Article I: Name

This Association shall be known as The American Political Science Association.

Article II: Purpose

1. 1. %It shall be the purpose of this association to encourage the study of Political Science, including Political Theory, Political Institutions, Politics, Public Law, Public Administration, and International Relations.

2. 2. The Association as such is nonpartisan. It will not support political parties or candidates. It will not commit its members on questions of public policy nor take positions not immediately concerned with its direct purpose as stated above. But the Association nonetheless actively encourages in its membership and its journals, research in and concern for significant contemporary political and social problems and policies, however controversial and subject to partisan discourse in the community at large these may be. The Association shall not be barred from adopting resolutions or taking such other action as it deems appropriate in support of academic freedom and of freedom of expression by and within the Association, the political science profession, and the university, when in its judgment such freedom has been clearly and seriously violated or is clearly and seriously threatened.

Article III: Membership

1. 1. Annual Members. Any person sharing the objects of this Association may become a member upon payment of annual dues. All classes of dues, including life membership and reduced annual dues for retired members and students shall be set by the Council.

2. 2. Life Members. Any person paying dues of a life member in a lump sum, or in installments spread over not more than ten years, shall become a Life Member of this Association and thereafter be exempt from further dues.

3. 3. Student Members. Any graduate or undergraduate student registered in a college or university may become a Student Member of the Association upon payment of dues and may remain such while he or she is so registered, but for no more than five years, by paying annual dues.

4. 4. Family Members. Another person in the family of a member may become a Family Member upon payment of dues, and may remain such as long as there is another Association member in the family, by paying annual dues.

5. 5. Retired Members. Any member who has been a member for twenty-five years prior to retirement shall be entitled, on retirement, to continue membership at the retired members dues rate.

6. 6. Institutional and Library Memberships. The dues and privileges of Institutional and Library Members shall be fixed by the Council but dues may not be less than those for Annual Members.

7. 7. Privileges of Members. Each member, other than a Family Member, shall be entitled to a copy of each number of the American Political Science Review issued during his or her membership. All members, upon payment of such registration fee as the Council may approve, shall be entitled to attend and to participate in the Annual Business Meeting of the Association.

Article IV: Officers

1. 1. The officers of the Association shall be a President, a President-Elect, three Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and sixteen elected members of a Council, all of whom shall be elective officers and who shall represent the Association in its corporate capacity. In addition, there shall be an Executive Director of the Association, a Managing Editor of the American Political Science Review and such other appointive officers and committees as are hereinafter provided for.

2. 2. The elective officers, together with the Executive Director, the Managing Editor, and the Chair of the Program Committee, shall constitute the Council of the Association. Ex-Presidents of the Association, and upon invitation of the President, the chair of any committee of the Association and nominees to the next year's Council, may attend meetings of the Council and participate in its discussions but have no vote.

3. 3. The President, the President-Elect, the Treasurer, and four other elected members of the Council appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Council shall constitute the Administrative Committee of the Council.

Article V: Elective Officers

1. 1. The elective officers, except the President, shall be chosen by vote of the members of the Association attending the Annual Business Meeting, a quorum being present, provided that whenever there is a contest for any elected office or offices such elections shall be conducted by mail ballot of the entire individual membership. In the latter event the Executive Director shall distribute ballots within thirty (30) days following the Annual Business Meeting and under such other conditions as the Council may prescribe, and he or she shall count only ballots returned within thirty (30) days following distribution; each contested election, except as specified below for the President-Elect, shall be determined by a plurality of those voting on the particular office; if the number of nominees for the set of vice-presidencies or for Council membership exceeds the number of offices constitutionally to be filled, all such nominees shall appear on the mail ballot, members shall be entitled to vote for a number equal to the number of offices in the set, and the nominees ranking highest in the poll, in a number equal to the number of offices, shall be declared elected. The President-Elect shall be chosen by the above method only if there are two and only two nominees for the office. Should there be three or more nominees for President-Elect, ballots for that office shall be so designed as to enable members to designate their rank-ordered preferences by placing numbers beside the names of the nominees (“1” for first preference, “2” for second preference, and so on for each nominee). If no nominee receives at least fifty-percent-plus-one of the first preferences, other preferences shall be added from the first-preference ballots of each eliminated nominee according to the standard method of the alternative vote system, which shall be prescribed by the Council in advance of nominations, until one nominee receives at least fifty-percent-plus-one of the aggregated preferences and is declared the winner. The President-Elect shall automatically succeed to the office of President upon the completion of the President's term, or upon the occurrence of one of the contingencies provided for in section 3 of this article. The terms of elective officers, except members of the Council and the Treasurer, shall extend for one year measured from the end of the program of the Annual Meeting, except that an officer's term shall in no event expire until his or her successor assumes office. The terms of members of the Council shall extend for two years, similarly calculated, and one-half shall expire each year. The term of the Treasurer shall also extend for two years, similarly calculated.

2. 2. After each annual meeting the President shall appoint with the advice and consent of the Council and with due regard to geographical distribution and the fields of professional interest, three members to a Nominating Committee of six, to serve for two-year terms; and he or she shall designate the chair. The Committee may canvass the membership directly or indirectly for suggestions, and shall submit to the next Annual Business Meeting one nomination for each elective office to be filled, except the Presidency. These nominations shall be announced to the membership, by any convenient means, well in advance of the Annual Meeting. Additional nominations, sponsored by at least 10 members of the Association, may be offered from the floor at the Annual Business Meeting, upon 24 hours advance notice to the Secretary.

3. 3. In case of death, resignation, or inability of the President to perform the duties of his or her office, the President-Elect shall immediately succeed him or her and shall be President for the remainder of the term unless that is less than four months, in which case he or she shall serve out the unexpired term and one additional year. In case of an interim vacancy in the office of President-Elect, the Nominating Committee shall forthwith proceed to nominate and the Council shall elect a new President-Elect to serve until the end of the next Annual Meeting. Actions to fill a vacancy may in case of need be taken by mail, telegraph, or telephone, without a meeting. At the next Annual Business Meeting the Association shall confirm the Council's action by electing the President-Elect to the office of President or instead may elect another member as President, or may take such other action as in its discretion the situation may require, to the end that there shall be in office at all times both a President and a President-Elect. The Council may fill any interim vacancy in its elective membership until the end of the next Annual Meeting.

4. 4. The elective officers, except the Secretary and the Treasurer, shall be ineligible to succeed themselves in office. After a lapse of two years, a former member of the Council may be elected to another term.

5. 5. Nominations for the office of Treasurer should be from among members of the Association who, at the time of nomination, are serving as members of the Council or who have completed service during the preceding year.

Article VI: Appointive Officers

1. 1. The Executive Director of the Association and the Managing Editor of the American Political Science Review shall be appointed by the Council, after it hears the recommendation of the President. They shall have terms to be fixed in each case by the Council; and they shall be eligible for reappointment.

2. 2. There shall be a Board of Editors of the American Political Science Review to assist the Managing Editor, and the Council may determine its size, method of appointment, and tenure.

3. 3. The Council may establish other offices, boards and committees, as the business of the association may require, define their tasks and powers, and fix their terms and methods of appointment.

Article VII: Management of Association and Duties of Officers

1. 1. The membership of the Association duly assembled in the Annual Business Meeting or in a special meeting called shall consider policy questions brought to it, and may vote to confirm, revise, or repeal the action of the Council, or any officer. Whenever one-third or more of those present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting vote to repeal, revise, or substitute the judgment of the Meeting for an act or recommendation of the Council or of any officer, the question shall be submitted to the entire membership in a mailed, secret ballot under conditions prescribed by the Council and shall be determined by a majority of those voting by mail on the question. One hundred members shall constitute a quorum for the Annual Business Meeting. The Association shall meet annually at a time and place designated by the Council. The Council and the officers shall make every effort to acquaint the members with the business of the Association and with the issues involved in the agenda of the Annual Business Meeting or in a ballot by mail, and to provide sufficient time at business meetings for deliberations and votes.

2. 2. Subject to the foregoing, the Council shall be the governing body of the Association and have general charge and supervision of its business and interests in accordance with this Constitution. The Council shall meet once a year before the Annual Business Meeting, and oftener at its discretion or on call of the President. Nine members shall constitute a quorum, and a majority vote of the members in attendance shall control its decisions. The Council may call special meetings of the Association. It shall receive reports of all officers and committees; adopt the budget and appropriate money; and give its recommendations upon all questions (except the election of officers) to be presented to the Annual Business Meeting. It shall receive an annual audit of the Association's accounts. It may give directions to officers and committees, and adopt the rules for the regulation of the Association's business. In the event of an emergency which prevents the holding of the Annual Business Meeting, the Council may exercise all the powers of the Association including the election of officers.

3. 3. The President shall preside at business meetings of the Association and the Council. Except as may be otherwise provided, he or she shall appoint all committees of the Association. He or she shall see to it that the business of the Association is faithfully transacted.

4. 4. The Secretary shall approve and have custody of the minutes of business meetings, of the Council and of the Association; and he or she shall report the actions of the Council to the Annual Business Meeting.

5. 5. The Treasurer shall review and approve the arrangements for the receipt, custody, and disbursement of Association funds, and for keeping the Association's accounts. He or she shall arrange for the annual audit, and present the auditor's report to the Council. He or she shall report the Association's financial condition to the Annual Business Meeting. He or she shall review the Association's investments and make recommendations of investment policy to the Council. He or she shall seek to advance the interests of the Association in adding to its financial resources.

6. 6. The Managing Editor of the American Political Science Review shall edit and publish the Review, with the advice and assistance of the Board of Editors, and report its affairs to the Council.

7. 7. The Executive Director shall be the chief executive officer of the Association and transact its business. He or she shall have charge of the central office of the Association. He or she shall formulate plans and policies for the accomplishment of the Association's objectives, and upon the approval of the Council shall be responsible for their administration. All appointive committees shall look to him or her for advice and assistance in their work. He or she shall have custody of the Association's funds, discharge its obligations and maintain its accounts. He or she shall make an annual report to the Council and consult with the President as questions of policy currently arise.

8. 8. A Program Committee shall be responsible for preparing the professional program of the annual meetings of the Association. A Committee on Local Arrangements shall be responsible for assistance with accommodations and entertainment for members attending the annual meetings.

9. 9. The Association Trust and Development Fund shall be administered by a Board of Trustees. The Treasurer of the Association shall serve ex-officio as Chair of the Board. Six other Trustees shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Council. No more than two of the appointive Trustees shall be currently serving as members of the Council. Each appointed member shall serve for a term of three years and be eligible for one additional three-year term, for a maximum service of six years. Of the first six appointments to the Board, two shall have three-year terms; two two-year terms; and two one-year terms as determined by drawing lots at the first meeting of the Board. Thereafter, two appointed members' terms shall expire on the first day of January of each year. The Fund shall consist of all endowment and trust funds and such other funds as may be assigned to it by the Council, and with appropriate professional advice, the Board of Trustees shall direct the investment of the Fund's resources. On the first day of July of each year, the Board of Trustees shall assign to the Association's general operating funds all moneys from interest and dividends earned by the Fund since the first day of July in the preceding year. At least once annually, the Board shall publicly issue an official accounting of the Fund's receipts, investments, and expenditures. The Council may, at its pleasure, assign any surpluses from the general operating funds to the Trust and Development Fund. No appropriation shall be made from the Fund's capital except (1) upon a request of the Council approved by at least four members of the Board of Trustees; or (2) if the Council so directs at a subsequent Council meeting, after hearing the position of the Board of Trustees. The Board shall act upon any request of the Council within thirty (30) days of the Council meeting at which the request is first made.

10. Other committees may be created, for stated periods and stipulated assignments. They shall report to the Council and thereupon be discharged. Unless specifically approved by the Association or the Council for that purpose, their reports shall not be deemed to state the views of the Association nor commit it in any way.

Article VIII: Resolutions

Resolutions may be proposed by any member of the Association under conditions prescribed by the Council. All resolutions shall be referred to the Council for its recommendations before submission to the vote of the Association at its Annual Business Meeting. Notice of this provision shall be given to the members of the Association in advance of the Annual Meeting. Whenever one-third or more of those present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting vote in support of any resolution, the question shall be submitted to the entire membership in a mailed secret ballot under conditions prescribed by the Council and shall be determined by a majority of those voting by mail on the question.

Article IX: Amendments

1. 1. Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed by the Council or by fifty (50) members of the Association. The Council shall transmit all proposed amendments to the next Annual Business Meeting and may make recommendations on those amendments originating outside the Council.

2. 2. The Council shall have any proposed amendment printed in an official publication of the Association prior to the next Annual Business Meeting. The Council shall then place the proposed amendment on the agenda of the Business Meeting. The Business Meeting may accept or reject the proposed amendment with or without further amendments to it. Within thirty (30) days the Executive Director shall submit amendments supported by at least forty percent of those members present and voting at the Annual Business Meeting to the entire membership for vote by mail ballot. Ballots must be returned within thirty (30) days to be counted. A proposed amendment shall be ratified if approved by a majority of those voting. An amendment shall take effect immediately upon ratification unless the amendment itself provides otherwise.