We are pleased to announce the details of our panels at the PSA Conference, which will take place in Glasgow on 10-12 April 2017. Details about the conference can be found on the PSA website (click here).
MONDAY 10th April 2017
9:30-11:00: Understanding the Legislative Process: Formal and Informal Mechanisms (Room: McCance 3.03)
Chair: John Moorcraft (Queen Mary University)
Thomas Caygill (Newcastle University) Into the Unknown: Accounting for the Recommendations and Government Acceptance of Post-Legislative Scrutiny in the UK Parliament
Tony McNulty (Queen Mary University of London) The Ghosts in the Machine: Anatomy of a Bill and the Hidden Dimensions of Parliamentary Scrutiny
Nick Or (University of Southampton) Effect of Democratization and Party Fragmentation on Legislative Speed: Evidence from Hong Kong Legislative Bills
Dr Paul Thomas (Carleton University) Cooperation without consequence? A review of participation in All-Party Parliamentary Groups by members of the House of Lords versus members of the House of Commons
14:15 – 15:45: Connecting Parliaments with the Public: Approval, Participation and Engagement (Room: McCance 3.03)
Chair: Marc Geddes (Edinburgh)
Dr Carlos Shenga (Centre for Research on Governance and Development) Public Approval of Legislator’s Job Performance in Africa
Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira (University of Leeds), Dr Viktoria Spaiser (University of Leeds), Molly Asher (Leeds Institute for Data Analytics) What does the digital footprint of the House of Commons’ e-Petitions tell us about public engagement?
Alex Prior (The University of Leeds) “This infinite variety of forms”: how Parliament, and political science, can better understand and encourage political engagement through the use of narratives
Isabele Mitozo (Federal University of Parana) How can political systems influence post-electoral participation encouraged by parliaments? A case study of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies’ and the British House of Commons’ projects
16:15 – 17:45: Perspectives on Legislators and Legislation (Room: McCance 3.03)
Chair: Dr Louise Thompson (University of Surrey)
Dr David Parker (Montana State University), Ms Courtney Kellogg (Montana State University) Crafting a Reputation for Constituent Service: The Utilization of MP Expenses and Allowances to Create Citizen Impressions
David Alexander (University of Glasgow) How do Parliamentary Committees Establish Legislative Influence? ‘Expertise’, ‘Turnover’ and ‘New Blood’ in the European Parliament
Rebecca McKee (University of Manchester) Who else speaks for ethnic minorities in Parliament? Critical Actors and the representation of ethnic minorities in the UK Parliament
Ruth Dixon (University of Oxford) Mapping Mutations in Legislation: a Bioinformatics Approach
18:00 onwards: Specialist Group Drinks (Beer Café, Merchant Square)
Join the SG team for informal drinks at the Beer Café. Just a short walk from the conference venue, it’s the perfect spot to unwind after the first day of panels. We look forward to seeing you there!
TUESDAY 11th APRIL 2017
09:30-11:00: Parliaments and Political Behaviour (Room: McCance 3.03)
Chair: Dr Paul Thomas (Carleton University)
Jan Nemec and Martin Kuta Let’s talk about the European Union: Content analysis of MPs oral questions on the EU-related issues in the Czech Parliament
Alistair Clark (Newcastle University) The Parliamentary Regulation of Political Behaviour
Louise Thompson (University of Surrey) Can third parties make an impact? The SNP in the House of Commons
Alan Convery (University of Edinburgh) First Ministerial Accountability to the Scottish Parliament: The Impact of the Conveners’ Group
12:30-13:30 Parliaments and Legislatures AGM (Graham Hills 510)
Join us for a reflection on our events from 2016 and a look ahead to 2017 and 2018. We would love to hear your suggestions for the group and to get some feedback on our plans for this year’s specialist group conference.
13:30-15:00 Round Table – ‘Designing for Democracy’ – the role of architecture and design in parliamentary buildings (Level 1 Auditorium)
Chair: Professor Matthew Flinders (University of Sheffield)
Dr Paul Seaward (History of Parliament Trust) The Politics of Seating Layout
Henrik Schoenefedt (University of Kent) Participatory Design and Parliamentary Reform
Stephen Thornton (Cardiff University) The Pop Up Parliament in the 1960s
Sarah Childs (Bristol University) The Good Parliament
Malcolm Fraser The Beauty of Utility in Remade Parliament
Prof. Lord. David Blunkett (University of Sheffield) Casting Spells and Seeing Differently
Prof. Lord. Philip Norton (University of Hull) The impact of vacating the Palace of Westminster
Susanna Lumsden, (R&R Team Architect) The answer may not be a building
13:30 – 15:00: Exploring New Methods and interdisciplinary work in legislative studies (McCance 3.03)
Chair: Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira (University of Leeds)
Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey (London School of Economics), Giulio Lisi (London School of Economics ), James Sanders (London School of Economics) Words and Arguments in Parliamentary Select Committee Hearings: How do We Establish Robustness in Textual Data Analysis?
Wang Leung Ting (London School of Economics and Political Science) Does Experience matter? The effect of pre-parliamentary careers on MPs’ participation in parliamentary debates
Dr Paul Thomas (Carleton University) Citizens’ Attitudes Toward Legislator Independence: Experimental evidence from Canada
Dr Peter Bull (Department of Psychology, University of York) “I quote and I am not making this up”: The role of quotations in the adversarial discourse of Prime Minister’s Questions
15:30-17:00 Committees in Parliament (McCance 3.03)
Chair: Tony McNulty (Queen Mary University of London)
Dr Marc Geddes (University of Edinburgh) From Select Committee Outputs to Select Committee Inputs: How do select committee members, chairs and staff undertake inquiries in the UK House of Commons?
Dr Andrew Neal (University of Edinburgh) Security as Normal Politics: The Rise Of Security In Parliamentary Committees
Professor Sarah Childs (University of Bristol) Gendered Institutional Change: the Case of the Women and Equalities Committee in the UK Parliament
Professor Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey (London School of Economics) Do Actions Speak Louder than Words? Nonverbal Communication in Parliamentary Oversight Committee Hearings
- Other panels of interest to SG members
The following panels may also be of interest to SG members, both taking place on Wednesday 12th April:
11:00 – 12:30 Parliamentary Reform (McCance 3.03):
With contributions from Fiona McLeod, Member, Commission on Parliamentary Reform, Scotland; Very Rev Dr Lorna Hood, Member, Commission on Parliamentary Reform, Scotland and Professor the Lord Norton of Louth (University of Hull)
13:30 – 15:00 Academic Engagement with Parliaments and Practitioners (Room: McCance 3.03)
With contributions from Stephen Imrie, Clerk Team Leader, The Scottish Parliament; Francesa McGrath, Senior Research, Scottish Parliamentary Research and Information Centre; Professor Nicola McEwen (University of Edinburgh); Professor Meg Russell (UCL); Professor the Lord Norton of Louth (University of Hull)