Descriptions:
Understanding Arab Autocracy
Professor Lisa Blaydes
Political scientists specializing in the Arab world have long been puzzled by the failure of countries in the region to make the transition from authoritarian to democratic government. While some have pointed to the democracy-hindering byproducts of oil wealth, others have focused on the effects of Islam and Arab culture generally, and the subordination of women in Islamic society more specifically. This project investigates explanations for the Arab democracy deficit using micro-level data from the Arab world. The project will focus on institutional sources of autocratic stability.
The research assistant will compile databases from historical records and research case studies of Arab autocracies. Arabic language skills and familiarity with ArcGIS are a plus but not required.
The Effect of Corporate Board Member Ideology on CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratios
Professor Adam Bonica
I am looking for a student RA to work with me on a research project on campaign finance, corporate ideology, and executive compensation. The RA will help compile a database of campaign contributions made by corporate board members and executives from Fortune 500 companies, which will be used to construct measures of corporate ideology. The goal of the project is to test whether board member ideology affects executive to employee compensation ratios among Fortune 500 companies. Experience with MySQL or programing in R or Perl is a plus but is not necessary.
The Rise and Fall of Empires: Civil and "Small" Wars from 1816 to 1945
Professors James Fearon and David Laitin
The last 15 years have seen an explosion of cross-national research on civil war. Researchers have focused overwhelmingly on civil war around the world since 1945 -- most data sets and studies begin at that point, or later. A few data sets and studies have tried to take a longer historical perspective, but the quality of the basic civil war lists available for before 1945 is not high, and there are also problems of comparability with civil war lists from for post-1945. This summer we would like to work with an SRC student (or students) to develop a defensible coding of civil wars from 1816 to 1945, and, if possible, to begin to ask questions about whether the broad patterns established for post-World War II civil conflicts also obtain in earlier years. We would start with the Correlates of War civil conflict list, and check, revise and expand on its cases using a variety of historical sources.
Politics in Hard Times: How Does Change in Economic Status Influence Political Attitudes?
Professor Judith Goldstein
This project looks at how and when changes in economic security lead individuals to shift their policy preferences. The project focuses on a new data set of American attitudes since 2007. This is extraordinary data because we have information about the attitudes and status of the same individuals over an extended period of time. We will use this data set to examine whether those who have suffered economic downturn are more likely than others to have become less supportive of open borders, in either trade or immigration. The initial hypothesis that we will explore this summer is that economic pressure increases insecurity more broadly, which then changes preferences on policy areas that are perceived to increase economic risk. Over the summer, students will do background work on earlier studies in this field as well as help code and analyze the data from these surveys.
Cataloging the Congress: 1945-Present
Professor Justin Grimmer
Justin Grimmer, an Assistant Professor of Political Science, seeks a student research collaborator in the summer research college to assist in a project developing a comprehensive data set of US Congressional activities. Specifically, I plan to assemble a first of its kind comprehensive data set that aggregates many individual data sets. If completed before the summer finishes, the student will have the opportunity to begin analyzing the data with Professor Grimmer. The ideal student for this project will have programming experience and extensive experience with either XML or SQL. Quantitative skills at the level of Statistics 60 will be a major plus. Applicants should plan on working closely with Professor Grimmer and expect to invest 40 hours a week during the summer research college.
Geography, Politics, and the Extent of Markets
Professor Stephen Haber
I seek one or two undergraduate students with an interest in the political and economic outcomes of geography to assist me in collecting data on the navigability of the world’s rivers before the introduction of the steamship. The student researchers will use both historical evidence (e.g., reports of the Army Corps of Engineers) as well as Google Maps to help identify the portions of river systems that were not navigable because of falls or rapids. Students should also know how to use Excel. Knowledge of Arc-GIS is desirable, but not required.
Electoral Geography and the Partisan Representation of the Poor
Professor Karen Jusko
What sustains two party competition in the U.S.? Why, when parties that represent the preferences and interests of low-income citizens are viable and competitive in most other contemporary democracies, do populist, workers' and social democratic parties remain absent in the U.S.? Using these fundamental puzzles about American party politics as our motivation, we will examine the implications of early American electoral geography for the strategic incentives of populist, workers' and social democratic parties. As part of a research team, a Summer Research College student will work to develop a series of maps that describe distribution of income in the U.S., and in Europe. The Summer Research College participant will have the opportunity to develop skills in the analysis of spatially structured data, the digitization of historical maps, and data management. Interested applicants should demonstrate good organization and library research skills, and should have successfully completed coursework in the Department of Political Science or in the International Relations program. Although not required, applicants with prior data management and ArcGIS software experience are especially encouraged to apply for this position.
State Building: Outside-In
Professor Stephen Krasner
External efforts to alter domestic authority structures in weaker states have taken place through both coercion (in Afghanistan and Iraq, for instance) and bargaining or voluntary agreements. Recent work has provided a much clearer picture of the benefits and failures of coercion, or foreign-imposed regime changes (FIRCs). They succeed but not very often. There is no systematic study of the efficacy of voluntary agreements. Voluntary agreements can take a wide variety of forms. Examples would include the conditions for membership in the European Union; IMF and World bank programs calling for structural reforms in institutions as well as policies; delegation agreements such as the Regional Assistance Mission for the Solomon Islands, which provides for external control of policing the judiciary and state finances; and the proposal to create a 10 million person city in Honduras that would be governed by a different set of laws and judicial institutions. This research project would primarily be concerned with collecting information about voluntary arrangements that are designed to alter domestic authority structures in failing and badly governed states. For more information about this project, see Krasner, “State Building: Outside In,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) vol 108, Suppl 4 (December 27, 2011).
The Psychology of Americans' Political Decisions
Professor Jon Krosnick
Political psychology is an exciting interdisciplinary enterprise blending psychology with the study of politics. One of the most fruitful research enterprises in political psychology has been the study of voter decision-making. A great deal of research during the last 6 decades has taken scientific approaches to identifying the social and psychological factors that affect which candidate a citizen chooses to vote for and the citizen's decision about whether to vote or not. This research project will gather and review that literature in order to understand what we know and do not yet know about why people vote as they do and therefore to gauge the health of American democracy and its potential to be a workable form of government over the long haul. Your role will be to join a team of graduate students and undergraduates working with Professor Jon Krosnick (Professor of Communication, Political Science, and (by courtesy) Psychology) to gather, read, discuss, and summarize this literature. No special background is necessary, although comfort with mathematical/statistical write-ups would help reading some of the articles. This job is just right for students interested in a fun and challenging summer working in close collaboration with a faculty member and a team of other undergraduates. Students who have statistical skills may be able to conduct original analyses of existing data to write papers for publication.
The Politics of Financial Crises
Professor Phillip Lipscy
The Research Assistant will work with Professor Phillip Lipscy on a project related to the politics of financial crisis. Some of the questions we seek to answer include: What factors explain cross-national variation in the likelihood of financial crises and how do countries respond to crises once they occur? Are democracies more likely to experience financial crises than autocracies and, if so, why? Is there an "autocratic advantage" in financial crisis response, as some commentators have asserted after China's seemingly effective response to the crisis of 2008? The primary tasks for the RA are: 1. Collect data on cross-national measures such as interest rates, bank regulation, financial liberalization, etc.; 2. Conduct case study research on select countries; and 3. Assist in preparation of a manuscript based on analysis of the data. Any of the following would be helpful but are not required: prior experience with data collection and familiarity with spreadsheet or database programs; prior coursework in political science, economics, or statistics; foreign language proficiency for the purpose of case study research.
How Politics Affects People's Social Relationships: Evidence from Online Dating Sites
Professor Neil Malhotra
I am working on several projects related to political behavior, public opinion, and political psychology. This summer, three main projects will be the focus of SRC: (1) exploring how political predispositions affect social networking using data from online dating sites; (2) identifying the factors that lead to the support of violent militant groups in Pakistan; and (3) assessing the representativeness of the Supreme Court. Experience with Microsoft Excel and research using the World Wide Web is required. Having taken at least one statistics class (introductory level is fine) is preferred. Students with strong quantitative skills (as evidenced by high math SAT scores between 750-800 and/or good grades in quantitative classes) are preferred. Basic knowledge of Stata (or a similar statistics package) would be terrific but is optional. I plan on working closely with students over the summer; this project would be especially attractive to those who are seeking to improve their data analysis skills. Finally, given that I am a professor in the business school, students with career interests in business and politics are especially encouraged to apply.
The Power of Public Sector Unions
Professor Terry Moe, with Sarah Anzia
In spite of the fact that public sector unions are some of the most active interest groups in American politics today and are composed of governments’ own employees – the very people who provide government services – political scientists know very little about them. This project investigates their organization, their historical rise to power, their political activities, their positions on political issues, and the effects they have on state and local governments and policies. The research assistant will collect, assemble, and manage data from a variety of sources, ranging from legal documents to news stories to databases of campaign contributions. He or she should feel comfortable calling and communicating with state and local government officials, nonprofit organizations, and representatives of public sector unions themselves. The ideal candidate will have strong computer skills. Familiarity with Stata is a plus but not required.
Drawing the Lines: Analysis of Redistricting Maps 2012
Professors Clayton Nall and Jonathan Rodden
We seek a full-time summer research assistant for a new project to assemble a comprehensive database of maps proposed under the current state legislative redistricting cycle. We aim to explain why most redistricting plans proposed by both parties and independent groups tend to be biased against the Democrats. The student will be responsible for finding and collecting online maps of redistricting proposals from state parties, interest groups, and citizen groups. They will also collect data on the legislators affected by the redistricting plans. The student will learn to work with a variety of map formats and produce a set of standardized geographic shapefiles. The student will also work with us to develop a common set of tools to calculate important statistics associated with each map. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of American electoral politics and experience with geographic information system (GIS) software. Computer programming experience and training in econometrics, statistics, computer science, political science research methodology, or another quantitative field is a plus.
Economic Development and Administrative Redistricting in Rural China
Professor Jean Oi
Scope of Work: Assist in inputting and analyzing data from Chinese sources on economic growth, demographic change, financial expenditures and the provision of public goods over time. Create maps with boundary data and map selected variables onto GIS maps.
Skills needed: High level Chinese, especially reading ability (3rd year Chinese or more); some experience with or classwork on statistical analysis; EXCEL, STATA or R, and GIS.
Nonprofit Politics
Professor Rob Reich
This project aims to provide a public database of the formal ties of various elected federal public officials and their immediate family members to nonprofit organizations. The basic architecture of the database exists. The task of the 2012 Summer RA will be to update the database with new information on current elected officials and to create a separate section of the database for the 2012 election, focusing on the Presidential Election and the US House and Senate races. The student must be interested in nonprofits and politics, and have a demonstrated capacity to work independently. Strong preference for a student who has basic knowledge of Drupal, or is willing to learn Drupal.
The Evolution of Non-Combatant Immunity/Deterrence and New Nuclear States
Professor Scott Sagan
Summer research assistants will work as a team to help Professor Scott Sagan with research on two projects:
1) The Evolution of Non-Combatant Immunity. Research assistants will examine how the U.S. military defined non-combatants in both theory and practice over the past two hundred years. This research aims to determine what rules existed at different times, and how these rules were interpreted by military commander, soldiers, and civilians.
2) Deterrence and New Nuclear States. Research assistants will read and report on historical and current U.S. government and scholarly assessments of the requirements for deterrence of new states seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Special attention will be paid to Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The assistants will conduct literature research using Stanford libraries, web-based resources, e-journals, and U.S. government documents to draft weekly research memos for Professor Sagan. Students will discuss these memos with Professor Sagan at meetings twice a week. These memos will contribute to publications and presentations that Professor Sagan is working on. The assistants should have experience preparing footnotes and bibliographies and will learn how to prepare and present social science research. The assistants will be asked to do original, analytical work. They will learn to conduct research into topics that have not been written about before, requiring them to determine where to find information, what information is reliable, and how to weigh differing and conflicting information. The assistants should be comfortable working with Microsoft Office programs.
Political Campaigns and the 2012 Election
Professor Michael Tomz
Professor Tomz is assembling a team of students to assist with research about political campaigns. The project focuses on how candidates communicate their policy positions to voters and how voters respond to those messages. For instance, do voters tolerate candidates who make vague statements, or do they prefer candidates who take precise stands? Do voters want candidates to sign pledges, and how do voters react when candidates break pledges or flip-flop on policy issues? Students who participate in this project will engage in four research activities: (1) analyzing the policy positions that presidential candidates have advocated in debates and campaign speeches from the 1940s to the present; (2) analyzing press coverage of recent presidential campaigns; (3) using data from existing public opinion polls to study what voters think about the policy positions of candidates; and (4) designing and running new public opinion surveys about political campaigns, including the 2012 campaign for the presidency. This project is just right for students who are interested in American politics, want to learn about research methods, and enjoy working in teams.
Legislative Battles and Pork Barrel Politics
Professor Jonathan Wand
This project connects federal expenditures to legislative votes, identifying the decisions that determine how much money each Member of Congress can bring home to their districts. The main undertaking is the analysis of public laws, bills, amendments, and legislative votes and the construction of a new database connecting money to legislative actions. Student tasks include: building a database connecting public laws cited by federal expenditures to authorizing bills; summarizing intention of votes for each bill (amendments, attempts to kill bill, etc) in terms of increases or decreases to spending, and potentially in terms of changes in spending targeting; and identifying Member of Congress at time of initial authorization of spending when it is targeted at a particular geographic location.