The 14th Annual Conference of the American Studies Network
US-China Relations after the 2016 Elections:
Trump, Congress and the Issues
 
April 20-22nd, 2017, Chengdu
Co-sponsored by:  American Studies Center, Sichuan University
US-China Education Trust
 

Sichuan University and US-China Education Trust cordially invite scholars and graduate students from all disciplines to participate in the 13th Annual ASN Conference, “US-China Relations after the 2016 Elections: Trump, Congress and the Issues,”to be held April 20-22nd, 2017 at Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
 
Conference Theme
The election of Donald Trumpas the 45th president of the United States has no parallel.  It was historic, unforeseen and unprecedented, dismissed by the pundits, misread by the political establishment, and written off by the media and polls.  Americans elected the most unconventional president ever, someone who has never served in government or the military.  It is an understatement to say that Trump’s triumph sent shockwaves across the world, including in America.   
The 2017 ASN Conference will dissect this unusual election, discuss and debate why Trump won and how he won despite everything.  Conference papers will assess how Trump’s world view and that of his Administration are likely to shape and change America as well as its role in the world.  White America put Trump in the White House.  New arguments over the old ideas of populism and nationalism resonated among Trump supporters, who feel alienated from government, society and a changing America.  Do the new populism and nationalism bode well or ill for the preservation of liberal democracies?
 
More than any election in recent history, Trump’s success has also raised new questions about the future of US-China relations.  Trump’s bashing of China during the campaign, and his incoming Administration’s tough talk against China has set the stage for showdowns on everything from security to trade to climate change.  By having contact with the Taiwanese leader and openly questioning the “One China” policy, Trump has indicated that he is willing to turn the US-China relationship, as we know it, on its head. Contradictory signals, moreover, are sowing uncertainty over what the Trump Administration’s likely policy on China will be.  How far is Trump prepared to go in provoking Beijing?  Will a US president who insulted China during the campaign and transition be able to develop a good relationship with President Xi?  What’s the best approach to stabilizing US-China relations, the most important bilateral relationship in the 21st century?
Topics
We cordially welcome paper proposals in English from scholars of various disciplines on topics such as:
1. What does a Trump Administration Mean for China?
2. The Trump Presidency: Implications for the Future of Liberal Market Democracy
3. The Evolving Importance of Social and Cultural Issues and Religion in US elections
4. President Trump, Congress, and the Media
5. Trump’s Vision vs. Obama’s Legacy
6. Populism, Nationalism and Immigration: Understanding the American Electorate
7. Partisanship and Polarization in American Politics: Sources, Characteristics, and Impact
8. Understanding Presidential-Congressional Rivalry
9. The Challenges of the First 100 Days Under Trump
10.  The Politics and Impact of Federal Regulation
The above list is meant only to suggest a possible range of topics. You are encouraged to submit proposals on other topics related to the overarching theme of the conference. Interdisciplinary perspectives are particularly welcome since the topics themselves stretch across several disciplines. 
The Graduate Student Forum: Graduate student participants who have submitted a complete paper before April 1, 2017 are eligible to be considered for the Graduate Presentation Awards, in accordance with the decision of a Panel of Judges. The Graduate Student Forum will be held at a special session during the conference.
 
Guidelines for Paper Submission
You are welcome to submit a proposal by March 1, 2017, using the attached Paper Proposal,which should contain your contact information, title, keywords, and an abstract of 300-500 words. The Organizing Committee will evaluate the proposal on the basis of relevance to the conference theme and notify you of its acceptance as soon as possible.  If you are notified that your proposal was accepted, please send the full text of your paper (about 5,000 words in English) to ascscu@163.com by April 1, 2017. Even if your submission is not accepted, you are still welcome to participate in the conference without presenting.
Please use the Chicago style for documentation and editing. The specific format this conference follows are short footnotes plus bibliography. In case you need further information on the style, please consult theChicago Manual of Style(16th ed.), or visit the Chicago Style Online website: www.chicagomanualofstyle.org
Session Format
Papers will be presented in a panel with three presenters and one facilitator who also chairs the session.  Each presentation is to be 10-15 minutes long, followed by comments from the facilitator.  Each set of presentations will be followed by 30 minutes of questions and discussion.