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Minutes Section By-Laws

By-Laws
for the Politics and Literature Section of the
American Political Science Association
Amended, Fall 2006

I. Name

The name of the section is the Politics, Literature, and Film Section of the American Political Science Association.

II. Purpose

The purpose of the section is to foster the study of interaction between politics and literature, especially the way in which the study of literature can enrich our understanding of political life. The section also seeks to establish ties with organizations in other disciplines with similar aims.

III. Membership

A. All regular, student, family, retired, and life members of the American Political Science Association are eligible for membership in this section.

B. Associate membership in the section is available to all non-political scientists who share an interest in the relation between politics and literature.

C. Membership in the section is established by payment of annual section dues to the APSA or, for associate members, to the Secretary-Treasurer.

D. The dues for members and associate members will be set by the Executive Committee at the level necessary to cover expenses for elections and other services provided by the section.

IV. Governance

A. The section will be governed by an executive committee composed of a Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and two Members-at-Large.

B. The duties of these officers are as follows:

1. The Chair will preside at the section meeting at the annual meeting of the APSA; organize section meetings or panels as requested by the APSA council, by regional associations, or related disciplines; and take other actions requested by the Executive Committee or that are in the interest of the section. The Chair will serve a one-year term.

2. The Chair-Elect will assume some duties of the Chair when the Chair is not present at the annual section meeting; take action and assume responsibilities at the request of the Chair or Executive Committee; assume the postion of chair the second year of his or her term. And, to take other actions requested by the Executive Committee or that are in the interest of the section. The Chair-Elect will serve a one-year term.

3. The Secretary-Treasurer will maintain a record of actions of the Executive Committee and the annual section meeting; maintain the financial records of the section; communicate relevant information to the section membership; prepare an annual report for presentation to the American Political Science Association. And, to take other actions requested by the Executive Committee or that are in the interest of the section. The Secretary-Treasurer will usually serve for two years.

4. The Members-at-Large shall be responsible for bringing concerns of the membership of the section to the attention of the Executive Committee and for serving on or chairing any sub-committees the Executive Committee deems necessary. And, to take other actions requested by the Executive Committee or that are in the interest of the section. Beginning September 2004, one additional member-at-large will be elected from among the former Politics and Film group membership and will serve a two-year term that will end September 2006.

5. The Wilson Carey McWilliams Best Paper Award committee will be responsible for securing nominations by September 15, delivering and circulating papers, and determining a winner by March 1. The Chair of the Award committee will be the Chair of the Program from the previous year. The committee Chair is responsible for contacting panel chairs and discussants to solicit nominations, delivering and circulating the papers, and announcing the winner. The previous award winner will also serve on the award committee. A third member will be selected. The committee members will serve a one-year term.

C. The Election of officers shall proceed as follows:

1. At the first annual meeting of the section, a Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Member-at-Large shall be elected for one year terms; a Chair-Elect and Secretary-Elect shall be elected for two year terms. Nominations will be solicited from the floor.

2. Thereafter a Secretary-Treasurer will be elected for a two year term; and one chair-elect and two Members-at-Large will be elected for one year terms, at every annual meeting of the section.

3. Each March members of the Executive Committee will solicit nominations from the membership for new officers, and the Executive Committee will propose a list of candidates from whom officers will be elected at the annual business meeting.

4. The membership of the section should be informed of the election outcomes in the next section newsletter.

V. Amendments

The annual meeting of the section shall have the power to modify, alter, or amend the bylaws of the section by a majority vote.