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Marie Hojnacki, Penn State University, marieh@psu.edu
Christina Wolbrecht, University of Notre Dame, wolbrecht.1@nd.edu  

Inspired by a U.S. presidential election which is groundbreaking in multiple dimensions, we invite proposals that take up the conference theme of "Politics in Motion: Change and Complexity in the Contemporary Era" with regard to the activities and impact of political parties, social movements, and organized interests. Change and complexity characterize the economic and social systems in which political organizations function, the policy problems they seek to address, and the political processes they attempt to influence. Proposals might address questions such as the following: How do party and non-party groups navigate complex political systems and influence how policy makers attend to evolving social problems? Does the relative influence of these organizations, the strategies they employ, and the goals they pursue persist or shift over time? How, and with what success, do groups and parties pursue their goals in an increasingly fast-paced and interconnected global political arena? Does the current American presidential election signal fundamental change-with regards to tactics, candidates, or issues-in the party system and its place in American politics? In addition, we are interested in receiving proposals that seek to investigate how forces of stability and persistence in social and political environments constrain how parties, movements, and interests interact with one another, with their constituencies, and with government. Papers that address how organizations and parties both respond to and reflect enduring as well as temporary change are also welcome.

Most generally, we seek proposals that address engaging questions or puzzles for group and party researchers with innovative and creative research designs, as well as work that highlights various theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of groups, movements, and parties. We strongly encourage proposals that examine political organizations comparatively, theoretically, and within the international system. Although we will accept both panel and individual paper proposals, proposals for individual papers are easier to accommodate within the POP section.