Legislative studies can make an important contribution to understanding how parliaments respond to these challenges, adapt their institutions and practices, maintain their independence and legitimacy, and continue to perform their representative, policymaking, and oversight functions in a changing global environment.

The World Congress offers an excellent opportunity to present your latest research, receive feedback from leading scholars in the field, and build professional networks in the historic city of Rome.

RC08 welcomes three types of submissions: (1) individual paper proposals, (2) paper proposals to open panels, (3) closed panel proposals.

1. Individual Paper Proposals
We welcome individual papers on any aspect of legislative and parliamentary studies. Papers may address emerging developments and challenges facing legislatures, including the rise of populism, democratic erosion, armed conflict, natural disasters and other crises, changing legislative-executive relations, and transformations in political representation.

We are also particularly interested in research on legislative strengthening, legislative institutionalization, parliamentary independence, and the successes and failures of legislatures in becoming or remaining strong and effective policymaking institutions.

These examples are not intended to limit the scope of submissions. We welcome proposals on other topics in legislative and parliamentary studies that scholars would like to present at the Congress.

When submitting your proposal, please select the track “RC08 Legislative Specialists.”

2. Paper Proposals to Open Panels
You may also submit an individual paper proposal to one of the following open RC08 panels:

3. Closed Panel Proposals
There is also still time to submit a complete closed panel on a topic related to legislative and parliamentary studies.

A closed panel consists of at least four papers, a panel chair, and discussant(s).
We encourage colleagues to bring together scholars working on related questions, comparative projects, regions, or theoretical approaches and submit a complete panel for consideration within the RC08 program.

Submission Deadline: November 4, 2026

Please submit all proposals through the IPSA World Congress website: https://wc2027.ipsa.org
When submitting, be sure to select “RC08 Legislative Specialists” as your track so that your proposal will be considered for inclusion in the RC08 section of the Congress.
Information about the Research Committee of Legislative Specialists is available at: https://rc08.ipsa.org/
You may also join RC08 free of charge here: https://legislativespecialists.wordpress.com/join/

How to Submit Your Proposal

  1. Go to the World Congress website: https://wc2027.ipsa.org/wc/home
  2. Click “My Congress” in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  3. Log in to your IPSA account and select either “Submit a Paper” or “Submit a Panel.”
  4. Enter the requested information about your paper or panel.
  5. Important: When asked to select a Track, choose “RC08 Legislative Specialists.” Selecting RC08 ensures that your proposal will be considered for inclusion in the Research Committee of Legislative Specialists section of the Congress.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • If I have a question, whom should I contact?
    For questions about RC08 submissions or the program, please contact the RC08 Program Chair, Professor Osnat Akirav, at osnata@wgalil.ac.il.
  • Do I need to pay to submit a proposal? 
    No. Conference registration is not required to submit a proposal. You only need to create an IPSA account, which is also free of charge.
  • What if my proposal is accepted but I later discover that I cannot travel because of funding?
    We understand that conference participation often depends on obtaining travel funding and that scholars may need an acceptance letter before they can apply for such support. We therefore encourage you to submit your proposal. If circumstances later prevent you from traveling, we understand that plans sometimes change.
  • When will I hear about the decision?
    Acceptance notifications are scheduled to be sent by email by January 22, 2027.
  • May I share this Call for Papers and Panels with my professional network? 
    Absolutely. Please share this call widely with colleagues, professional associations, research networks, graduate students, and others who may be interested in participating.
  • Where can I find all World Congress deadlines?
    The complete list of World Congress deadlines is available here: https://wc2027.ipsa.org/wc/submit-panel

We look forward to receiving your proposals and to welcoming legislative scholars from around the world to Rome in July 2027!

Download the full call here: IPSA_RCLS_-_CfP_WC_2026-09-21.pdf