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Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 December 2013

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Organized Section 44, African Politics Conference Group, was formed in August 2013. The purpose of this section is to promote recognition within professional associations of the theoretical and methodological contributions to the discipline of political scientists whose research and professional interests center largely or in part upon sub-Saharan Africa.

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Association News
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Copyright © American Political Science Association 2014 

New Organized Section, Awards Announced

Organized Section 44, African Politics Conference Group, was formed in August 2013. The purpose of this section is to promote recognition within professional associations of the theoretical and methodological contributions to the discipline of political scientists whose research and professional interests center largely or in part upon sub-Saharan Africa.

APSA organized sections provide opportunities for APSA members who share a common interest in a particular subfield to organize meetings and coordinate communications under association auspices. Officers are Chair, M. Anne Pitcher, University of Michigan; Vice Chair, Leonardo Arriola, University of California, Berkeley; Secretary, Danielle Resnick, International Food Policy Research Institute; and Treasurer, Gina Lambrigh, George Washington University. Yearly membership dues are $10.Website: http://www.africanpoliticsgroup.org/.

The African Politics Conference Group also announced its 2012–2013 awards presented:

APCG-Lynne Rienner Award for Best Dissertation

Recipient: Janet Lewis

Title: “How Rebellion Begins: Insurgent Group Formation and Viability in Uganda,” Harvard University, PhD dissertation, 2012

APCG-African Affairs Award for Best Graduate Student Paper

Recipient: Amanda Robinson, PhD Candidate, Stanford University

Title: “Nationalism and Inter-Ethnic Trust: Evidence from an African Border Region”

Honorable Mention: Manuela Travaglianti, PhD Candidate, New York University

Title: “Violent Out-Bidding: Violence against Co-Ethnics in Burundi's 2010 Elections”

APCG Award for Best Article in 2012

Recipient: Séverine Autesserre, Barnard College, Columbia University

Title: “Dangerous Tales: Dominant Narratives on the Congo and their Unintended Consequences,” African Affairs 111, 413 (April 2012)

APCG Award for Best Book in 2012

Recipient: Leonardo Arriola, University of California, Berkeley

Title: Multiethnic Coalitions in Africa: Business Financing of Opposition Election Campaigns (New York: Cambridge University Press)

Recipient: Crawford Young, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Title: The Postcolonial State in Africa: Fifty Years of Independence, 1960–2010 (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press)

Honorable Mention: Anne Pitcher, University of Michigan

Title: Party Politics and Economic Reform in Africa's Democracies (New York: Cambridge University Press)

Summer Institute for Israel Studies 2014

A program of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, the Summer Institute (SIIS) helps college and university professors design new courses on Israel. Over 200 faculty members from 180 universities worldwide have participated in SIIS since its inception in 2004. Faculty from the social sciences and humanities are invited to apply. Applications due by January 21, 2014. Dates of the institute are June 16–30, 2014 at Brandeis University and July 1–10, 2014 in Israel. SIIS Fellowships include:

  • Multidisciplinary seminars taught by world-class faculty from Israel and the U.S. exploring Israeli society, politics, culture, economics, diplomacy & more (two weeks)

  • Israel study tour with leading personalities in public life, the academy and the arts (nine days)

  • Travel, accommodations, and most meals at Brandeis and in Israel

  • Stipend of up to $2,500 for full course or $1,500 for Brandeis seminar only

  • Access to vast Israel Studies resources online and in Brandeis University library

  • Annual workshops and year-round webinars

  • Membership in an active, international community of Israel scholars with opportunities for networking and professional collaboration

Watch the video and learn more at www.brandeis.edu/israelcenter/SIIS/index.html

Call for Nominations

The APSA Nominating Committee welcomes your suggestions for 2014 nominees for president-elect, vice president, secretary, and council member. Council members serve staggered two-year terms. The president-elect, vice presidents, and secretary serve one-year terms.

The nominating committee encourages all members of APSA to suggest fellow members for consideration. Those wishing to do so should explain why they believe the person's accomplishments, background, and views would make them a good choice for a leadership position. The nominating committee hopes to nominate a slate of accomplished scholars and practitioners who reflect the diverse membership of APSA. To achieve this goal, they rely on the membership to forward suggestions and recommendations. Please send suggestions to by January 17, 2014. Visit www.apsanet.org/nominations for more information.

The committee will develop a slate of candidates that will be announced in the spring of 2014.

Members of the nominating committee are James D. Fearon, Stanford University, Chair; Kerry L. Haynie, Duke University; Elizabeth Zechmeister, Vanderbilt University; Kristi Anderson, Syracuse University; Jeffrey Herbst, Colgate University; and Michael A. Jones-Correa, Cornell University.

Goodnow, Career Awards Nominations Open

The Goodnow Award and career awards are bestowed for significant achievements related to political science. The following awards will be awarded in 2014. Due date for the Goodnow Award nomination is March 15, 2014; other award nominations are due February 1, 2014.

The Frank J. Goodnow Award recognizes distinguished service to the profession and APSA, not necessarily a career of scholarship. This service may be by individuals, groups, and public and private organizations that have played a role in the development of the political science profession and the building of APSA.

APSA Distinguished Teaching Award honors outstanding contributions to undergraduate and/or graduate teaching of political science at two- and four-year institutions. The award recognizes contributions that have made a significant impact on the manner in which political science is taught or individual career contributions.

The John Gaus Award recognizes the recipient's lifetime of exemplary scholarship in the joint tradition of political science and public administration and, more generally, recognize achievement and encourage scholarship in public administration. The recipient delivers the Gaus Lecture at the APSA Annual Meeting.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Award recognizes notable public service by a political scientist.

The Carey McWilliams Award recognizes a person who has made a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics.

The James Madison Award recognizes an American political scientist who has made a distinguished scholarly contribution to political science. Given triennially.

To submit a nomination, visit www.apsanet.org/awards to complete and submit an electronic nomination form.

APSA headquarters staff hosted the first-ever “Trick-or-Read” event in late October at the APSA offices in Washington, DC. APSA offered a variety of books, old and new, to young professionals and political science graduate and undergraduate students during the day-long open house. In addition to helping grow the professional libraries of these individuals, the event featured reduced student membership rates for on-site joins, drawings for a variety of prizes, and festive “treats” throughout the day. The event offered great opportunities to network with APSA's internal political scientists, those in practice here in the metropolitan DC area, as well as other students at various stages in their careers. More than 70 attended. The event was cosponsored by the National Capital Area Political Science Association and Pi Sigma Alpha. (Photo courtesy of Richard Houston.)

Seeking APSA Committee Nominations

APSA president-elect Rodney E. Hero welcomes suggestions from members of various APSA standing committees for terms starting in September 2014. Typically, members of the standing committees serve a staggered three-year term, and members of the awards committees serve a one-year term. A list of all the committees follows:

Standing Committees (Three-year term)

  • Annual Meetings Committee

  • Annual Meeting Program Committee

  • Centennial Center Advisory Board

  • Civic Education and Engagement Committee

  • Congressional Fellowship Program Advisory Committee

  • Departmental Services Committee

  • Development Committee

  • International Political Science Committee

  • Nominating Committee

  • Organized Sections Committee

  • Professional Ethics, Rights and Freedoms Committee

  • Public Understanding of Political Science Ad Hoc Committee

  • Publications Committee

  • Siting and Engagement Committee

  • Status of Asian-Pacific Americans in the Profession Committee

  • Status of Blacks in the Profession Committee

  • Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession Committee

  • Status of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and the Transgendered (LGBT) in the Profession Committee

  • Status of Women in the Profession Committee

  • Teaching and Learning Committee

  • Teaching Conference Program Committee

  • Trust and Development Board of Trustees (terms start in January)

  • Workable Solutions to Advancing Women in the Profession Ad Hoc Committee

Award Committees (One-year term)

  • Charles E. Merriam Award

  • Carey McWilliams Award

  • Benjamin E. Lippincott Award

  • Hubert H. Humphrey Award

  • Ithiel de Sola Pool Award and Lectureship

  • James Madison Award and Lectureship

  • John Gaus Distinguished Award and Lectureship

  • APSA Distinguished Teaching Award

  • Heinz Eulau Award

  • Frankin L. Burdette / Pi Sigma Alpha Award

  • Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award

  • Victoria Schuck Award

  • Gladys M. Kammerer Award

  • Ralph J. Bunche Award

  • Leonard D. White Award

  • Leo Strauss Award

  • E. E. Schattschneider Award

  • Helen Dwight Reid Award

  • Harold D. Lasswell Award

  • Edward S. Corwin Award

  • William Anderson Award

  • Gabriel A. Almond Award

  • Frank J. Goodnow Award

Please send suggestions to by January 17, 2014. Visit www.apsanet.org/nominations for more information.

Apply for Small Research Grants

The Small Research Grant Program supports research in all fields of political science, and is designed to support the research of political scientists who are not employed at PhD-granting institutions. Applications for the 2013 cycle are accepted until February 1, 2014.

Prior grant recipients have been able to publish several books and book chapters, journal articles, working papers, and conference presentations as the result of the grants. They also report benefits to students, who have been able to serve as co-authors or research assistants on the grant-funded projects. Several recipients were also able to use the APSA grant as “seed money” to gain additional funding.

A few of these grants are awarded annually by the APSA Council on the basis of a peer-review process. For eligibility, applications, and other details visit www.apsanet.org/srg/.

Two Publication Reports Presented

Based on discussion presented at the APSA Council Meeting (October 2012), the council took action to investigate new publication options as well as review APSA current publications.

First, the APSA Publication Committee was charged with reviewing an e-journal proposal, remanded by the council to the Publications Committee. The committee thoroughly deliberated on the proposal and met in August. Their report to the APSA Council appears in the next pages of this issue.

Second, in October 2012, the APSA Council mandated the creation of the Publications Planning Ad Hoc Committee. It requested that President Jane Mansbridge

“appoint a special planning committee charged to look broadly at all the opportunities and issues, including those raised by the Publication Committee's report, and the wider issues of member need, electronic media opportunities, and the appropriate future of the different publications and communications of the association and report back to the Council with a recommendation as to how to proceed.”

The formal charge to the Publications Planning Committee was:

“to look broadly at the needs, opportunities, and issues for the future of scholarly publications and communications of the association, and to make recommendations for new initiatives or changes in approach…”

The report from this ad hoc planning committee also follows in the pages of this issue of PS.

Your comments on these reports can be sent by e-mail to .