State of the Parties: 2024 and Beyond Conference

November 6 - 7, 2025

The 2024 presidential campaign had unusual features, such as the latest ever withdrawal of a sitting president from a re-election race, and for only the second time ever, a former president was elected to a second non-consecutive term. But beneath these unusual features typical patterns were evident: it was in large part a referendum on the incumbent administration, where national conditions, issue positions, and candidate qualities contributed to the success of the challengers.

What role did political parties play in these events? How did the party organizations fare? What are the implications for the future? Scholars and practitioners from throughout the United States will explore the state of American party organizations, constituencies, and resources at the national, state and local level.

Schedule

Conference papers will be linked to the schedule as they are received.

7:30 a.m. - Conference Registration

Hilton Garden Inn, 1307 E. Market Street, Akron, OH, 44305

8:30 - 10:15 a.m. - State of the Parties 

Moderator: John Green, The University of Akron

  • The Evolution of a Party System: Four Stops on the Road to 2025 | Paper 
    Byron Shafer
    , University of Oxford and University of Wisconsin, and Regina Wagner, University of Alabama 
  • Evaluating American Democracy in 2025 through the Lense of Ranney and Kendall | Paper
    Rick Farmer, Southern Nazarene University, and Christopher H. Owen, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah
  • What do Party Elites Think about Election Reform? | Paper
    Robert Boatright, Clark University, Karen Sebold, University of Arkansas, Eric Heberlig, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Caroline J. Tolbert and Sami DeRagon, University of Iowa

    10:15 a.m. - Break

    10:45 - 12:15 p.m. - Party Factions

    Moderator: Cherie Strachan, The University of Akron

    • Factions among Major Party Elites
      Geoff Layman, Notre Dame University, John Green, The University of Akron, and Shay Hafner, University of Notre Dame
    • Feeble Gatekeepers: Factional Insurgency and the Toppling of the Grand Old Party
      Zachary Albert, Brandeis University, and Raymond J. La Raja, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
    • Insurgent and Consociational Factions and the Prospects for the Democratic Party
      Ronald B. Rapoport, College of William and Mary, and Andrew Engelhardt, SUNY-Stony Brook
    • Factions and Parties in a Polarized Era
      Michael Ensley and Zach Morris, Kent State University

    12:15 - 1:15 p.m. - Lunch

    1:15 - 3:30 p.m. - State and Local Party Politics

    Moderator: David Cohen, The University of Akron

    • Coalition Change or Pocketbook Election? Evidence from Nevada in 2024
      Kenneth M. Miller, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
    • What Happened to the “Blue Wall”? The Partisan Makeup of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, 1992-2024 
      David A. Dulio, Oakland University, and Stephen K. Medvic, Franklin & Marshall College 
    • Did the Democratic Party Abandon Rural America? Evidence from a Survey of Local Party Officials
      Daniel M. Shea, Colby College
    • Shifting Allegiances: Trump and Muslim Voters in the 2024 Election
      Daniel Hummel, University of Louisiana at Monroe 
    • The Organizational Structure of State Parties
      Doug Roscoe, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
    • State Democratic and Republican Political Party Chairs, 2015-2024
      Matthew J. Geras, University of Illinois Springfield 

      5:30 p.m. - Reception

      6:30 p.m. - Dinner

      8:00 p.m. - Keynote Address

      • Myth-Busting the Rural Voter: What Data Shows
        Daniel M. Shea, Colby College 

      7:30 a.m. - Conference Registration

      Hilton Garden Inn, 1307 E. Market Street, Akron, OH, 44305

      CONCURRENT PANELS - Please choose one of the following:

      8:15 - 10:00 a.m. - Party Resources

      Moderator: Daniel Shea, Colby College

      • Political Party Contacting in the 2024 Election
        Brian J. Brox, Tulane University
      • Carpetbag Campaigning: How Parties Reshape Democracy by Redirecting Resources to Competitive Districts
        Hans Noel, Georgetown University
      • The Trump Donor 2015-2024: Are They That Different from Other GOP Contributors and What Impact Will They Have on Partisan Fundraising?
        Andrew Dowdle, Joshua Mitchell, and Karen Sebold, University of Arkansas  
      • The Impact of Organizational Characteristics on Super PAC Spending in Congressional Elections
        Paul Herrnson, University of Connecticut, and Jay Goodliffe, Bringham Young University 

      8:15 - 10:00 a.m. - Party Constituencies

      Moderator: Rick Farmer, Southern Nazarene University

      • Diploma Divide, Rural Revolt, or Racial Realignment? Working-Class Partisanship in the Trump Era
        Michael E. Shepherd, University of Michigan
      • The Polarized Type: Affective Polarization and Issue Polarization Among the Party-In-The-Electorate
        Jeremiah J. Castle, Metropolitan State University of Denver, J. Cherie Strachan, The University of Akron, and Kyla K. Stepp, Central Michigan University
      • Bridging the Age Gap: Young Voters and the Future of the Democratic Party
        Patrick McSweeney, Georgetown University
      • Requiem for College Republicans: Are Turning Point USA and Young Americans for Liberty Replacing the Establishment?  
        John C. Davis, University of Arkansas, and Drew Kurlowski, Coastal Carolina University  
      • House Party: Patterns of Inter-generational Party Transmission 
        Daniel A. Smith, Olivia Zhang, Joselie Charles, Lara Adams, Samantha Cuenot, and Yugo Wang, University of Florida 

      10:00 - 10:30 a.m. - Break

      CONCURRENT PANELS - Please choose one of the following:

      10:30 - 12:00 p.m. - Party Nominations

      Moderator: John Green, The University of Akron

      • Party Asymmetry in Competition in Presidential Nominations
        Caitlin E. Jewitt, Virginia Tech, and Gregory Shufeldt, University of Indianapolis 
        • A Rent-Seeking Theory of Political Parties
          Wayne Steger, DePaul University 
        • Differing Voter Criteria and Primary Polarization | Paper
          Barry C. Burden and Matthew Kim, University of Wisconsin-Madison
        • Loyalty, Voice, and/or Exit Following a Loss: The Reactions of Overseas Democrats to the 2024 U.S. Elections
          James A. McCann, Purdue University, and Ronald B. Rapoport, College of William & Mary

        10:30 - 12:00 p.m. - Major Party Alternatives

        Moderator: Kenneth Miller, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

        • Third Parties and the Future of U.S. Democracy: Examining 2024 Within a Historical Framework
          Bernard Tamas, Valdosta State University
        • Does Partisanship Matter? Adoption and Implementation of RCV in Red and Blue Jurisdictions

          Jay Wendland, Daemen University

        • Partisan Polarization and Menstrual Equity Policies in U.S. State Legislatures
          Sara Chatfield, University of Denver 

          • Legislative Supermajorities and Direct Democracy: What is the Relationship Between Supermajority Legislatures and Citizen-Led Initiatives?
            Reynold F. Nesiba, Augustana University

          12:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Lunch Speaker

          • Elaine Kamarck, Center for Effective Public Management, Brookings

          Download the schedule


          Registration

          Registration Deadline: October 20, 2025

          Conference Fees: 

          • Registration: $50
          • Thursday Lunch: $30
          • Thursday Reception, Dinner, and Keynote Speaker $40
          • Friday Lunch Speaker: $30
          • TOTAL: $150

          Discount Rates:
          Please contact Kim Haverkamp at kh1@uakron.edu or 330-972-5155 to receive a discount code.

          • Student: $10
          • Senior (60+): $75

          Register Here
          Pay Fees Here


          Travel and Accommodations

          Conference Hotel

          Hilton Garden Inn Akron
          1307 East Market Street, Akron, OH 44305
          330-733-2900

          Conference rate: $139.00
          Reservation deadline: October 6, 2025
          Reservations made after this date are based on availability

          Online booking page: https://group.hiltongardeninn.com/vlfpgx
          Or, call the hotel and ask for the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics block rate

          Airports

          Akron-Canton Regional Airport (CAK) - 20 minutes from the conference hotel
          Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) - 45 minutes from the conference hotel


          Questions:

          Contact: Kim Haverkamp
          Phone: 330-972-5155
          Email: kh1@uakron.edu