State Politics and Policy Conference 2025

APSA: American Political Science Foundation logo

Connecting Research to Practice

UMass Club, Boston, MA
Wednesday, May 21 - Friday, May 23

Hosted by University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and the University of Massachusetts President’s Office

Call for papers and posters

The State Politics and Policy Conference (SPPC) will be in Boston May 21 - May 23. The four UMass campuses—Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell—along with the UMass President’s Office are jointly hosting the conference at the UMass Club, located at 1 Beacon St., across from the State House on Beacon Hill.

This year our theme is connecting research to practice. The field of state politics and policy produces a significant amount of research that is directly relevant for policy makers and the general public. The discipline articulates the findings of this scholarship through numerous channels to non-scholarly audiences and public officials. We encourage papers and panel ideas that explore these channels and investigate how to more effectively connect state politics research to governmental practice.

We encourage submissions from faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students working on state politics and policy research. In addition to traditional panels and roundtables, we will host a graduate-student poster session during the reception on Thursday evening. The deadline for submissions is January 26th, 2025.

Submit a paper or poster proposal.

If you'd like to propose a panel, you can select the "roundtable" option. If you would like to attend to serve as a discussant, or just to see the presentations, please register below and indicate so on the registration survey.

Registration

Conference schedule

Conference schedule. Full program: TBA
Date	Event	Time
Wednesday May 21	Pre-conference reception at Night Shift Brewing	6:00-9:00pm
Thursday May 22	Breakfast	7:30-8:30am
	Panel Sessions I	8:30-10:00am
	Panel Sessions II	10:15-11:45am
	Lunch	12:15-1:30pm
	Panel Sessions III	1:45-3:15pm
	Panel Sessions IV	3:30-5:00pm
	Grad Student Poster Session and Reception	5:00-6:30pm
	Dinner	6:30-8:30pm
Friday May 23	Breakfast and Section Meeting	8:30-9:30am
	Panel Sessions V	9:30-11:00am
	Panel Sessions VI	11:15am-12:45pm

Conference hotel

We have reserved a block of rooms at the Godfrey Hotel Boston at a room rate of $329 plus tax. The number of rooms is limited, and reservations must be made by April 30. Please book early to assure you can receive the conference rate. Make a reservation at the conference rate. For those who plan to arrive early or stay in Boston after the conference, there are a small number of rooms available at the conference rate for Tuesday and Friday nights. The Godfrey is located about three blocks from the UMass Club. There are numerous other hotel options, at varying rates, near to the conference site at 1 Beacon St.

Conference locations and transportation

Boston is served primarily by Logan International Airport, located about four miles east of the UMass Club. There are several public transportation options, and taxis or rideshares are easily available.

Things to eat, drink, and see in Boston

It’s traditional for the conference organizers to provide some ideas for restaurants, bars, and attractions near the conference site. In Boston, the options are so extensive it’s hard to make a short list!

Food

The Boston food scene is excellent and incredibly varied. We are not even going to try picking favorites. If you’d like to explore some great culinary options, check out Eater Boston, particularly their 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston list.

Boston has a vibrant Chinatown located just a few blocks south of the Godfrey Hotel. In addition to great Chinese restaurants, you can find excellent cuisine from across East and Southeast Asia.

Another great option, particularly with a large group, is one of Boston’s food halls.

Beer, wine, and cocktails

Plenty of options here, as well. Near the conference site, here are a few establishments we’d recommend, all with themes appropriate for a gathering of political scientists.

Boston also hosts a great craft beer scene, including some of the pioneers that defined the mega-popular New England IPA. Trillium is a particularly well regarded brewery.