Jeremy Buchman, a seventh year doctoral studentin American political science at Stanford, sayshis department is attractive because "you'reguaranteed a certain amount of funding," and as aresult, it is less competitive and more"collegial."

More Goings Than Comings

With one recent death and another retirement,Fiorina's flight to Stanford last year rocked analready hurting department.

But little could induce Fiorina to stay.

"I simply negotiated with Stanford and told[Dean of the Faculty] Jeremy [Knowles] I wasleaving," Fiorina says.

Fiorina says his position at Stanford, whichcame with a senior fellowship at Stanford's HooverInstitution on War, Revolution and Peace, is a"night and day" difference from what he had atHarvard.

For one thing, he found himself burdened withfewer bureaucratic duties.

"I had a lot of difficulty with the amount oftime the department spent on organizationalmaintenance [at Harvard,]" Fiorina says.

The appeal of more money and time for researchwas too powerful to turn down when compared to theburdens of committee work and the diminishingstature in the larger field that he encountered atHarvard, Fiorina says.

"It's a losing proposition," Fiorina says. "Atsome point you say, `it's time to go.'"

"The offer Stanford made to him was a lotcushier," Skocpol says.

Harvard's inability to match Stanford's termsin Fiorina's eyes has cost the department dearly,particularly in Fiorina's area of expertise:Congress.

"I do miss Fiorina," Peterson says. "That hasbeen a loss to the University and to the Americanpolitics program."

And Fiorina may not be the only one. Skocpol,one of three pillars of the department'sAmericanist program, says she too may go West toseek her fortune.

"Stanford and I have had discussions and it maymove toward an actual offer," she says, though sheadds that no offer has been made yet.