[Last Updated: 11/13/2009]
Welcome to my web site. My name is Ko Maeda . I am an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Texas.
I was born in 1974 in a small rural village in northern Japan, which is one of the snowiest places in the country, and grew up surrounded by forests, rivers, and wildlife. I received my primany and secondary education in laid-back, rural public schools. After receiving a bachelor's degree from University of Tsukuba in 1998, I started my graduate work at Michigan State University in 1999. I obtained my Ph.D. degree and came to UNT in 2005.


Research

  • Comparative Politics (Political Institutions, Party Competition and Party Systems, Elections, Political Economy, Asian Politics, Japanese Politics)
  • Quantitative Methodology
Curriculum Vitae (PDF)


Publications

  • Forthcoming. "Divided We Fall: Opposition Fragmentation and the Electoral Fortunes of Governing Parties." British Journal of Political Science.

  • 2009. "Has the Electoral System Reform Made Japanese Elections Party-Centered?" in Steven R. Reed, Kay Shimizu, and Kenneth Mori McElwain (eds.) Political Change in Japan: Electoral Behavior, Party Realignment, and the Koizumi Reforms. The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center.

  • 2008. "Re-Examining the Contamination Effect of Japan's Mixed Electoral System Using the Treatment-Effects Model." Electoral Studies 27(4):723-31.

  • 2007. "Learning in Hierarchies: An Empirical Test Using Library Catalogues." Journal of Theoretical Politics 19(4): 425-63. With Thomas H. Hammond and Kyle I. Jen.

  • 2007. "Prime Ministerial Popularity and the Changing Electoral Fortunes of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party." Asian Survey 47(3): 415-33. With Dennis Patterson.

  • 2006. "The general election in Japan, September 2005." Electoral Studies 25(3): 621-27.

  • 2006. "Duration of Party Control in Parliamentary and Presidential Governments: A Study of 65 Democracies, 1950-1998." Comparative Political Studies 39(3): 352-74. With Misa Nishikawa.

  • 2004. "Amerika: 'butaniku kubari' to giin no saisen tsuikyu." In Takeshi Kohno and Masahiro Iwasaki, eds., Rieki yudo seiji: kokusai hikaku to mekanizumu. Tokyo: Ashi Shobo. Title translation: "The United States: 'Pork Distribution' and Politicians' Reelection Quest."

Data



Teaching

  • Fall 2009
    • PSCI 3600: Comparative Politics
    • PSCI 6320: Quantitative Political Research Methods (graduate)

  • Spring 2010
    • PSCI 3700.002: Japanese Politics

  • Fall 2010 (tentative)
    • PSCI 6320: Quantitative Political Research Methods (graduate)
    • PSCI 5310: Comparative Political Institutions (graduate)

  • Courses taught in the past
    • Undergraduate
      • Comparative Politics (Fall 2005; Spring 06; Fall 06; Spring 07; Maymester 07; Fall 07; Spring 08; Maymester 08; Fall 08; Spring 09)
      • Asian Politics (Spring 2006)
      • Japanese Politics (Fall 2006)
    • Graduate
      • Quantitative Political Research Methods (Spring 2007; Spring 08; Fall 08)
      • Comparative Political Institutions (Fall 2007)

    Contact Information

    Mailing address (for USPS):
    Department of Political Science
    University of North Texas
    1155 Union Circle #305340
    Denton, TX 76203-5017

    Physical address (for UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc):
    Department of Political Science
    University of North Texas
    Wooten Hall, Room 125
    Denton, TX 76203

    Phone:(940)565-2276 / Fax:(940)565-4818

    My office is located in 135 Wooten Hall
    Phone:(940)565-2337
    Email: ko"at"unt.edu (please replace "at" with @)

    Some more things about me...

    • I enjoy traveling. While in college, I made a 9-month-trip to Asia and South Pacific. Since then I haven't traveled much, but I always want to. My favorite cities in the world are Kolkata (India), Peshawar (Pakistan), Kashgar (Xinjiang, China), and New York City.
    • I love drinking. I like beer, sake, tequila, vodka, whisky, wine, and etc. My favorite Japanese beer is Kirin. When I was in Michigan, I enjoyed Molson and Labatt a lot, but I became a big Shiner fan after I moved to Texas.
    • I am a big eater. When I was 20, I won a pizza-eating championship in the town where I lived by eating 25 pieces of pizza in 20 minutes.
    • I like reading. Reading is my best hobby (or perhaps next to drinking). My favorite author is Shiba Ryotaro. My favorite books written in English include The Moon and Sixpence (Somerset Maugham), No Longer at Ease (Chinua Achebe), Lord of the Flies (William Golding), and Animal Farm (George Orwell).
    • I got bit by a monkey in the head when I was little.
    • I share the same birthday as John F. Kennedy.
    • I know my name is difficult to pronounce for non-Japanese people. It is pronounced Koh Ma-eh-dah. My given name "Ko" means farming or plowing, which I guess is partly related to the fact that my hometown is in a rural area.
    • I am a big Michigan State Sports fan. When I was at MSU, I sometimes painted my face to show my Spartan spirit, and my face was on TV several times.
    • I used to be cute.

    • Political Science Links

    Professional Oranizations About Elections Country Information Longitudinal Data of Political Leaders and Government Datasets Others