IAP 2013 Activities by Sponsor - Political Science

Kai Quek

Jan/11

Fri

01:00PM-03:00PM

E53-482

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Political institutions and public policies have real impact on people's lives. But how do we know whether a policy change or an institutional modification is good or bad before it is implemented? A small but growing group of political scientists have attacked this question by implementing randomized experimental tests. This class describes what experimental political scientists do, and how they do what they do. The main part of the class is practical, where you will walk through the intuitions and design behind actual experiments implemented in the context of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election.

Sponsor(s): Political Science
Contact: Kai Quek, quek@mit.edu

William Bonvillian, Director, MIT DC Office

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/02
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

This activity examines the public policy behind, and the government's role in the science and technology based innovation system. Emphasis placed on the U.S. S&T system, but international examples discussed. The seminar aims to equip those planning careers in and around science and technology with the basic background for involvement in science policymaking.
We cover the following topics:1)drivers behind science and technology support: growth economics, direct and indirect innovation factors, innovation systems theory, the "valley of death" between R&D and public-private partnership models; 2)organizing framework behind US science agencies, their missions and research organizational models, and the DARPA model as an alternative; 3)the way innovation is organized when it's face-to-face; 4)barriers and challenges to health science advance; 5)The energy technology challenge - how the science/tech innovation system needs to be organized to meet it within an existing and established complex economic sector; and 5) upcoming competitiveness challenge in advanced manufacturing.

Please fill out this web form as soon as possible.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?pli=1&formkey=dHhjUWRvbFJRWXlyR21MZkFnbWpjc3c6MQ#gid=0

Sponsor(s): Political Science
Contact: Arthur Yip, ahcyip@mit.edu

Alan Natapoff, Research Scientist

Jan/23

Wed

04:00PM-05:30PM

37-212

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

The Electoral College delivers large individual voting power in battleground states, but it destroys it in poorly-contested, i.e., in most states. Small numbers turned Florida and the presidency in 2000, but they could never turn a national election under simple majority voting which destroys all individual voting power, everywhere, in any large election. The solution is to have the winner, A, of a state receive one vote for every popular vote cast in it plus the equivalent (600 thousand votes in 2012) of two Senatorial Electoral votes. If A is sure to carry the state, a voter that rejects him can cast a blank ballot that will not count for anyone. This rewards candidates (and presidents) vote-for-vote for the consent of their opposition and saves the voting power of individuals. We trace the paradoxes and  delicious oddities of individual voting power, and the resolution of Florida's deadlock in 2000 by Fermat's Rule.

Sponsor(s): Political Science
Contact: Alan Natapoff, 37-147, 617 253-7757, NATAPOFF@MIT.EDU

Charles Stewart, Tobie Weiner

	Jan/22	Tue	05:00PM-06:00PM	TBD
	Jan/30	Wed	05:00PM-06:00PM	TBD

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

Come to an information session and find out about the MIT Washington Summer Internship Program. The program was founded in 1995 to give selected MIT undergraduates the opportunity to explore science and engineering policymaking at the national level, through study and practical experience. The interns have worked in the offices of government agencies, the private sector, and advocacy groups. Complementing the summer internships are a trip to Washington, DC, during spring break and a 12-unit HASS subject designed to give students an introduction to policymaking.  Both sessions are the same; come to either one.

Sponsor(s): Political Science
Contact: Tobie Weiner, E53-484, x3-3649, iguanatw@mit.edu

Lina Cherrat, Undergraduate

Jan/24

Thu

05:00PM-06:00PM

56-154

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

While UNESCO clubs are very popular in Europe, with around 280 clubs in France, Spain and Germany alone, only a handful exist in the US. The purpose of such a club is to “defend and promote science, culture and education as a way of bringing people together”.

A UNESCO club has the following goals:
Informing both the members and the general public by disseminating information about national and world issues.

Taking action and implementing activities to promote and apply the values of UNESCO

A UNESCO club can undertake a large variety of projects such as the Tesla Memory project, political debates, humanitarian work, etc.

If you're interested in finding out more attend this session.  If you can't make it to the session contact Lina Cherrat lcherrat@mit.edu

Sponsor(s): Political Science
Contact: Lina Cherrat, lcherrat@mit.edu