On April 24, 2025, the Department of Politics & Government hosted its 32nd Annual Conference for Students of Political Science. Over 100 participants presented papers and attended panels, including the conference’s keynote speech. Presenters were undergraduate and graduate students from 23 universities across nine different time zones, making this a truly global student conference.

Panel topics included Comparative Public Policy, Voting & Elections, International Diplomacy & Bargaining, & Applications of Political Theory, to name a few. Dr. Edward Goldring (University of Melbourne) gave the keynote talk entitled “Purges: How Dictators Fight to Survive.” In the address, Dr. Goldring discussed the reality of purges within authoritarian regimes as a way to consolidate initial power, punish disloyalty, and to set up a future regime transition. He also offered some predictions as to what we will see in the coming years from the most well-known authoritarian states including China and Russia. Student attendees were able to field questions to Dr. Goldring, noting how important the issue of political power is to authoritarian regimes and democracies alike.

Panel discussants included faculty from ISU as well as ISU alumni and colleagues at other universities, including the University of Illinois. Student attendees reported how encouraged they felt after presenting to continue moving their research forward. They also enjoyed discussing their work with fellow students as well as with faculty from other institutions.