2027 Deil S. Wright Symposium: Call for Proposals
The Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) invites scholars and practitioners to submit proposals for papers to be presented at the 13th Annual Deil S. Wright Symposium. The symposium is a full day event that honors the career and contributions of Professor Deil S. Wright, a charter member of SIAM who remained active until his passing in 2009. The Wright Symposium will be held Friday, April 9, 2027, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. during the national conference of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Conference Theme: Navigating Multilevel Governance: Adaptation, Tension, and Innovation in Intergovernmental Relations
The ASPA Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) invites scholars, practitioners, and early-career researchers to submit paper abstracts, panel proposals, and workshop concepts for the upcoming ASPA Annual Conference.
As public policy challenges become increasingly complex and cross-jurisdictional, traditional models of federalism and intergovernmental relations face unprecedented stress. SIAM seeks high-quality proposals that explore how federal, state, local, and tribal governments negotiate authority, share resources, and deliver public services in a dynamic policy environment.
We encourage submissions addressing, but not limited to the following core tracks:
- Power & Jurisdiction – Preemption, state-local home rule, state AG litigation, and judicial federalism.
- Regionalism and Collaborative Governance – Regional Councils of Government (COGs), special districts, cross-sector partnerships, and metropolitan service sharing.
- Fiscal Dynamics – Grant administration, unfunded mandates, formula shifts, and local tax capacity in today’s political and economic environment.
- Sovereignty and Multilevel Partnerships – Tribal-state relations, federal trust responsibilities, and the co-management of natural resources.
- Data Governance and Technology Regulatory Frontiers – AI and data privacy regulation, cross-jurisdictional data sharing, smart cities, and infrastructure deployment.
- Doctoral Student Panel – Doctoral student research on intergovernmental relations and government innovation.
Submission Guidelines
- Abstract Length: 250–400 words
- Required Information: Title, author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), contact email, and designated track (or indicate if you would like your abstract considered for the doctoral student panel).
- Submission deadline: October 9, 2026
Please submit abstracts to:
- Jered Carr, University of Illinois Chicago - jbcarr@uic.edu
- Chris Goodman, Northern Illinois University - cgoodman@niu.edu
- Mitch Berg, Indiana University Bloomington - bergmi@iu.edu
- Jayce Farmer, University of Nevada, Las Vegas - jayce.farmer@unlv.edu