Nominating Commitee Statement

2004 NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Margaret Keck, Johns Hopkins University (chair)
Frank Baumgartner, Pennsylvania State University
Stephen Holmes, New York University
Edmond Keller, University of California Los Angeles
Valerie Martinez-Ebers, Texas Christian University
Richard Snyder, Brown University

STATEMENT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR

The nominating committee, which I chaired, was a diverse group in many respects. Most of us did not know one another prior to our appointment on the committee. We understood our mandate as having two parts: first, to stimulate the nominating process so that we had as many potential nominees as possible and then to choose a slate composed of the best balance of people that would have the knowledge, experience and vision to lead our association at this critical time in our history. Regarding the first task, we worked with the APSA staff to inform the various organized groups within the association, as well as all of its members, of the opportunity to nominate members for council and for officers of the association, and the procedures for doing so. When by the first deadline we felt that we still could do better, we extended the deadline and sent out further notices, after which more nominations were in fact made. I also encouraged members of the committee to send in their own nominations before the committee meeting.

At our February meeting we considered over 200 nominations, for each of which we had biographical information either submitted with the original nomination letter or collected by the APSA staff. Many of the letters specifically addressed how the recommended individual would provide new leadership or transform the status quo in the association. We sought to have our nominees, when combined with the continuing council members nominated in 2003, reflect as broad a range of the discipline as possible. To this end, our deliberations took into account the following factors, among others: region, type of institution, size of institution, type of employment (in a political science department, in another university department, non-academic), political science subfield, gender, age cohort, racial and ethnic identifications, potential contributions in areas considered priorities by APSA (for example, internationalization of the association), professional renown, proven leadership ability, and past service to and knowledge of the association. We also wanted a variety of approaches to political science research. There was a great deal of very constructive (and not at all acrimonious) discussion among committee members on all of these issues, and we were collectively very satisfied with the results. The individuals we selected had the support of numerous colleagues and, in some cases, the support of multiple organized groups of colleagues. All of the nominees whom we asked to accept positions on the slate agreed to be nominated.

In my report to the annual meeting on the nominating process, I noted the importance of increasing the number of nominations of members from non-PhD granting institutions, so that in future slates this very large and underrepresented portion of association members can play a larger role. The committee thanks Michael Brintnall and Rebecca Myers for their skill, dedication, and organization, without which the work of this committee would not have been accomplished.