Network analysis focuses on the connections among individuals that produce aggregate outcomes, rather than focusing solely on the characteristics of either the individuals or the aggregates. The focus is directed toward the complex, critical, yet little understood processes lying between extensively developed individual and institutional level understandings that have been most common in political analysis. This is a particularly promising period for the development of network studies in politics and policy. Extensive "big" data sets, expanded computational capabilities, and newly-developed analytic techniques have reduced many of the past obstacles to the serious study of political networks. Hence the study of political networks is at an important juncture, supported by newly established interdisciplinary organizations and training efforts that are currently underway. As a consequence, network studies have gained supporters and practitioners in virtually every area of political study - political institutions, comparative politics, political behavior, international relations, public policy, parties and elections, public opinion, interest groups, social movements, and political communication.
The project continues to build and develop the field of political network analysis. The resources are dedicated to support graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and under-funded assistant professors, expand diversity efforts, extend mentoring and networking efforts, and encourage the development and dissemination of new methods and theories appropriate for the specific needs of subfields brought together by an interest in studying political networks. The project leverages strengths in training and mentoring to advance the field of political networks and foster interdisciplinary ties in what has been deemed "a new discipline."
Intellectual Merit: The project is interdisciplinary, data-intensive, and collaborative. The aims are to promote the study of political networks and the use of network analysis by: 1) enhancing communication between scholars who work in this area, 2) supporting the process of developing and disseminating new methods and data sources, 3) supporting the process of diffusion about the appropriate application of conceptual and analytic techniques in political networks research, and 4) accelerating training in political network analysis. Training is the primary component and this contributes to interdisciplinary capacity building.
Broader Impacts: Beyond training and learning for participants, the goal is that participants take what they learn and move it into their graduate and undergraduate teaching and contribute to quantitative social science programs at their home institutions. Network scientists can play a large role in developing undergraduate courses on network concepts and analysis which would be popular and useful contributions to quantitative social science programs. Broad dissemination is also achieved through conference participants providing classroom materials and recorded lectures. Additional sessions from 2012 onward will be recorded and posted. The training and conference is interdisciplinary by design and has resulted in deep and extensive engagement across disciplines. The ability to incorporate relational factors has been demonstrated to improve the understanding of public opinion and voting behavior, war and international conflicts, and policy development and implementation, and this proposal accelerates the improvements in these and other areas of social sciences.
