Theme: ‘USA 250’

To be held at: Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford
University of Oxford, 1a South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UB, UK

Date: 25-26 June 2026

The award-winning PSA subgroup the American Politics Group (APG) is delighted to invite abstracts for papers to be presented at the American Politics Group Summer Conference. This conference will be held on 25-26 June 2026 at the University of Oxford’s Rothermere American Institute. Papers should respond to the theme, ‘USA 250’, which marks the United States’
semiquincentennial anniversary since its founding in 1776. Marking this occasion of the USA’s birthday provides an opportunity for a conversation about contemporary and historical issues alike, including American democracy, the state of the Union, the US Constitution, political divisions and consensus, and more. In this conference, we wish to use these various insights from any period, theme and subdiscipline in American politics to reflect on present day, as well as historical, questions.

All thematic and subject areas focused on the United States are welcome, with a particular focus on assessing an aspect of American politics on the occasion of USA 250. To submit a paper proposal, please submit a document with your personal information, including name, affiliation and career level/educational status, and a paper title and an abstract of no more than 150 words by 15 January 2026.

We are also offering ECR travel grants of £50 to paper presenters. To apply for a travel grant, please indicate this on your paper proposal, and include a short personal statement of why you are applying for the grant and a budget of how you would use the grant to access the conference.

To submit your proposal, email one document (PDF preferred) with the subject title ‘Paper proposal APG Summer Conference’ to Jo at harmonacademic@gmail.com and j.harmon@qmul.ac.uk. Please signpost whether you are applying for the ECR travel grants. Direct any questions to the same email address.

Funders: With thanks to the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford for generously supporting this conference.

Organiser: Jo Harmon; harmonacademic@gmail.com ; j.harmon@qmul.ac.uk

The Rothermere American Institute is the University of Oxford’s centre for the study of the United States and its place in the world. Its mission is to support and to support the public and academic understanding of the history, culture and politics of the United States and of its place in the world.

American Politics Group (APG) is an award-winning subgroup of the UK’s Political Studies Association (PSA). The APG was the winner of Specialist Group of the Year of the Political Studies Association 2023-24.