2004 Annual Meeting

2004 Program Chairs Atul Kohli and Anne Norton urged the Council to attend the meeting plenaries and Susanne Rudolph's presidential address. They also noted that the quality of this year's panels follows from Susanne Rudolph's creative and exciting theme. They also recognized the hard work of the Association's staff in organizing the meeting. Rudolph expressed her gratefulness to the program chairs for making the Annual Meeting so attractive.

2005 Annual Meeting

2005 Program Chair Susan Stokes, introduced the theme of the meeting which is Mobilizing Democracy. Susanne Rudolph congratulated the team for developing a very rich agenda.

Teaching and Learning Conference

Linda Lopez reported on the progress of the Teaching and Learning Conference which will take place in February 2005. Attendance is expected to be strong, and the February date has worked well. The conference organizers hope to generate revenue through increased participation, sponsorships, and exhibitors. The themes for this conference are pedagogy, technology, student assessment, learning outcomes, experiential learning, diversity, global perspectives, civic education, service learning, and learning communities.

APSR Editor Report

APSR Editor Lee Sigelman reported on the status of the journal. The main theme of the report was one of stability. In its third year under his editorship, the journal functioned in normal operating mode. During 2003–2004, the expected leveling off of submissions occurred with total submissions down 9%, reverting to their 2001–2002 level, while new submissions declined slightly from 546 to 523, a 4% drop. The journal continues to welcome, and in various venues continues actively to encourage, new submissions, but a realistic expectation for the next few years is for submissions to hover around their current level. The editor suspected that the journal has now reached a new equilibrium in terms of submissions.

Sigelman expressed his appreciation to the Council for its support in allowing him to hire a new intern. He also noted that November 2006 will be the journal's 100th year anniversary. In light of this he has read the old issues of the journal and done a content analysis of topics covered over the years. This task has left him with a real sense of the evolution of the discipline that he will report on in future documents.

Perspectives Editor Report

Perspectives on Politics Editor Jennifer Hochschild reported on the status of the journal, the number of submissions this reporting period, and the acceptance rate. From August 1, 2003 to July 31, 2004, Perspectives received a total of 329 article submissions. The current overall acceptance rate for all submissions is 12%. Hochschild noted that the relatively low acceptance rate is the result of the difficulty in finding articles that are appropriate for this particular journal and not a reflection of the quality of articles submitted.

Margaret Levi thanked Hochschild for her work in launching this journal because it has been a tremendous undertaking.

Perspectives Search

Chair of the search committee, Jim Morone, reported on the progress of the editor search for Perspectives on Politics. He noted a list of possible candidates with whom he was scheduled to meet at the Annual Meeting. The search itself is on schedule and the candidates will be asked to express what they would do next with the journal given its progress and the prestige it maintains. The Committee has set a priority for recommending an editor who can speak to a broad audience, continue the good writing, and be a mentoring editor who is enthusiastic about the job.

Council stressed that co-editors should be from different backgrounds, and then asked if they can personally encourage candidates to come forward to the committee. Morone responded that the committee remains open to new candidates.

Publication Issues

Executive Director Michael Brintnall noted that three publications issues are being sent to the publications committee or to the journal editors roundtable, and do not require council discussion at this time. One issue is the examination of the pros and cons of open source publishing; another is the merit of editorial discretion not to send all submissions for external review; and the third is the copyright situation for Annual Meeting papers and PROL submissions.

Vice President Gary King asked that a formal report be brought to the Council on open source publishing. Brintnall responded that the publications committee will be meeting in November to discuss this and a report will be brought to the Council in the spring.

Council Action: Council voted unanimously to ask the Publication's Committee to produce a report that provides its recommendations and estimates of the costs regarding implications of Open Access journals.

Governance Issues, Part I: Elections Review Committee Report

Kirstie McClure, chair of the Elections Review Committee, referenced the report provided in the Council's meeting materials and highlighted the discussion of each of the committee's recommendations as well as the added prefatory materials. She noted that the Elections Review Committee blanketed the membership for input on issues regarding their charge and received 13 responses. She also asked for the Council's consent to contact the individuals from past Nominating Committee members, who responded to the inquiry regarding their experiences, for permission to include their responses in the formal final report.

Council Action: Council unanimously voted in favor of posting the final report and its appendices on the Association's web site (including the responses from the former Nominating Committee members once permission has been granted).

McClure noted several key conclusions from the report. One is that data the committee gathered revealed a low representation of non Ph.D.-granting institutions on the Council over the years. She said the committee also wished to reiterate a recommendation of the former Jacobson Committee that procedures be strengthened by which members can make suggestions to the nominating committee for candidates. The committee recommends publishing the call for nominations in ample time for members to make nominations and requiring more materials from nominees. Recommendations also include appointing a Constitutional Review Committee for STV and designating additional vice-presidents to allow greater representation of faculty at non-Ph.D. institutions.

Elections Review Committee member Dick Engstrom explained the electoral mechanism recommended by the committee. He noted that the committee was unanimous about the findings and recommendations in the report. He also noted that the past nominating committees have done a good job of ensuring minority representation. It is less clear how such minority inclusion might work under contested elections. In the last election, 34,000 votes were cast by 4,300 voters because each voter had eight votes to cast. However, the margin between the eight and nine candidates was 115 votes, so the concern is valid. The committee proposed a minority friendly mechanism through Single Transferable Voting (STV) to replace the current block vote system. This system would be applied to the Council and the vice presidents and represents the best chance for a candidate backed by a group of members to be elected because the group would only need 11.1% of the votes. However, STV does not guarantee anything; the voter support still has to be there.

Some Council members noted that an alternative voting mechanism is already in place for the office of the president should it be contested, so moving to STV would not be an unprecedented idea.

Rudolph brought to the Council's attention the Administrative Committee's recommendations that at this stage, the findings of the committee be separated from the recommendations, and that the Council initially address the findings of under-representation of members from non-Ph.D. granting institutions. Secretary Judy Goldstein suggested that there are many ways for the Association to divide itself, and therefore a discussion is needed on what exactly diversity means for the Association. Council member Marsha Pripstein Posusney, noted her support for the quota notion. Judy Baer agreed with Goldstein that diversity in the Association needs a clear definition. Other members did not support set-asides for non-Ph.D. granting institutions, but felt the committee did a good job recognizing demographic issues and agreed with the Administrative Committee's recommendation to make suggestions to the Nominating Committee.

Vice President Gary King suggested that the recommendations by the Elections Review Committee are out of order because they go beyond the committee's charge by calling for constitutional changes. He also noted that STV is extremely difficult for anyone to understand and it requires a lot of coordination among the membership. Engstrom responded that the ranking process of STV is not complex. The complexity lies in the counting of votes and issues regarding wasted and surplus votes which can be addressed. Engstrom also noted that while STV favors groups, it eliminates a disadvantage to these groups and does not prevent any group from forming.

Vice President Ira Katznelson noted that there is no formal proposal on the table to have regularly contested elections, and the level of interest in this from the membership at large is not clear. Under current arrangements, the findings are an important byproduct that invites conversation about many issues, not just elections.

Council asked for clarification on the committee's third recommendation regarding changes to Section 4.9 of the Annual Business Meeting Rules before voting. McClure explained that the issue being addressed has to do with the number of names that can be listed on the ballot. Council approved these changes to Section 4.9 of the Annual Business Meeting Rules by the Council Rules Committee last year and the Elections Review Committee recommends Council asking the Rules Committee to revisit this change.

Council Action: Council unanimously approved the Elections Review Committee's recommendation that the Rules Committee be encouraged to revisit the rule in Section 4.9 of the Annual Business Meeting Rules regarding the number of nominator names listed on the ballot.

Robert Axelrod suggested that the recommendation of the committee regarding an increase in the number of vice presidents on the Council to four (two from Ph.D. and two from non-Ph.D. granting institutions) be addressed by encouraging the Nominating Committee to give due regard to Chapter 3 Section 2.4 of the By-Laws that instructs the committee to consider such diversity. This encouragement would apply to all offices on the Council, and not target the vice presidency alone.

Other members felt the office of the vice president should address specific issues within the association (e.g., vice president for B.A./M.A. Institutions), which would highlight the representation issue and give these institutions recognition and legitimacy.

Council asked for clarification on the motion put forward by Robert Axelrod noting that it seems to simply reinforce the letter already sent to the Nominating Committee. A distinction was made between this motion that would apply to all offices and the Administrative Committee's suggestion that the Election Review Committee's recommendation to designate vice presidents from non-Ph.D. granting institutions be implemented in the form of an instruction to the Nominating Committee. McClure noted that informal directions have not always been followed in the past and the data shows this.

The motion to accept the Administrative Committee's recommendation was seconded. Levi indicated a preference for Axelrod's recommendation because she felt there were multiple possible solutions to tackling this problem, such as creating an ad hoc committee to explore the diversity issue in a systematic and productive way.

Council Action: Council voted by voice vote to instruct the Nominating Committee to give due regard to the type of institution in all offices as reflected in Chapter 3 Section 2.4 of the Association's ByLaws. Council also approved by a show of hands with 14 votes in favor, 10 opposed, and 1 abstention to instruct the Nominating Committee to take into account the needs of non-Ph.D. granting institutions in the nomination of the vice presidents.

With respect to the Elections Review Committee recommendation to change the number of vice presidents to four, two from Ph.D. granting institutions and two from non-Ph.D. granting institutions, which would perhaps require a Constitutional change and the establishment of a Constitutional Review Committee, McClure suggested dropping the recommendation and supporting Levi's recommendation to appoint an ad hoc committee to explore other possible solutions.

Council Action: Council voted by a show of hands 3 in favor and 18 opposed (0 abstained) against the Elections Review Committee's recommendation to increase the number of vice-presidential seats on the Council. Council agreed to ask an ad hoc committee of the Council to consider the meaning of diversity further and explore ways to ensure representation on the Council.

Council discussion then turned to the Committee's recommendation regarding the use of Single Transferable Vote (STV). The Administrative Committee recommended a two-step process in the discussion of STV in which the first step would be to discuss the issue and the second step would be to vote on the recommendation.

Council expressed concern that STV should not be considered the only alternative and suggested another round of thought should be given to other electoral mechanisms. Other members continued to support the status quo. Engstrom agreed that STV is not the panacea; however, the threshold of 11.1% is right at the percentage of minority representation, so STV affords opportunities for minorities where other mechanisms may not. Other members supported STV as the best system and felt that because the Association has an alternative voting mechanism for president it is odd not to have it for all other offices.

Council Member Marsha Pripstein Posusney moved to vote at this meeting on STV instead of waiting until the next council meeting. If Council approved the Committee's recommendation on STV, a constitutional review committee would need to be created to look into the constitutional changes that implementing STV would require. Council members reiterated a concern about voting on STV at this juncture without an understanding of the consequences.

Council Action: Council discussed whether to act at this Council meeting or the next on the recommendation to adopt Single Transferable Vote (STV). At this meeting, the Council voted by a show of hands 9 in favor, 13 opposed, and 4 abstained against the committee's recommendation that the Association replace the current balloting procedure with STV for all offices.

Council also moved to discuss STV again at the next meeting.

Council Action: The Council voted unanimously to discuss STV again at the next meeting.

Work and Family

Fran Hagopian reported on the status of the Work and Family Council Working Group. She referenced the report of the Women's Caucus which addresses many of the issues of the group. She highlighted their own report which contains recommendations that are compelling and represent areas where the Association can make a difference. The group endorses the report by the Women's Caucus and the caucus supports the working group's report.

Council noted the recommendation to stop the tenure clock for family reasons is controversial and should not be openended. Another issue of concern for the group to discuss is the need to find jobs for spouses because it is a critical part of keeping families together and is a difficult and expensive problem to solve.

Council suggested the report be posted on the web.

Higher Education

John Harbeson noted that the Council Working Group on the Higher Education Act is staying abreast of the situation, but has nothing new to report at this time as Congress has not yet acted on the issue.

Teaching Intensive Institutions

Joanna Scott reported that the status of the Council Working Group on Teaching Intensive Institutions has not changed since the last meeting, but suggested that the people who have been on the committee be allowed to stay on it, so they can continue to provide input and help set the Council's agenda on this topic

Public Presence

Director of International and External Relations Bahram Rajaee reported on the status of the public presence initiative by highlighting the steps that have been taken to enhance the Association's ability to support a more active media and research dissemination agenda which include: creating a new position on staff, establishing a media resource web page (www.politicalscience.org), publishing and disseminating the report of the Task Force on Inequality and American Democracy, hiring a temporary media consultant, developing a media relation strategy for the 2004 Annual Meeting, and hosting a discussion forum on August 4^th with media relations staff from other research-oriented organizations.

Moving forward, the Association is developing its long-term media and outreach goals, which range from reacting quickly to the media to enhancing strategies to link political science research with public and private research funders.

3rd Council Meeting

Council was asked to reaffirm its decision to hold a third Council meeting in Washington, D.C., that would have a public focus and take advantage of the political resources of the D.C. area. This meeting would be held in the spring of 2005.

Council Action: The Council voted 19 in favor, 0 opposed, and 2 abstained to hold a third Council Meeting in D.C. in the spring of 2005 which would have a public focus.

Task Force on Global Inequality

Task Force on Global Inequality Chair John Echeverri-Gent discussed the format of the task force and its mandates, which are to highlight what political science has to say about difference and inequality in non-Atlantic states and imagine ways of making political science more visible and relevant to civil society, as well as state actors. To undertake its tasks the committee is divided into two working groups. One group is focused on inequality, democracy, and conflict and the other is focused on inequality and economic development. The members of the task force intend to distribute findings broadly and organize panels for the next Annual Meeting. He encouraged the Council to attend the round table at this year's meeting.

Task Force Review

Margaret Levi informed the Council that she will appoint a committee to look into the process of creating and developing task forces. More information will be provided at the next Council meeting.

Civic Education Report

The report of the Civic Education Committee was received by the Council with pleasure and congratulations

New Task Force Proposal

President-Elect Margaret Levi announced her new task force proposal on civil violence, terrorism, and political order which will be chaired by Martha Crenshaw. The scope of the task force will include civil wars, riots, protest, terror, guerilla warfare, insurgency, communal and ethnic religious violence, and genocide. The group has explored external funding with some positive feedback.

International Committee

Director Bahram Rajaee reported on the status of the International Committee since the Council increased the funding for travel grants. As a result, a record number of scholars have received funding for the Annual Meeting. The next step is to determine how best to leverage this success.

World Bank Initiative

President-Elect Levi provided Council with an update on the World Bank initiative by indicating that conversations are continuing with the World Bank about a collaborative project to bring political scientists more directly into World Bank field work teams. The initial proposal, under refinement at the Bank, is to start a pilot program, in cooperation with APSA, of “hiring” three political scientists per year for two years attached to country teams as political analysts. They believe this will help them change the culture of the Bank by demonstrating the importance of political analysis in addition to economic analysis. World Bank is exploring funding options at this time.

The proposal project has emerged from conversations between Margaret Levi, Ed Campos, and senior colleagues at the World Bank, and will be presented to and discussed with APSA's International Committee this fall.

ACE

Director of Education and Professional Programs Linda Lopez reported that APSA has received support from the American Council on Education, through a small Carnegie Foundation grant, to look at the role of the disciplines in supporting internationalization of the undergraduate curriculum by developing capacities for departments to formulate learning outcomes for global education. Association partners are history, psychology, geography, and engineering education. The Association has received $8,000 from this grant.

President Susanne Rudolph, President-elect Margaret Levi, Virginia Sapiro, nominee to chair the Teaching and Learning Committee, John Ishiyama, chair of the Undergraduate Education Section, and Ashutush Varshney, chair of the International Committee have been in consultation about assembling the Task Group to carry out this project. Margaret Levi will make recommendations to the Council early this fall.

Mentoring Task Force

Director Linda Lopez reported on the status of the Mentoring Task Force which has been very active. They have received a Sugar grant and created a mentoring database. They will host a panel at the Annual Meeting and Council was invited to attend.

Review of Minority Programs

Valerie Martinez-Ebers, who is chairing the Minority Program Review, informed the Council of the composition of the review committee and was on hand to answer any questions about the process. Following the Annual Meeting the committee will outline a work plan and timetable.

New Committee Changes and Committee Appointments

President-Elect Margaret Levi highlighted the proposal to merge the Education and Professional Development Committee with the Departmental Services Committee.

She also noted that during her presidency she plans to continue to have working groups, but with some reorganization. She would like to appoint a few three-person committees to lay out the agenda on important issues for the Council to discuss.

Council Action: Council unanimously approved Margaret Levi's committee reorganizations and appointments.