UA Bliss Institute to host “State of the Parties” conference

Despite President Barack Obama’s historic re-election in 2012, American politics remains deeply divided. The Congress, state governments and the public have become increasingly polarized. Many of the special features of the election — from the Tea Party to the Super PACs — may have intensified these differences.

"The frenzied work of politicians and campaign workers ended on Election Day," says John Green, Bliss Institute director, "and now it is time for careful analysis of what happened and what it means."
 
Scholars and journalists from across the nation will address these topics at the seventh "State of the Parties" conference, hosted by The University of Akron Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at UA's Quaker Square Nov. 7-8.
 
Journalist Dan Balz of the Washington Post and author of "Collision 2012" will be the keynote speaker. Conference sessions will cover national polarization, party nominations, Tea Party activism and party resources.
 
Participants include political scientists Alan Abramowitz (Emory University), Jeffrey Stonecash (Syracuse University), Paul Beck (Ohio State University) and David Magleby (Brigham Young University), as well as journalists Joe Hallett (Columbus Dispatch), Linda Feldman (Christian Science Monitor), Tom Beres (WKYC Cleveland) and Mark Niquette (Bloomberg News).
 
The conference is open to the public. For more information and to register for the conference, call 330-972-5182 or visit State of the Parties online.

Learn more about the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

Media contact: Sarah Lane, 330-972-7429 or slane@uakron.edu.