Jan Leighley, University of Arizona, leighley@email.arizona.edu

The study of elections and voting behavior is rooted in categories, with classic and contemporary studies alike often emphasizing individual demographic characteristics to the exclusion of context, political, social or otherwise. Importantly, such characteristics are central to elites’ efforts to mobilize, persuade and respond to the mass public. In an increasingly diverse and inter-dependent society, it is imperative to consider whether such categories are indeed meaningful as behavioral models, how elites use such categorization and how their meanings have changed over time.

As always, I encourage innovative and sophisticated papers with strong theoretical motivations.  In the spirit of the general theme of the 2008 program, I will also highlight papers that challenge our conventional views of class, race and opinion—key concepts of categorization in our subfield—as they relate to elections and voting behavior. Comparative papers are also encouraged as they necessarily invite understandings of how individual characteristics and categorizations are indeed structured and given meaning by the political and social context.  They also provide an opportunity to consider important issues of inequality. And, of course, this year’s meeting theme provides a perfect opportunity to consider inequality and its implications for political behavior and policy consequences in the U.S. as well. Thus, conceptual, measurement and empirical treatments of inequality are especially welcome.

Paper proposals should provide some detail as to the theoretical framework, analytical approach and status of the paper (previously presented, currently in draft, on-going project, proposal only).  Proposals for roundtables should include individuals who have already agreed to participate. I would also welcome suggestions for “meet the author” sessions of interest.