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Poised to be the largest meeting to date, the 106th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, brought together more than 7,000 political scientists from all over the world for a variety of programmatic, networking, and social events. From September 2–5, scholars gathered in the nation's capital to explore an exciting program aptly themed around finding solutions for these economically difficult times. 2010 Program Chairs Andrea Campbell, MIT, and Lisa Martin, University of Wisconsin–Madison, created a timely and provocative theme addressing the current economic and political world climate—”The Politics of Hard Times: Citizens, Nations, and the International System under Economic Stress,” which asked participants to consider what political science has to say about the impact of hard times on governments, and to examine the contribution of political science to policy development. What better city than Washington, DC, in which to gather and explore these topics?

With sessions and events scheduled in three venues—the Marriott Wardman Park, Omni Shoreham and Hilton Washington—meeting participants were on the move through several historic neighborhoods in Washington. Within walking distance of attractions like the National Zoo and Washington's National Cathedral, participants could also easily access DC's Metro system to explore the many museums, art galleries, and monuments available in Washington, DC. A representative from the Washington, DC, tourism organization was also on hand to help participants make dinner reservations, navigate nearby attractions, and provide maps and visitors' guides.

Wednesday's pre-convention professional day featured 25 short courses sponsored by organized sections, related groups, and other affiliated organizations. Topics ranged from multi-method research to gender equality and designing field research. Thursday marked the official beginning of the meeting with numerous panels and roundtable discussions, as well as several key events. The Awards Ceremony and Luncheon recognized more than 30 individuals for their outstanding books, dissertations, and notable career achievements. APSA also invited Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom to deliver an address entitled “Addressing the Theory of Collective Action from a Multiple Methods Perspective,” which was followed by the APSA Opening Reception. Attendees at the reception enjoyed a live band, hors d'oeuvres, and cocktails. In addition to these special events, the exhibit hall opened on Thursday and boasted one hundred political science publishers and related companies, a variety of sponsored coffee breaks and receptions, and a poster area.

Along with panels, poster sessions, meetings, and receptions, Friday included several notable talks, including an address delivered by APSA President Henry Brady entitled “Political Cleavages, Spatial Metaphors and Models, and Political Dynamics in the United States, Canada and the Soviet Union.” Friday also included a panel honoring Lee Sigelman and his contributions to political science followed by a reception sponsored by Cambridge University Press. Participants were also invited to attend the Foundations of Political Theory Plenary Address, delivered by David Harvey; the John Gaus Lecture, delivered by Steven Kelman; and the Ithiel de Sola Pool Lecture, delivered by Kristen Monroe. A reception honoring Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom also took place Friday evening and was co-sponsored by Indiana University, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and SAGE Publications.

On Saturday, attendees were invited to attend the APSA Annual Business and General Membership Meeting and were offered a chance to participate in APSA governance. Attendees witnessed the leadership transition, as President Henry Brady passed the gavel to President-Elect Carole Pateman. Participants also had the opportunity to attend the New Political Science Plenary Address delivered by Gary Rhoades entitled “A National Campaign for Academic Labor: Reframing the Politics of Scarcity in Higher Education.” The meeting officially concluded on Sunday at noon.

APSA would like to thank all the organizations that supported the 2010 Annual Meeting, including all our exhibitors and sponsors. Meeting sponsors included Cambridge University Press, Soomo Publishing, CQ Press, C-SPAN, SAGE, Pi Sigma Alpha, Bank of America, Pearson, Routledge, Lynn Rienner Publishers, Liberty Fund, and Emerald Group.

All photos courtesy Mike Moffa

Henry Brady delivered the Presidential Address on Friday afternoon, entitled “Political Cleavages, Spatial Metaphors and Models, and Political Dynamics in the United States, Canada, and the Soviet Union.”

APSA's 106th Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Washington, DC, built around the theme of “The Politics of Hard Times,” was the largest meeting in the organization's history, attracting over 7,000 participants.

The Workshop for Department Chairs on “Making the Case for Political Science” was chaired by Graham K. Wilson (left) and featured panelists Theda Skocpol (far right), Cornelius M. Kerwin (second from left), David Adamany (not pictured), and Howard J. Silver (third from left).

Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom delivered a plenary address entitled “Addressing the Theory of Collective Action from a Multiple Methods Perspective.”

Graduate students mingled and enjoyed themselves at the graduate student happy hour.

The Committee on the Status of Blacks in the Profession held a reception Friday evening.

Many posters were presented in the Exhibit Hall of the Marriott Wardman Park.

Steven Kelman delivered the John Gaus Lecture, entitled “If You Want to Be a Good Fill-in-the-Blank Manager, Be a Good Plain-Vanilla Manager.”

Brenda Canter, executive director of the college publishing group for APSA sponsor CQ Press, stands with Jerry Goldman, winner of the CQ Press Teaching Award.

A panel was held to honor the memory of Lee Sigelman.

The Exhibit Hall featured vendors from one hundred of the top publishers in the discipline.

A group of scholars from the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute shared their experiences at a coffee hour.