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Great Plains Political Science Associati

2026 Conference Program

28th Annual Meeting

March 20th-21st, 2026
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Education Building, 2nd Floor
Friday, March 20th

9:00am - 9:30am: Registration
 
9:30am - 10:30am
Local Politics

Chair/Discussant: Brian Amos, Wichita State University

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  • Mark Joslyn and Grant Hansen, University of Kansas. "The Transformation of Johnson County Electoral Politics."​

  • Jessica Velasco, Sul Ross State University. "Understanding the High Failure Rate of County Appraisal Districts in Texas."

9:30am - 10:30am
Authoritarianism

Chair/Discussant: Rachel Finnell, Bethany College

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  • Lina Garcia Arrieta, University of Arkansas. "Authoritarianism, Clientelism, and Water Scarcity."​

  • Ismayil Akhundov. "Determinants of Authoritarian Stability in Azerbaijan: The Interplay of Economic Shocks and Elite Dynamics."

10:45am - 11:45am
Minority Politics

Chair/Discussant: Alexandra Middlewood, Wichita State University

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  • Mario Love, Harris Stowe University. "Inner Colonialism reconsidered in the Democratic Ethos."​​

  • Stephanie Wise and Steel Anderson, Central College. "Thaw and Refreeze: The Tone of Religious and Sexual Rhetoric at National Party Conventions, 1984-2024."

10:45am - 11:45am
American Institutions

Chair/Discussant: Michael Smith, Emporia State University

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  • Chapman Rackaway, Radford University. "Bob Dole and the Art of Legislative Negotiation: Bipartisanship, Institutional Leadership, and the Transformation of the Modern Senate."​​​

  • Christopher Olds, Fort Hays State University. "Presidential Leverage: What About the Economy?"

12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch
During lunch, starting at 12:30pm: GPPSA Business Meeting
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1:00pm - 2:00pm: Undergraduate Poster Session

  • Carrie Brosman, Hastings College. "Disposition and Disinterest: An Analysis of Ineffectual Intelligence Oversight"

  • Juliana Fanning, John Brown University. "Childhood Social Media Use and Adult Opinions: Assessing Predictors of Support for Government Regulation of Minors Online."

  • Ella Ferguson, University of Nebraska at Kearney. "Politics and the Freedom of Educators: A View From Nebraska Public Schools."

  • Ainsley Foster, Northwest Missouri State University. "How Costs of Voting Disproportionately Affect Certain Demographic Groups Across America: A Paradox in the Democratic Process."

  • Dean Gorby, Northwest Missouri State University. "Why Geographical Location Matters and How Living In Two Opposite Geographical Locations Can Change Gun Control Views."

  • Gregory Lee, Northwest Missouri State University. "Unequal Processes, Unequal Places: Procedural Fairness Across Rural and Suburban Courts."

  • Kentaro Onishi, Northwest Missouri State University. "Comparing Russia and China: Nature of Bureaucracy and Leadership in Authoritarian States."

  • Bethany Parks, Northwest Missouri State University. "Informing Policy, Practice, and Programs on Mental Health."

  • Olivia Riggs, University of Central Missouri. "Speech and Tolerance: An Analysis of Hate Speech in Germany versus the United States."

  • Kayley Schurman, Missouri Southern State University. "Voter ID Laws and Native American Political Participation: Evidence from North Dakota, Arizona, and Montana."

  • Andrew Strunc and Kimberly Casey, Northwest Missouri State University. "Are Missourians Voting for Conservative Candidates and Liberal Policies? A Case for Ballot Measure Ticket Splitting."

  • Amelia Torres, University of Central Missouri. "Measuring the Third Branch: An Index of State Judicial Professionalism."

  • Dante Trinidad-Gomez, Isaac Stensland, Lincoln Stensland, and Stephanie Wise, Central College. "Shadows of Justice: The Influence of Off-Bench Emergency Docket Rhetoric on Supreme Court Legitimacy."​

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2:15pm - 3:30pm
Political Behavior

Chair/Discussant: Christopher Olds, Fort Hays State University

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  • Bronson Herrera and Jacob Tengelsen, Northwest Missouri State University. "Fear, Parties, and the 2024 General Election."​

  • Brian Amos, Alexandra Middlewood, and David Hernandez, Wichita State University. "Gendered Races, Gendered Voting."​​

  • Robert Amyot and Cody Wilson, Hastings College. "The Impact of Personality on Political Polarization: A Pilot Study."

2:15pm - 3:30pm
Political Power

Chair/Discussant: Ismayil Akhundov

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  • Peter Longo, University of Nebraska. "Considering Executive Power: Constitutionalism and Religious Rules."

  • Satoshi Machida, University of Nebraska at Kearney. "Article 9 of the Japanese Constitutions and Japanese Citizens’ Views Toward Power."

  • Brandy Jolliff Scott, Illinois State University. "Constitutional Design and the Tempering of Executive Overreach: Constitutional Monarchies as Case Studies."

3:45pm - 4:45pm
Kansas Politics Roundtable

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  • Michael Smith, Emporia State University

  • Alexandra Middlewood, Wichita State University

  • Russell Fox, Friends University

  • Bob Beatty, Washburn University

  • Brett Zollinger, Fort Hays State University

  • Jian Sun, Fort Hays State University

3:45pm - 4:45pm
Federal Politics Roundtable

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  • TBA

Saturday, March 21st

9:00am - 9:30am: Registration
 
9:30am - 10:30am
Roundtable: Rigor in the Classroom

Anchor Paper: Sondra Petty, Southeastern Oklahoma State University. "Academic Rigor in Online Accelerated Terms:  Are Students Prepared for the Faster Pace?"

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10:45am - 11:45am
Roundtable: Dealing with Difficult Situations

Anchor Paper: Rebecca Barrett-Fox, Kansas State University. "When Your Students Don’t Think You Should Have Rights: Maintaining Your Dignity and Job Satisfaction in the Face of Sincerely-Held Student Beliefs"

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12:00pm - 1pm: Lunch
 
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Roundtable: Service and Experiential Learning

Anchor Paper: Scott Dittloff, University of the Incarnate Word. "Developing an Understanding of WASH Principles through Service Learning."

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2:15pm - 3:15pm
Roundtable: The Politics of Teaching

Discussion Leader: Michael Smith, Emporia State Universty.

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