December 5, 2006: Interdisciplinary Speed Networking
Dr. David Rohde
Full Professor, Political Science
rohde@duke.edu
1. Please briefly describe your research and the way in which it is interdisciplinary. My research deals with American national political institutions, especially the Congress and the presidency, and with the links between the politicians in those institutions and the electorate. My major focus for many years has been the resurgence of strong political parties within the government, particularly how they influence members' behavior and policy outcomes. The principal way in which my work is interdisciplinary is that its theoretical roots draw on formal economic theories of politics, especially spatial models of choice (following Anthony Downs 1957) and the literature on collective action problems (following Mancu Olsen).
2. How would you recommend that a student to learn more about your research? My publications are listed on my space on the political science web site: https://fds.duke.edu/db/aas/PoliticalScience/faculty/rohde
3. What kinds of interdisciplinary connections are you interested in making at Duke? I guess the simplest answer is to say that I would be interested in interacting with any faculty member or student who would find the subject of my work interesting. I would be happy to encounter collaborators or just people who would offer suggestions , comments, and ideas. My students and I have a number of projects in progress, but I probably don't have funding available at the moment.
4. In what ways can you see a graduate student from another group or discipline fit into what you discussed above? Any or all of the interactions listed would be fine with me.
5. What skills or expertise would help you move forward in your research? Technical skills (formal and statistical) are particularly valuable for me because my own training was so long ago and is thus far from the 'cutting edge' in these areas.
Last Updated (by wat@duke.edu): 11/27/2006