By Joy R. Holloway
University of Georgia

The University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs will host the conference “Effects of the 2012 Elections” on Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. It is free and open to the public.

Organized by Keith T. Poole, the Philip H. Alston Jr. Professor of Political Science, and Jamie L. Carson, an associate professor in SPIA’s political science department, the conference will bring together some of the nation’s top political scientists and practitioners to discuss the outcomes of the 2012 elections.

The conference will include two morning panels, the first of which will focus on the effects the financial crisis, deficits and taxes had on the presidential and congressional elections. The second panel, centered on public opinion and its impact on the elections, will include panelists such as U.S. Rep. John Barrow’s Chief of Staff Ashley Jones, Dan Judy of North Star Opinion Research and CNN election night analyst Clyde Tucker.

The afternoon panel will examine presidential campaign politics.

“The department of political science is excited to host such a distinguished group of academics and practitioners to discuss the meaning and impact of this year’s elections,” said John A. Maltese, head of the political science department. “We expect all of the panel discussions to be lively and informative, and we hope that anyone interested in the future of American politics will take advantage of the opportunity to participate in all or part of this important forum.”

Poole is widely known for his research on congressional voting, polarized politics and American political and economic development. He co-developed the statistical software package NOMINATE, which is now the standard for analyzing congressional roll call voting. His research and website Voteview.com is routinely cited by academics and political pundits, including New York Times columnists Paul Krugman and Nate Silver.

Made possible by the Philip H. Alston Jr. Fund, the conference is being jointly organized by John Petrocik, professor and chair of the University of Missouri’s political science department.