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Andra Gillespie, Emory University, andra.gillespie@emory.edu
Ricardo Ramirez, University of Notre Dame, ramirez.83@nd.edu

With rapidly changing social, political, and economic landscapes across the globe, the Annual Meeting theme of “Representation and Renewal” could not be more timely, and especially fitting for scholars submitting papers to the Race, Ethnicity, and Politics section.  We invite papers that address the goals and limits of representation, as well as papers that address renewal and reform in representation models, approaches, and tools. 

This year’s theme brings to mind questions of what and whose issues, interests, and ideas are being represented, by whom, and how.  What is the nature of the relationship between representatives and those they claim to represent?  Do political realities in the 21st century require updating familiar representation theories and models developed in the last century or earlier, or replacing them entirely with new theories, concepts, or models?  How does representation reflect or resolve debates over belonging, legitimacy and ownership in a polity?  How can political scientists measure, model, and account for intersectionality, complex political contexts, and changing or competing interests over time and space?  Do expectations or experiences of representation differ across groups in the United States in meaningful ways, why, and to what end?  What effects might technological or even environmental changes have on modes and mores of representation in the U.S. or around the world?  As we consider questions of “Renewal,” what are the limits of representation as a means to include previously marginalized groups, address long-standing grievances, solve problems, or make binding policy decisions?  What are the means of accountability, and what is the recourse when existing modes of representation fail?    How do governments encourage the representation of some while discouraging or repressing the representation of others? 

While many of the section’s scholars focus on American politics, we also welcome and invite submissions from comparative perspectives.  How do rules and institutions across countries affect the quality of representation?  Is the concept of what it means to represent or be represented widely shared and similarly understood across national boundaries?  How are domestic issues of representation impacted by changing international forces such as economic collapse, natural disasters, or war?     
 
Our list of suggested topics is far from exhaustive.  In addition to what we have presented, we will happily consider papers and panels that fit the general goals and objectives of the section.  This is your conference, we look forward to your submissions!