Name: Michael Catalano
Section: State and Local Politics
Professional Email: mcatala4@binghamton.edu
Professional Status: Graduate Student
Institution: SUNY Binghamton
Scheduling Preference: No Preference
Proposal Type: Paper
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Co-author info: Matthew Walz, SUNY Binghamton, mwalz2@binghamton.edu
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Paper Title:  Fusion Voting in New York: Trading Votes for Policy between Political Parties
Abstract:
Fusion voting is a unique electoral institution prohibited by most US states but exercised in a remaining few, most notably in New York. Yet few empirical studies have considered why we see major and minor political parties cooperating through cross-endorsements of candidates. We argue that minor parties offer cross-endorsements (and extra votes) to major party candidates in exchange for policy concessions from major parties and their candidates, particularly where races are competitive. To test this theory, we examine the effects of fusion voting on the roll-call voting records of US House members in the state of New York in relation to House members from non-fusion voting states from 1952-2014. We find that minor party cross-endorsements appear to impact voting records of both Republican and Democratic Congressional delegations from New York, with changing directions of legislative behavior based on the position of the cross-endorsing minor party in relation to the major party whose candidate is being cross-endorsed.

Name: Toby Irving
Section: State and Local Politics
Professional Email: tirving@gc.cuny.edu
Professional Status: Graduate Student
Institution: CUNY Graduate Center
Scheduling Preference: No Preference
Proposal Type: Paper
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Paper Title:  Political Maps and Police Accountability in New York City
Abstract:
In Summer 2020, calls to defund police landed on the front steps of the New York City Council as they approved a budget. While many significant policy areas impacting the City’s most vulnerable, namely housing regulations, are controlled by the State government, the NYPD is a City agency known for the strength of its union and lack of public accountability. Using GIS mapping in conversation with political records, I suggest that the ways in which police precincts overlap with City Council districts contribute to lack of police accountability by elected officials, and thus the public. Some of the most powerful actors in the City Council represent districts covered by six different police precincts, which reinforces the flawed problem-solving processes at the leadership-level and makes impossible precinct-level accountability and change. I suggest that further network analysis should be done regarding the relationships that exist at various geographic and political levels, and potential comparative work to other local models of police accountability.

Name: Jessica Koyner
Section: State and Local Politics
Professional Email: jessicakoyner@students.westonps.org
Professional Status: Undergraduate Student
Institution: Weston High School
Scheduling Preference: Friday Afternoon
Proposal Type: Paper
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Paper Title: Gen-Z and Politics
Abstract:
Gen-Z is growing up in a time of political turmoil. Starting with 9/11, the 2008 recession, COVID, calls for racial justice, and the 2020 presidential election, Gen-Z certainly went through many world events before they turned the legal drinking age. Despite all the political turnoffs, Gen-Z is remarkably civically engaged. Gen-Z is also the most left generatio Social media has certainly played a role, but also education as Gen-Zers are on the track to have the most college grads of any other generation. Gen Z in America is the most racially diverse generation as well. But how does Gen-Z fare in local politics? Many small towns have reported an uptick in civic participation from high schoolers and college students. What has driven Gen-Z to participate especially in local politics?

Name: Uchechukwu Ojukwu
Section: State and Local Politics
Professional Email: ug.ojukwu@coou.edu.ng
Professional Status: Assistant Professor
Institution: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Scheduling Preference: No Preference
Proposal Type: Paper
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Paper Title:  Challenges of Political Leadership in Africa: The Study of Nigeria
Abstract:
The main thrust of this paper is to examines the extent to which poor and inept leadership have over the years, adversely affected the development of Nigeria as a nation. It argues that Nigeria’s failures have come about largely as a result of frequent leadership challenges; lack of ideology, policy reversal and weak institutional patterns. The study adopts descriptive approach and content analysis as its methodological orientation. Africa is a continent of huge contrasts, albeit a paradox that it is the richest in terms of resources yet the poorest in terms of living standards. Several factors have been offered to explain the apparent failure of development in the continent, more than any, the issue of leadership remains central to Africa's development crisis. This paper argues leadership problems as the greatest obstacle to development in the continent, hence, the decline in moral and high level of corruption caused by bad policies, eroded professional standards and ethics and weakened the system of governance. The paper observes that for Nigeria to overcome the crises of leadership in the country, those on whom the burden of leadership will fall in the future must fully comprehend their responsibilities, duties and obligation. The paper opines that in order to solve the nation’s intractable leadership and governance challenges conclusively, the country needs a true and transparent transformational leadership structure which will drive the political and governmental system for effective and efficient political leadership and governance that will ultimately usher in genuine and verifiable development for the overall benefit of the entire citizenry. Keywords: Political Leadership, Development, Good Governance, Africa and Nigeria.

Name: Brian Williams
Section: State and Local Politics
Professional Email: brian.williams04@cortland.edu
Professional Status: Assistant Professor
Institution: SUNY Cortland
Scheduling Preference: Friday Morning
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Paper Title:  Direct Democracy and Voter Turnout at the County Level: The Case of Florida
Abstract:
Paper topic – This study focuses on the relationship between direct democracy (referenda, in particular) and voter turnout, using county-level data from the 2006-2020 general elections in the State of Florida. While previous studies have evaluated the relationship between direct democracy and voter turnout at the state level in the US, this is the first (to my knowledge) to address this question at the county level. Methods – OLS regression models are used to analyze a new county-level panel dataset from the State of Florida. The outcome variable is voter turnout as a percentage of registered voters in each county. The explanatory variables of interest are the total number of referenda on the ballot, as well as more specific variables indicating the total number of referenda addressing fiscal, social, and institutional issues. Preliminary findings - Previous results of the study, using data from the 2006-2016 general elections, showed that county referenda dealing with fiscal issues increase voter turnout during presidential elections. In this update, I add data from the 2018 and 2020 general elections and re-evaluate the results. Thus, the updated dataset will include data four midterm and four presidential elections.