Division Chair(s): Michelle Clarke, Dartmouth College; Alexander Duff, UT Austin

We invite proposals for panels, papers, and roundtables in light of this year’s theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” The history of political thought offers a range of resources for studying the divisions and disorders of political life. We are particularly interested in proposals that address the subject of political conflict, especially in connection with stories of peoplehood and new constructions of political power. How might past accounts of the sources of division and disorder contribute to the diagnosis of contemporary political pathologies? What does ‘the people’ mean in the presence of inequality or injustice? How can the history of political ideas inform our efforts to re-imagine people, power, and politics? We welcome proposals from scholars at all stages of the profession and appreciate proposals that include scholars from varied career levels.

Division Chair(s): William Roberts, McGill University; Alyssa Battistoni, Barnard College; Erin Piñeda, Smith College

The Foundations of Political Theory Division invites panel and paper submissions on all topics related to political theory, regardless of disciplinary perspective. We particularly encourage submissions that address this year’s theme of “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” including papers and panels that clarify the conceptual vocabulary of crisis, examine theoretical and historical precedents for ongoing crises, or propose models for understanding politics, power, and/or peoplehood in the present. In keeping with APSA’s commitments to academic freedom, we welcome proposals that address controversial and difficult political matters in a scholarly way. We strongly encourage cohesive panel proposals, especially those that bring together diverse groups of scholars.

Division Chair(s): Julia Maskivker, Rollins College

The Normative Theory Division welcomes papers and panel proposals that address classic and contemporary problems in normative political theory and philosophy. We are especially open, but not limited, to submissions that connect with this year’s conference theme: “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” These might concern topics such as democratic rights and group rights, state legitimacy and nationhood, collective determination and liberalism, democratic theory and realism, the relationship between theories of power and democracy’s justification, theories of just war, equality and democratic participation in times of crisis, and many more. We encourage proposals from a variety of methodological and theoretical perspectives, from scholars at every career stage, and are especially interested in submissions from those who have been historically underrepresented in our field.

Division Chair(s): Brenton Kenkel, Vanderbilt University; Jack Paine, Emory University

The Formal Political Theory division welcomes paper, poster and panel proposals that use or draw on formal theory to study political questions. We especially encourage substantively cohesive panel proposals, papers with ties to other subfields, and papers or panel proposals that relate to the theme of the 2025 APSA Meeting: “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” This call is meant to be as inclusive as possible on several dimensions. We aim to put together a program with a wide range of substantive applications, types of formal theory (game theory, social choice theory, computational modeling, behavioral modeling, structural estimation), and combinations of formal theory with other methodologies. We also encourage panel proposals which bring together theoretical and empirical papers on the same topic.

Division Chair(s): Carly Wayne, Washington University-St. Louis; Fabian Neuner, Arizona State University

We welcome paper, panel, and roundtable proposals that address core questions in political psychology from the perspective of both basic and applied research. In keeping with the major theme of the conference, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” we are particularly interested in work that addresses how citizens and governing institutions respond to crises in democratic and non-democratic contexts. This includes scholarship that tackles topics related to citizen mobilization and engagement in politics, intergroup relations, elite decision-making, conflict processes, authoritarianism, and polarization and populism, among other topics. As always, we look forward to receiving proposals that explore the psychology of individuals and groups, including inter- and intra-group dynamics, cognition, social norms and values, emotions, and social identity. Given APSA’s goals of increasing diversity, inclusion, and access throughout the profession, we encourage a diversity of approach and interdisciplinarity from a wide-ranging group of researchers. Additionally, we are interested in providing a forum for high-quality feedback for scholars who would otherwise have a hard time accessing it, for example graduate students in less well resourced departments and scholars based at universities in developing countries. To this end, please indicate your interest in this initiative as part of your application (this can be included at the end of the abstract).

Division Chair(s): Melissa Rogers, Claremont Graduate University; Abhishek Chatterjee, University of Montana

The Political Economy division invites submissions on political economy, broadly defined. We especially welcome submissions that relate to elements of this year’s theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” through a political economy framework. For example, how have ruling elites responded to the crises of our times, including recession, pandemic, migration of refugees, and international conflict? How do political and economic factors affect the public’s attitudes during times of crisis? How have crises changed political power dynamics, from a partisan, sectoral, or spatial perspective? How have nations innovated to respond to new political challenges that emerge with crisis, and what have been their institutional consequences? Submissions should also feel free to investigate the very concept of “crisis” (e.g., what constitutes a crisis? What are the subjective and inter-subjective elements that factor into the recognition of something as a crisis? We will pay particular attention to proposals for substantively cohesive panels and mini-conferences, as well as paper submissions that highlight the diversity of approaches and topics that have historically characterized this section.

Division Chair(s): Timothy Weaver, SUNY-Albany; Gwendoline Alphonso, Fairfield University

The Politics and History Division invites panel and paper submissions on topics related to politics and history from various disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, including works in and across the fields of comparative politics, American politics, international relations, and political theory. We encourage submissions on topics related to politics and history broadly conceived, including political development and stasis, state building and state capture, the history of ideas and of identity, international order formation and disruption, and also extending to work that is methodological in substance, examining issues of change and continuity, as well as those of conceptualization and measurement. The section particularly encourages submissions that address this year’s theme of Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times, including papers and panels that help us understand and reimagine the possibilities of politics, using tools of historical explanation and interpretation to examine how illiberal and/or populist politics, divisions along lines of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, nation, generation and class, and institutional weakening during times of crisis shape political development and constitute the human experience of power and peoplehood. The Division is committed to constructing a program that utilizes a diversity of APSA’s various formats, including lightning rounds, featured paper panels, and cafes and encourages submissions from graduate students, independent scholars, junior and senior scholars from all institutions, including research and teaching, graduate and undergraduate institutions, community colleges, HBCUs and TCUs. For full panel submissions, the Division values proposals that maintain and strengthen the Division’s commitments to an inclusive and diverse discipline.

Division Chair(s): Erin Hartman, Berkeley; Santiago Olivella, UNC

The political methodology division welcomes proposals addressing all aspects of empirical methodology. We encourage proposals dealing with measurement, statistical modeling, causal inference, research design, machine learning, computational methods, survey methodology, and theory development and testing. We welcome individual proposals and fully formed panels that develop or advance methodological approaches, as well as those that are innovative applications of existing methods. This year’s conference theme —“Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” — provides ample opportunities to present methodological advances in the study of mis/disinformation (both on- and offline), polarization, social unrest, and social identities (to name just a few examples), as well as interventions that can help polities reimagine what is possible in these areas. While proposals need not specifically address this year’s conference theme, those that do (as well as proposals with potential ties to other divisions) are especially welcome. We encourage all scholars, including those who don’t typically consider the section, to apply.

If you are reading this call and are wondering if you are invited to apply—you are!

Division Chair(s): Justin Lance, Presbyterian College; Najja Baptist, University of Arkansas

What is the role of political science education in a hyper-polarized world characterized by propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation? What obligation do we have as political science educators to help reverse the nativist and authoritarian tendencies that we see happening in the world around us? How can we directly address the shifts in technology, society, and the economy that are affecting both the political world but also the political science classroom? In a world that is increasingly chaotic, political scientists must be at the forefront in both explaining the changes that are occurring in the world around us, but must also be developing pragmatic and coherent solutions to the problems at hand with students and practitioners around the world.

This section looks forward to proposals that highlight innovative and ongoing pedagogical development in the field of political science education that helps explore the role of political science education in the world today. We are especially interested in contributions that directly connect with this year’s theme and can help to break down nativist and authoritarian trends among the population today, combat rampant disinformation in the world around us, and that engage our obligation to sharpen critical thinking skills that yields more conflict resolution in civic engagement. We welcome a diversity of approaches and interdisciplinarity from a wide-ranging collection of researchers.

Division Chair(s): Pepper Culpepper, Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University; Didi Kuo, Stanford University

We welcome innovative papers and panels dealing with any of the established and emerging research themes in comparative politics, including those that overlap with or engage other sub-fields. In line with this year’s meeting theme, we invite submissions that bring the tools of comparative politics to bear on “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Comparative politics has much to say about considerations of power and how it exercised, in both settled and unsettled times. We hope to receive many papers and panels that highlight these contributions, particularly on topics related to information exchange, civic and social organization, and transnational problems. One aim of the Comparative Politics section is to spark productive conversations across methodological and other conventional lines of inquiry, so we particularly welcome panels that bring together different sorts of evidence and research approaches to deal with a common intellectual question. In short, we want to provide a forum for discussion of comparative political research that is important and creative. Send us great work and let us showcase it to the world!

Division Chair(s): Tasha Fairfield, LSE; Aditya Dasgupta, UC Merced

The Comparative Politics of Developing Countries Division invites paper and panel proposals focused on the politics of low- and middle-income countries. We seek proposals that pose important substantive questions and make compelling theoretical and empirical contributions to our understanding of developing countries. Submissions may focus on any substantive area of comparative politics, and we especially encourage research related to the annual meeting theme: “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” We encourage cohesive panel proposals and welcome diverse methodological approaches and disciplinary perspectives. We particularly welcome scholarship that engages and is accessible to broad public audiences outside of the academy.

Division Chair(s): Hannah Chapman, University of Oklahoma; Steven Wilson, Brandeis University; Lynette Ong, University of Toronto

Division 13, Politics of Communist and Former Communist Countries, invites submissions that contribute to the study of communist and former communist countries. We encourage substantively cohesive panel proposals and papers that relate to the theme of the 2025 APSA Meeting: “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” We welcome well-organized panel proposals and other formats such as roundtables and author-meets-critics sessions that bring together scholars diverse in theoretical and methodological approaches, gender, rank, and nationality, including scholars in these regions. We invite panels and papers that examine how crisis moments reshape political structures and power relations, as well as how they transform conceptions of peoplehood and collective identity in communist and post-communist contexts. We are especially interested in how these societies navigate challenges of misinformation, institutional distrust, and weakened political institutions while reimagining collective identities and state-society relations. With respect to current regimes, we welcome papers and panels that study institutional resilience, responses to global challenges, and evolving power dynamics between state and society. We welcome papers that examine single-country case studies or cross-country comparison of communist or former communist states as long as they are theoretically grounded and empirically sound.

Division Chair(s): Chitralekha Basu, University of Cologne; Spyros Kosmidis, University of Oxford

In today’s advanced industrial democracies, political and social cleavages have become increasingly pronounced, shaped by divisions that are potentially further politicized by the pervasive influence of misinformation and disinformation, and often amplified by digital technologies. At the same time, trust in traditional institutions erodes, populist and authoritarian movements gain traction, and the ability of democratic societies to effectively address complex challenges has been severely compromised. The Comparative Politics of Advanced Industrial Societies section welcomes proposals on a wide range of topics related to contemporary challenges to government institutions, political processes, political parties, public opinion, and public policies.

We encourage a diversity of empirical approaches: comparative and single-country, descriptive and causal, and quantitative and qualitative analyses. We encourage proposals from women, people of color, non-binary, and early-career scholars. We also encourage those who want to submit complete panels to have this in mind when they select papers, discussants and chairs. In accordance with this year’s theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times”, we welcome papers that provide theoretical and evidence-based insights into the interaction between institutions, political actors and citizens in advanced industrial societies during crisis times. Papers could address, for example, how citizens, political actors and institutions in these societies have responded to the opportunities and challenges created by new digital technologies, or to societal challenges such as inequality, climate change, or authoritarian populism.

Division Chair(s): Sara Goodman, UC Irvine

European countries are struggling with rising nativism and authoritarianism, which have undermined political institutions, fragmented civil societies, and fostered a “”post-truth”” political environment. This weakening of institutional effectiveness has severely impacted the ability of both national and supranational bodies to address pressing issues such as climate change, migration, economic disparity, and regional conflict. These challenges have not only impeded collective action but also strengthened illiberal and populist movements throughout the region. The erosion of trust in democratic processes and the breakdown of consensus on critical issues further complicate efforts to tackle these crises, underscoring the urgent need for new approaches to political engagement and governance.

What historical and contemporary factors have contributed to the rise of nativism and authoritarianism in Europe, and how do they intersect with current political dynamics? How have shifts in technology, such as the rise of social media and digital misinformation, influenced the political landscape in Europe? In what ways are economic changes, including inequality and economic insecurity, reshaping political allegiances and discourses across European countries? What role do national identities and narratives play in either exacerbating or alleviating the current divisions within European politics?

The European Politics & Society division welcomes papers and panels on these topics (and more). Thematically coherent and diverse panel submissions have a much better chance of acceptance than individual paper submissions.

Division Chair(s): Rebecca Perlman, UC Berkeley; Robert Gulotty, University of Chicago

The section on International Political Economy welcomes proposals for papers, panels, and roundtables on a broad range of topics, including but not limited to, trade, finance, migration, labor, international development, or international regulatory issues. Submissions that incorporate this year’s theme of “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” are especially encouraged. These might include studies that examine the global technological, social, environmental, and economic forces that affect attachment to political communities and political inclusivity. We welcome contributions and engagement from scholars with diverse research backgrounds. We welcome proposals from scholars at all stages of the profession and appreciate panel proposals that include scholars from across the ranks.

Division Chair(s): Heidi Hardt, UC Irvine; Mark Pollack, Temple University

Our section defines International Collaboration as attempts by and among states and non-state actors through formal and informal means to craft joint solutions to international challenges. This includes the formation of alliances, international and regional organizations, collective security organizations, and the establishment of peacekeeping missions and military operations; development assistance and trade and financial cooperation; protection of human rights and the environment; and development of international law and courts. We are also interested in how and why international institutions in similar issue areas collaborate among themselves, or fail to do so, and how different norms shape these institutions. We also seek to understand how gender, race and other social constructions and identities affect international collaboration. We invite proposals in all of these areas, and particularly those in line with APSA’s 2025 theme, such as research exploring how states and non-state actors contribute to, respond to, and change after crises (e.g. emerge, learn, reform, collapse). Our section is committed to promoting demographic, substantive, intellectual, pedagogical, methodological, and institutional diversity.

Division Chair(s): Stephen Grenier, Johns Hopkins University

The 2025 APSA Annual Meeting theme – “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” – is an opportunity to examine challenges to political, economic, cultural, and social norms. These developments offer exciting opportunities for research. Division 19, International Security, welcomes individual paper, panel, and roundtable proposals on conflict and security issues, broadly defined. These topics include but are not limited to coercion; deterrence; alliances and security institutions; civil-military relations; gender, ethnicity, and culture; international development; terrorism; war and peace causation; information warfare; transnational organized crime; proliferation; civil and regional war; nuclear weapons; terrorism; polarity; insurgency; peace operations; arms control; intelligence; and the changing character of war. Recognizing that international security encompasses a diverse collection of academic disciplines, proposals that utilize interdisciplinary theoretical or methodological approaches will be favored.

Panel proposals should include five (5) presenters, two discussants, and a chair. This format will support the section’s goal of maximizing the number of people who can participate in the conference and creates opportunities for junior scholars to gain valuable experience serving in a panel leadership position. Ideally, the “discussant team” will include a senior or mid-career scholar who is willing to work with a less experienced colleague to collectively provide feedback to panelists.

Division Chair(s): Dov Levin, University of Hong Kong; Chad Nelson, Brigham Young University

The APSA Foreign Policy section invites paper, panel, and roundtable submissions for the 2025 Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. We welcome submissions that investigate the multiple facets of foreign policy decision-making conduct and analysis, and that use a range of theoretical and methodological approaches. Country or regional focus is open.

Submissions that focus on this year’s theme of “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” are especially welcome. They might propose, for example, studies that examine the effects of partisan/ideological, ethnic/national, racial, gender, and generational divisions and polarization on the formulation and implementation of foreign policy. Studies that analyze crisis diplomacy or public diplomacy may also be proposed. It may also investigate the effects of foreign interference in general, or through propaganda and disinformation in particular, as a tool of foreign policy or on the conduct of foreign policy.

Submissions that consider other aspects of this year’s theme or that propose to explore other relevant topics of foreign policy analysis are also welcome. The section recognizes the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation. We encourage submissions from scholars from marginalized and under-represented groups, including but not limited to scholars from the Global South, teaching-oriented institutions, scholars of color, LGBTQA scholars, and early career and non-tenure track scholars.

Division Chair(s): David Cunningham, University of Maryland; Jessica Stanton, Temple University

The Conflict Processes section invites paper, panel, and roundtable proposals broadly related to the outbreak, prevention, dynamics, and legacies of political conflict. This year’s conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” draws attention to the many crises facing populations around the globe, including ongoing violent intrastate, interstate, and transnational conflicts. These conflicts have dramatic implications for millions, precipitating humanitarian catastrophes that often persist long after violent conflict has ended. In what ways is conflict changing globally, and what are the factors contributing to these changes? How does polarization at the individual, communal, and societal level impact the likelihood, types, and patterns of violence in countries around the world? How do legacies of discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion shape politics and violence in the present day? How might societal divisions and the weakening of democracy impact conflicts and their dynamics worldwide? In what ways can political science inform our understanding of these conflicts and the ability of international actors to respond to them? We welcome proposals from a broad array of theoretical and empirical approaches that are focused on increasing our understanding of conflict processes.

Division Chair(s): Tracy Osborn, University of Iowa; Daniel Magleby, Binghamton University (SUNY)

The Legislative Studies division welcomes paper, panel, and roundtable proposals about legislative studies widely considered – around the world and at multiple levels of government. We especially encourage submissions to consider the theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Legislatures are the fundamental institutions of many countries, international groups, and subnational units because they link the people with their representatives. Yet, many of the legislative institutions face problems like challenges from the ideological edges, incorporating diverse people and opinions, and maintaining lawmaking power amid shifting government conditions. We encourage submissions to think about innovative data and methods, underrepresented groups, and comparisons across time and/or institutional characteristics.

Division Chair(s): Lauren Mattioli, Boston University

Crisis times can reveal a need for presidential action, stress-test bureaucratic systems, and enable shifts in the institutional boundaries of executive power. Scholars of presidents and executive politics are therefore well positioned to submit papers on the theme of this year’s APSA meeting, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” The Presidents and Executive Politics (PEP) section invites thematically relevant paper and panel submissions, as well as those which explore or reimagine enduring questions in the field, regardless of theoretical or methodological orientation. PEP enthusiastically welcomes submissions on the executive’s role in interbranch relations, public policy, communications, public opinion, and electoral politics, which can facilitate collaborative sessions across APSA divisions.

Division Chair(s): Sanghee Park, Indiana University-Indianapolis

The Public Administration Division invites paper and panel proposals for the 2025 APSA Annual Meeting. This year’s conference theme calls on us to critically examine the crises defining our world today—ranging from racial and partisan divides to climate change and global pandemics—and to explore how public administration can contribute to addressing these profound challenges. The Public Administration Division seeks proposals that emphasize inclusion, integration, and collaboration in reimagining the role of public administration in these critical times. We welcome theoretically grounded and methodologically rigorous proposals that explore a broad spectrum of topics, including but not limited to:

• How can public administration foster inclusion and integration in a polarized society?
• What roles do social equity, fairness, legitimacy, and justice play in the public sector’s response to crises?
• How can the relationship between politics and administration be reimagined to promote democratic values and effective governance?
• How can public administration enhance citizen engagement, participation, and co-production to improve democratic governance?
• What strategies can enhance collaboration across government, non-profits, and the private sector to address pressing societal challenges?
• What innovative approaches can strengthen bureaucratic accountability while reducing administrative burden?
• How can public administration improve government performance, effectiveness, and efficiency in the face of global and local challenges?
• How can public administration address employee motivation, incentives, and performance to enhance organizational effectiveness?
• What strategies can public administration employ to tackle external and environmental challenges, and what opportunities do these challenges present?
• How will advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence, reshape public administration, and how can the field adapt to these changes?
• How can different service delivery modes contribute to achieving inclusive and effective governance across various policy areas?

Beyond these questions, we encourage proposals that bridge the gap between theory and practice, integrate insights from various disciplines, and engage with contemporary debates in public administration and beyond. We welcome contributions that highlight the experiences and perspectives of underrepresented groups.

Looking forward to meeting you in Vancouver, Canada! For any questions or additional information, please contact the Division Chair, Dr. Sanghee Park at sangheep@iu.edu.

Division Chair(s): Markie McBrayer, University of Idaho

Contemporary politics are increasingly characterized by inequities and divisions that shape policymaking, policy distribution, and outcomes. As we grapple with pressing crises—such as climate change, pandemics, wealth inequality, conflict, and misinformation—there is a pressing need to reevaluate how policy can be both effective and equitable. Many individuals, groups, and governments are struggling to deliver policies that genuinely enhance the lives of constituents, particularly those from marginalized communities.

In this era of rapid and profound transformation, we invite policy scholars to explore how policy provision and delivery might disrupt these crises and offer innovative solutions. We seek proposals that address how policies can be reimagined to confront these challenges and improve outcomes for diverse populations.
Submissions are encouraged from a broad range of policy domains, including but not limited to:
• Education Policy: Examining how education systems can adapt to support equitable learning environments and address educational disparities.
• Environmental Policy: Investigating strategies to combat climate change and promote sustainability while ensuring just outcomes for affected communities.
• Housing Policy: Analyzing approaches to affordable housing and urban development that address systemic inequalities.
• Healthcare Policy: Exploring solutions to enhance healthcare access and quality, particularly for underserved groups.
• Immigration Policy: Assessing policies that impact immigrant communities and promote social integration and equity.

We welcome diverse perspectives and innovative approaches that challenge conventional wisdom and offer new pathways for policy improvement in these crisis times. Join us in reimagining the future of public policy and its role in shaping a more equitable and resilient society.

Division Chair(s): Rebecca Gill, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Matthew Montgomery, Texas Christian University

The Law and Courts Division invites proposals for the APSA 2025 Annual Meeting. Our aim is to develop a set of panels that represent the breadth of our field in terms of subject, approach, methodology, data, and/or presentation, while also welcoming a diversity of approaches and interdisciplinarity from a wide-ranging collection of researchers. We especially encourage proposals connecting Law and Courts with this year’s APSA theme of “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Such proposals might shed light on how the courts can influence our changing political systems, how power structures evolve or are challenged during periods of crisis, or what the courts may look like in a post-truth society. APSA offers a variety of presentation formats, and we welcome proposals that take advantage of these different options. Proposals that clearly and concisely articulate the project and research question are most appreciated. We look forward to developing a robust slate of panels highlighting the intellectual efforts of a wide range of scholars.

For your convenience, here is the proposal submission page: https://connect.apsanet.org/apsa2025/

Thank you in advance for your proposals and if you have any questions please be sure to reach out to us at m.d.montgomery@tcu.edu and rebecca.gill@unlv.edu.

Division Chair(s): Stephan Stohler, Syracuse University; Anthony Grasso, Rutgers University

Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence Division Call for Proposals: The Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence Division invites proposals for the APSA 2025 Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, from September 11 to 14.

We aim to assemble a set of panels representing the breadth of our field in terms of subject, methodology, and presentation while also welcoming a diversity of approaches and interdisciplinarity from a wide-ranging collection of researchers. We especially encourage proposals connecting constitutional law and jurisprudence with this year’s APSA theme of “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Such proposals may, for example, focus on constitutional law or jurisprudence issues related to racial identity, partisanship, ideology, ethnicity, gender, nation, class, and religion. Other proposals might recommend how constitutional guarantees should be interpreted in the face of misinformation and disinformation campaigns designed to sow distrust in democratic institutions or exacerbate conflicts across social cleavages. Other proposals still might elaborate jurisprudential positions, recommending how the law has or should respond to global challenges like climate change, forced migration, wealth inequalities, pandemics, and violent conflict. APSA offers a variety of presentation formats, and we welcome proposals that take advantage of these different options. We especially appreciate proposals that clearly and concisely articulate the project and research question. We look forward to developing a robust slate of panels highlighting the intellectual efforts of a wide range of scholars.

Division Chair(s): Mariely Lopez-Santana, George Mason University

The Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations Division invites proposals (for individual papers, complete panels, roundtables, and author-meets-critics sessions, as well as new formats) that promote a deeper understanding of institutions, politics, and/or policy of federal systems around the globe. We welcome studies from different theoretical, empirical, and methodological traditions, including interdisciplinary approaches and mixed-methods research. In line with the 2025 APSA conference theme— “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” — we welcome proposals that engage with the issues of change, crises, and their implications for federalism and intergovernmental relations. We welcome proposals from individuals with various racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual identities, as well as from various institutions, professions, disciplines, and career stages.

Division Chair(s): Scott LaCombe, Smith College

APSA 2025 calls on us to examine how we can reimagine politics in times of crisis. With growing distrust and division, particularly at the national level in the United States, both scholars and activists are increasingly turning to the states for reforms and solutions to rebuild faith in our governing institutions and address the pressing issues of our time.

The American states offer unique opportunities to understand the foundations of public opinion and to evaluate how institutions can alter the political environment. Like national politics, state politics are often defined by cleavages along the lines of race, class, partisanship, religion, and other identities. How do these divisions affect the politics and policies of the American states? In what ways are state-level policies either contributing to or counteracting trends of authoritarianism and democratic backsliding? How are state governments addressing—or failing to address—large-scale challenges such as climate change, economic inequality, and public health crises? Have states been successful at combating growing polarization and mistrust?

We encourage proposals from individuals of various racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual identities and from diverse institutions, professions, disciplines, and career stages. We consider multistate and single-state studies, studies of more local contexts, and those utilizing various methodologies.

Division Chair(s): Natalia Bueno, Emory University; Jack Lucas, University of Calgary

The Urban and Local Politics section welcomes proposals on topics related to local and urban politics, broadly defined – including elections, representation, politics, and policy-making within local and regional governments; intergovernmental relationships among local governments, regional governments, and national states; place identities, place-based cleavages, and their political consequences; and multilevel politics within varying local and urban settings. We especially welcome proposals related to this year’s theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.”

In keeping with the diversity of the Local and Urban Politics subfield, we welcome proposals employing varying methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, critical, and theoretical research. We welcome proposals for papers, full panels, roundtables, author-meets-critics, and short courses. Those who are submitting complete panels, roundtables, or author-meets-critics proposals should be sure to include a chair and at least one discussant, as appropriate, in their submissions.

Division Chair(s): Natasha Behl, Arizona State University; Edana Beauvais, Simon Fraser University

The Women, Gender, and Politics Research Division invites proposals that engage with themes of women, gender, and intersectionality across the fields of American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and research methods. We are especially interested in proposals that use a feminist perspective or feminist methodologies, and work that reaches beyond the binary gender paradigm to address the conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Women, gender, and politics scholars are uniquely poised to offer incisive theoretical and empirical contributions to our understanding of such reimaginings, along with other themes related to this year’s conference.

What can political science tell us about how women and gender politics interface with the ongoing resurgence of nativism and authoritarianism around the world, or its roots in widespread propaganda, disinformation, and distrust? Papers might consider the gendered nature of division and disorder, collective decision-making and political institutions in this time of rapid change and growing global inequality. Other topics might include: the challenges to democratic institutions that are impacting women’s representation and participation in formal and informal political spaces; how women’s participation or representation can further the collective discussion about the roots of illiberalism and populism; or the broad impacts of legislation targeting sex, gender, and sexuality.

We highly encourage submissions exploring how gender intersects with other identities, including class, ethnicity, race, religion, sexuality, physical and intellectual ability, national identity, family status, and carework to contribute to efforts for reimagining the possibilities of politics. That said, papers need not directly engage the conference theme; we welcome the full range of original contributions. Given APSA’s goals of increasing diversity, inclusion, and access throughout the profession, we encourage a diversity of approach and interdisciplinarity from a wide-ranging group of researchers. We encourage paper submissions and organized panel submissions. Panel submissions must include at least four papers, a panel chair, and a discussant. Where appropriate, the program co-chairs may add additional papers to these panels. We ask that all faculty members submitting proposals also volunteer to serve either as panel chairs and/or as discussants. We encourage proposals for all available formats. Please submit all proposals to a second APSA section to allow us the opportunity to co-sponsor panels.

Division Chair(s): Inés Valdez, Johns Hopkins University; Eric Juenke, Michigan State University

The Race, Ethnicity, and Politics (REP) Division invites paper and full panel proposals for the 2024 Annual Meeting. We are interested in proposals that address how the politics of race and ethnicity illuminate the conference theme “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Understanding that the crisis revolves around growing support for anti-immigration, far-right parties in wealthy democracies, we call for scholars of race and ethnic politics to contribute both to understanding the power politics that underpin these developments and to identify and reimagine forms of politics and power that can undo exclusionary and violent notions of peoplehood. We encourage a methodologically pluralistic set of proposals (including historical, theoretical, interpretive, empirical, and experimental approaches) that consider Black, Latina/o/x, Indigenous, Asian, MENA, and multiracial politics and political theory in a national, international, and transnational perspective. We seek proposals that will deepen our understanding of how power operates through racial and ethnic differences, and how these difference markers operate within and/or jointly with other systems, including capitalism, patriarchy, and ecology; domestically and throughout the world. We would like to see papers that consider how these structures have led to failures of democracy and how people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds respond to these structures by mobilizing power born out of organizing and coalition-building to renew democratic politics. We are interested in papers that consider how power shapes political representation, behaviors, attitudes, consciousness and institutions in contemporary democracies. We encourage paper submissions, author-meets-critics, roundtable, workshop and organized panel submissions. Panel submissions must include at least four papers, two discussants and a panel chair. We will seek co-sponsorships with other divisions, where substantively and methodologically appropriate. Scholarship on the politics of race and ethnicity takes place in all subfields (including Political Theory, American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations) and through a plurality of methodological approaches. Moreover, the section welcomes proposals that engage in scholarly collaborations between these fields and broader interdisciplinary work.

Division Chair(s): H. Zeynep Bulutgil, University College London; Michele Francine Margolis, University of Pennsylvania

The Religion and Politics Section invites scholars to submit papers, panels, posters, and other session formats on themes that connect religion and politics writ large. Understanding the role of religion and religiosity as socio-political cleavages is of great importance, with profound implications for the institutional and ideological bases of core democratic principles such as tolerance, pluralism, and freedom of expression and thought. At the same time, the interaction between religious organizations / ideologies and their secular counterparts in a wide range of political systems is crucial to making sense of today’s world with rising levels of populism, illiberalism, and ideological polarization. In keeping with the 2025 APSA Theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” the Religion and Politics Section thus seeks contributions that examine the many ways religion and religiosity influence and are influenced by the emergence, resilience, and depth of social cleavages and their organization around the globe. We further invite discussion of the role that religion and politics scholars and educators play in identifying paths to overcoming roots of division and disorder through their research, teaching, and public engagement. We invite a diversity of methodological, theoretical and (inter-)disciplinary approaches covering any region or country. We encourage panels that are inclusive of all gender identities, races and ethnicities, academic positions/ranks, and types of institution.

Division Chair(s): Jeong Hyun Kim, Yonsei University; Yann Kerevel, Louisiana State University

The Representation and Electoral Systems division seeks papers and panel proposals examining fundamental questions in democratic representation and electoral systems. We especially welcome work aligned with the conference theme “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” In times of crisis and their aftermath, political institutions face unprecedented challenges in representing society’s shifting preferences, interests, and power dynamics. These challenges can intensify political conflicts and potentially erode democratic institutions. We invite exploration of how different political institutions navigate these challenges and represent evolving political dynamics and preferences during crisis periods. We welcome submissions from diverse methodological and regional backgrounds and particularly encourage papers from historically underrepresented groups in the discipline.

Division Chair(s): Neil O’Brian, University of Oregon; Herschel (Trey) Thomas, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin

The Political Organizations and Parties (POP) division invites submissions in the form of individual papers, complete panels, and alternative formats (e.g., roundtables, Author Meets Critics, lightning rounds, 30-minute paper presentations). We welcome proposals related to political organizations and parties in a range of contexts including electoral, legislative, bureaucratic, or judicial, among others. In keeping with this year’s conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” we encourage proposals that address how political parties and organized interests shape the capacity of political institutions to address the challenges stemming from crisis and conflict. We welcome submissions that examine political parties and organizations with regard to weakened institutions, captured bureaucracies, and the fracturing of civil society. We especially encourage proposals that ask: How do parties and organizations impact or counter division and political disorder? How are political parties responding to or being shaped by rapid shifts in technology, society, and the economy? The division embraces diversity in research topics and methodological approach. We particularly welcome proposals from scholars who are underrepresented within the discipline.

Division Chair(s): Ryan Carlin, Georgia State University; Jason Reifler, University of Southampton

The Elections and Voting Behavior division invites proposals for the 2025 APSA Annual Meeting, centered on the theme “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” In an era marked by growing polarization, distrust, and the resurgence of illiberalism, the study of elections and voting behavior is crucial for understanding the shifting dynamics of political participation and representation. We welcome submissions that explore how partisan, ideological, and identity-based divisions shape electoral outcomes, and the impact of misinformation and disinformation on voter behavior and electoral integrity. Proposals that examine how global crises—such as climate change, migration, economic inequality, and pandemics—influence voter behavior and democratic legitimacy are particularly encouraged. We invite research from any national or comparative perspective, using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. In line with APSA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, we encourage submissions from scholars with varied backgrounds and perspectives. Full panel proposals should aim to broaden professional networks and include diverse voices. We look forward to your contributions to this critical discussion at APSA 2025.

Division Chair(s): Tanika Raychaudhuri, Rice University

The Public Opinion Division invites innovative paper and full-panel proposals related to public opinion research for the 2025 Annual Meeting. We are especially eager to consider proposals related to the 2025 Conference Theme of “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” which is focused on understanding the contours of contemporary political “division and disorder” due to polarization across demographic and partisan groups, misinformation, distrust in government, and authoritarianism. Potential topics of interest include but are not restricted to, research on public opinion dynamics, variation in public attitudes across diverse subgroups (e.g. race, gender, sexuality), the effects of elite communication and media messaging on the mass public, and the role of public opinion in shaping political systems and the outcomes of political processes.

Our division welcomes proposals across our subfield’s theoretical perspectives (i.e., micro-level theories of opinion formation, macro-level theories of opinion change and policy responsiveness, theories that explain variation in public opinion by race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality etc.) as well as work that intersects with other subfields and disciplines. We also welcome diversity in methodological approaches (i.e., quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method). In line with APSA’s goals of increasing diversity, inclusion, and access throughout the profession, the section welcomes diversity of approach and interdisciplinarity from researchers from different subfields of political science, with different backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise, and at different career levels. Any full panel proposals should keep this commitment in mind and be structured to facilitate the broadening of professional networks.

Division Chair(s): Ariel Hasell, University of Michigan

The Political Communication division invites innovative proposals that examine how media, information, and communicative processes can be used to both understand and address global threats from crises, including, but not limited to, climate change, structural inequality, war and violence, and authoritarianism. The 2025 conference theme is “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” and aims to examine how the world can collectively address large scale global crises in times of growing distrust, societal divisions, and institutional instability. The theme specifically cites propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation as exacerbating these crises and hindering collective discussion and action, highlighting the role that political communication research plays in understanding global politics. As a field, we are uniquely positioned to offer insights on information ecologies, communication technologies, strategic messaging, and media psychology to better understand the role of information at the intersection of structures of power and the lives of citizens. Given the APSA’s goals of increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and access throughout the profession, the Political Communication division welcomes diverse theoretical and methodological approaches from scholars with a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds. Proposals should not exceed one single-spaced page in length and should clearly state the research questions, theoretical argument, methodological approach, and overall implications for political communication.

Division Chair(s): Annemieke van den Dool, Duke Kunshan University

Scholars of science, technology, and environmental politics are well-positioned to contribute to the 2025 APSA conference theme: “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” In the realms of science, technology, and environment, we are never far away from power, politics, and crises. The topics that we study, whether it be climate change, pandemic prevention, natural resource depletion, or otherwise, are often the product of and/or a potential source of power, politics, and crises.

While we will consider all proposals that examine politics, policy, and policy processes in relation to science, technology, and the environment, in line with this year’s conference theme, the Science, Technology, and Environmental Politics (STEP) division especially welcomes proposals for papers, panels, and roundtables that contribute to our knowledge of artificial intelligence, climate change, disasters, distrust in institutions, the role of science in policymaking, environmental and social justice, migration, misinformation, illiberalism, polarization, populism, and authoritarianism. To better comprehend the interaction of these shifts and issues, we encourage scholars to integrate multiple themes in cross-cutting papers, for example climate change and health; climate change and migration; climate change and AI-generated misinformation.

We seek theoretically robust and methodologically innovative proposals. The STEP division respects ontological, epistemological, theoretical, geographical, and methodological diversity and supports interdisciplinarity. We strongly encourage researchers from historically under-represented groups, broadly construed, to submit their proposals.

Division Chair(s): Shelley Boulianne, University of Southampton (UK)

How have shifts in technology restructured politics globally? The Information Technology & Politics (ITP) section invites paper, panel, and roundtable proposals relating to research on any forms of political activity revolving around, or shaped by, digital media and information technologies, broadly construed. We particularly encourage proposals connecting to the APSA 2025 theme, “Reimaging Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” In particular, what is the role of technology in creating or mirroring societal cleavages and polarization in public opinion and political behavior? To what degree does digital media contribute to distrust in governing institutions and between different groups in society; can digital media help remedy growing levels of distrust? How does social media help or hinder the government’s efforts to manage crises? We welcome papers that tackle the role of technology in contributing to and ameliorating political problems. The ITP section welcomes proposals that tackle questions centered around, but by no means limited to, these issues:

• In what ways are citizens, political groups, and political institutions using social media to exacerbate versus resolve collective problems?
• To what degree are different actors using digital technologies to create disorder/unrest versus social cohesion?
• How does social and political context shape the use of digital media for nefarious versus noble political purposes?
• To what extent are digital technologies used to empower or repress citizens as well as civic and political groups?
• What is the role of information technology in spreading or countering misinformation and false information about politics, relevant social issues, and elections across different political and cultural systems?
• To what degree does artificial intelligence threaten governing institutions, political groups, and citizens? How can these threats be mitigated? Can AI be used to help government, citizens, and civic and political groups?
• How has the relationship between information technology and politics changed over time?
• To what degree can digital technologies host a global public sphere where international crises and political problems can be collectively discussed and solutions identified?

The ITP section embraces a wide variety of methods and welcomes proposals informed by quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research designs, as well as innovative and interdisciplinary approaches. Ambitious proposals that blend theoretical significance with empirical and methodological detail are particularly encouraged.

Division Chair(s): Catherine Craig, University of British Columbia

The Politics, Literature, and the Arts (PLA) section invites papers, panels and poster presentations for this year’s theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Politics, Literature, and the Arts prioritizes interdisciplinary approaches to perennial political questions, focusing on the ways in which these questions are explored through art. We are particularly interested in proposals relating to this year’s theme broadly understood—how do literature and the arts handle questions of power and justice? Political identities? How can the arts help us understand the purpose of a human life and the meaning of a political community? How have the arts helped human beings understand political crises not only in the present moment, but throughout history? We are open to individual paper and poster presentations, and strongly encourage cohesive panel proposals.

Division Chair(s): Robert Kirsch, Arizona State University; Charisse Burden-Stelly, Wayne State University

The Caucus for Critical Political Science (formerly New Political Science) is pleased to announce the call for papers for the 121st Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, held in Vancouver, British Columbia from September 11-14, 2025. The Caucus invites submission for full panels and papers that speak to the mission of Critical Political Science to make the study of politics relevant to the struggle for a better world. Submissions that engage the general conference theme of “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” from a wide range of theoretical, methodological, epistemological, and underrepresented perspectives are especially encouraged. In recent years, the term “polycrisis” has been increasingly deployed to describe the multiple layers of overlapping, interdependent, and mutually reinforcing crises that confront political society. While the general condition of political crisis is complex, it is also true that the specificity of these layers of crisis show the uneven distribution of their effects, as well as potential opportunities to reimagine collective action efforts to resist them and work toward a better world. Around the globe are instances not only of the intensifying vectors of crisis but also moments of opportunity, alterity, and a democratic diffusion of power. The following themes of submissions are strongly welcome as they speak to the historical mission of the Caucus for Critical Political Science: the complexity of overlapping crises, especially as they relate to crisis-capitalism and its alternatives; perspectives of indigenous and non-Western political society; as well as local, national, and global articulations of confronting crises. The Caucus remains committed to all forms of social, racial, and environmental justice and encourages perspectives from individuals of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and gender expressions, as well as diverse career trajectories. We encourage a range of participation in this year’s conference, not least from graduate students, early career scholars, contingent faculty, scholar-activists, and established academics. Though proposals are not required to speak directly to the conference theme, the Caucus encourages a deep engagement with it, as we firmly believe that addressing the issues of power and crisis, whether theoretically, philosophically, empirically, and/or analytically, is part of the historical task of political science as a discipline. Submissions from all subfields of political science and theory, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives, related to the advancement of Critical Political Science will be considered.

To apply, please review the full submission guidelines outlined by APSA and make sure to select Section 42. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Division Chair(s): Arjun Chowdhury, University of British Columbia

The International History and Politics section invites paper, panel, and roundtable proposals that aim to understand contemporary problems, puzzles, and processes in world politics through the study of history. Open to diverse and interdisciplinary approaches, the section welcomes proposals that employ historical methods, including, for example, archival research, oral history, case studies, and historiographical research in the study of world politics. The APSA 2025 theme invites scholars to analyze the roots of division and disorder in current world politics, and provide narratives of peoplehood and power that can counter those forces. Studies in international history and politics are ideally suited to identify the origins and development of current conflicts; track the processes through which these conflicts remain salient; and alternative visions for politics and order. The section welcomes proposals that draw upon non-traditional historical eras, regions, and actors in addressing these themes.

Division Chair(s): Yuhua Wang, Harvard University; Lauren Young, UC Davis

The Democracy & Autocracy Division seeks submissions that address fundamental theoretical and empirical questions relevant to the study of democratization, democratic erosion, democracy, and autocracy. These questions include, but are not limited to, those pertaining to theoretical discussions of democratization and democracy; the role of institutions, social identities, the state, and non-state actors in transitions to and from democracy; authoritarian politics, institutions, and durability; and broader themes pertinent to political change. We are especially interested in proposals that engage with this year’s conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” The division welcomes papers and panels covering any region or country, including the United States, and we welcome single-country studies as well as comparative work. We welcome submissions with a range of methodological approaches and from scholars from diverse backgrounds, ranks, and academic institutions, and whose work focuses on different world regions. We especially encourage submissions of substantively cohesive organized panels and other organized session formats.

Division Chair(s): Ann Marie Clark, Purdue University; Gary Uzonyi, University of Strathclyde

In line with the general APSA 2025 conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” APSA Division 45: Human Rights especially invites proposals that consider the how human rights issues intersect with politics and power, and how people constitute their identities and political imagination in periods before, during, and after political crises.

The conference theme cites the presence of threats to citizens and nations from “climate change, forced migration, wealth inequalities, global pandemics, inter- and intra-state conflict.” Features of human rights are relevant to each of these issues. Such threats call for imagining how human rights can apply in new ways. With this in mind, we invite submissions both on topics related to human rights broadly, and topics touching on any of the following questions related to the conference theme: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the global human rights framework for addressing current problems? Do the promises offered by human rights principles adequately encompass measures of justice for persons and groups, including those affected by war, as well as those impacted by economic, social, and cultural rights deficits? How can we best understand conflict and innovation related to conceptions of human rights for local communities? In what ways are political actors at local, national, regional, and global levels calling upon, reimagining, or seeking to suppress aspects of human rights as a way of framing and dealing with such threats? How have varying groups, or realizations of “peoplehood,” been included or excluded from the human rights framework, how could they be more fully recognized as rights-bearing communities, and what political processes do political scientists theorize as relevant to these questions?

Full panel submissions, as well as individual papers and posters, are encouraged on these themes.

Division Chair(s): Marcus Kreuzer, Villanova University; Carolyn Holmes, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

The Qualitative and Multi-Method Research Section invites proposals for the 2025 Annual Meeting. We welcome proposals from all qualitative and multi-method research traditions. Given this year’s conference theme of “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times”, we are particularly interested in proposals that address how to leverage contextual knowledge to formulate new research questions, how to integrate description/exploration with other social scientific goals, like causal inference, and how to combine methodological rigor with problem-driven research. We also welcome panels that reflect on how methods influence what questions get studied and/or overlooked, and how such choices interface with the positionality of researchers, particularly early career ones. We welcome pre-organized panel proposals, and we encourage prospective authors and panel organizers made up of a diverse set of scholars, especially from historically underrepresented groups.

Division Chair(s): Edward Kammerer, Idaho State University

The Sexuality & Politics Division invites papers and panel proposals that connect with the Annual Conference’s theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Scholars of sexuality and politics are well-positioned to offer insight into how to navigate these times of crisis and offer new ways of thinking, of queering, politics, power, and peoplehood. As the place of LGBTQ+ people in society continues to shift, new ways of conceptualizing or reimagining politics and power become possible. How can scholars of sexuality and politics, broadly construed, contribute to these conversations? The Sexuality and Politics Division welcomes contributions to the 2025 APSA program that address these issues and others related to the conference theme from a range of perspectives and fields of political science. We encourage proposals representing the theoretical, methodological, geographical, and substantive diversity of our subfield. In keeping with APSA’s goals of and respect for diversity, inclusion, and access throughout the profession, we recognize the importance of multiplicity in approach and interdisciplinarity from a wide-ranging group of scholars. The Annual Conference offers many different presentation formats, and we welcome a variety of proposals that take advantage of those options.

Division Chair(s): Christopher Ojeda, University of California, Merced; Denise Payan, University of California, Irvine

The Health Politics and Policy section invites submissions proposing individual papers, complete panels of up to four papers, roundtables, and author-meets-critics sessions. In line with the theme of the 2025 APSA Annual Meeting — “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times”— the section welcomes research from different methodological and theoretical perspectives that focuses on the United States, global, or comparative health politics and policy; studies a range of populations, time periods, and policy venues; and comes from both senior and early career scholars. In alignment with the theme – which emphasizes critically investigating and evaluating the current state of political systems, power, institutions, and political behavior in times of crisis, we seek submissions from a broad range of perspectives on how political, social, and racial divisions and polarization impacts health politics and policy, and strategies and insights to advance more equitable health policies, political processes, and outcomes.

We are particularly interested in proposals that lend themselves to being “theme” panels. The 2025 theme presents a window of opportunity for interdisciplinary and cross-subfield research. In broad areas of policy, both historical and contemporary, and with attention to global and national health politics and policy, the Health Politics and Policy section is well situated to address the influence and impacts of a variety of crises and divisions on political behavior, institutions, and policymaking, as well as “re-imagine” efforts to counter divisions, disorder, and inequities. Panels addressing the conference theme are welcome, and could include (but are not restricted to) research on the following types of questions:

• How do crises (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, climate change, state violence) affect health policy, agenda setting, decision-making, and political behavior?
• What factors promote health policy change/s in the configuration of interests, institutions, and ideas during or after a crisis?
• How do attitudes around health and health policy shift during and after a crisis?
• How does race intersect with health politics and policymaking? What does racial justice look like in terms of equitable political processes or policy outcomes? What can we learn about efforts to address political or racial division/s across different levels of government?
• How has public trust, support, and engagement with government institutions, the health system, and policy programs been affected? Does public (mis)trust in government institutions and policy stakeholders affect health policymaking, decisions, and policy outcomes?
• Whose voices are disproportionately centered or represented during times of crisis to inform political decisions and policy? How can historically marginalized groups increase their power (i.e., turnout, representation) in national or regional governments to address inequities?
• How do corporations behave during a crisis? What is their impact on political decision making by leaders and the health policymaking process?
• Have new models of health policy entrepreneurs emerged to counter political and social divisions or successfully champion policy outcomes? What factors contribute to their success?
• How does health information compete with misinformation in a weakened political state or in an emergency? What can we learn about strategies to increase the visibility and impact of research evidence on policy?
• What reimagined approaches to public health crises exist that efficiently leverage modern resources (i.e., AI, technology) or promote inclusive, equitable partnerships and processes?
• How do countries, governance structures, and political systems vary in their health policy response to national or global emergencies?

Division Chair(s): Sophie Borwein, University of British Columbia

The Canadian Politics division invites proposals for individual papers, panels or roundtables on any topic related to the study of Canadian politics. We are especially interested in papers that engage with the conference’s theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times”, as panels granted “theme panel” status provide scholarship on Canadian politics additional space on the program. Many Canadian politics scholars will find this year’s theme is particularly well-suited to their current research agendas, as it invites scholars to consider how divisions based on partisanship, ideology, ethnicity, gender, nation, class, religion, and age (among other cleavages) are—or are not—driving polarization in public opinion, political behaviour, and governing institutions. We welcome participants from all backgrounds and perspectives, and research from across theoretical and methodological traditions.

Division Chair(s): Lauren Santoro, University of Texas at Dallas

Politics is fundamentally the study of power – who has it and who doesn’t. Power is inherently relational; an individual, country, or institution has power only in relation to someone or something else. Networks are central to understanding these power dynamics, making them essential to the study of politics.

The Political Networks Section invites proposals for the 2025 Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA) in Vancouver, Canada. We welcome submissions from researchers across various fields who employ diverse empirical and methodological approaches. Specifically, we seek proposals for papers that make theoretical, empirical, or methodological contributions to the study of political networks.

In line with the 2025 conference theme, “”Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,”” we encourage research that leverages network approaches to illuminate contemporary political challenges, from polarization and disinformation to global cooperation and the reshaping of political identities. Through these contributions, we aim to advance our understanding of complex political dynamics and inform strategies for navigating the power relations that define our era.

Division Chair(s): Alex Coppock, Yale University

The Experimental Research division welcomes submissions on a wide range of topics related to the use of experimental research across the fields of comparative politics, international relations, American politics, political theory, and research methods.

We invite theoretical, methodological, or empirical proposals covering diverse experimental methods, including survey, laboratory, and field experiments. We take an expansive view of what constitutes an experiment but insist upon researcher control of treatment assignment, thus excluding observational studies sometimes described as natural or quasi-experiments.

We encourage submissions that build upon the annual conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Research on this theme and other relevant topics is welcome.

We encourage the submission of cohesive panel proposals. We are particularly interested in panels that:
(a) describe the generalizability of experimental results;
(b) investigate the homogeneity or heterogeneity of treatment effects;
(c) estimate the over-time persistence of effects;
(d) replicate and extend the core findings of an experimental research literature.

APSA offers various presentation formats, and we welcome proposals that take advantage of these options. In line with APSA’s objectives of improving diversity, inclusion, and access throughout the profession, we encourage diversity of approach and interdisciplinarity from a wide-ranging group of researchers.

Division Chair(s): Terri Givens, University of British Columbia; Phil Triadafilopoulos, University of Toronto

Considering this year’s conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” we encourage submissions that explore how the politics of migration and citizenship contribute to and potentially ameliorate divisions based on on partisanship, ideology, ethnicity, gender, nation, class, and religion.

We also encourage proposals that analyze:

• How disinformation regarding migration impacts politics and exacerbates societal divisions
• How histories of colonialism, settler colonialism, and indigeneity influence migration patterns and politics
• The role of technology in data gathering, border security, and enforcement
• The effect of climate change on migration flows and politics
• The role of inter- and intra-state conflict in shaping migration flows and political responses
• How migration feeds into narratives of personhood, community, and identity, shaping societal divisions
• The ongoing impact of economic globalization on migration policies, labor markets, and traditional Left-Right political cleavages
• The focus on gender and sexuality in immigration and citizenship policies, especially as regards forced migration and asylum
• The means through which personal identity is measured, tracked, and used to shape migration and citizenship policies and practices
• The role of religion in (im)migration, refugee and asylum processes

We encourage a wide range of submissions from scholars from around the globe: graduate students, junior and senior scholars, women and scholars of color. We welcome submissions based on research that uses a multiplicity of epistemological, empirical, and theoretical approaches.

Division Chair(s): Nicholas Nathan Kerr, University of Florida; Amanda B. Edgell, University of Alabama

The African Politics Conference Group (APCG) invites submissions for proposals that focus on the politics of Africa, broadly defined. We welcome proposals that reflect all areas of inquiry and methodological approaches. We encourage submissions that speak to the theme of the 2025 Annual Meeting, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” This year’s conference theme focuses on some of the most pressing challenges of our time: How do we interpret and explain political division and conflict against the backdrop of rising illiberalism, climate change, and “post-truth” politics? What technological, institutional, and societal innovations may help us overcome these challenges? We welcome submissions from underrepresented groups in political science, especially African scholars.

Division Chair(s): Adam Lerner, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Erik Jones, European University Institute

The Ideas, Knowledge, and Politics section welcomes papers from across political science sub-disciplines and epistemological traditions on the role of ideas in politics, broadly understood. Our section brings together a diverse array of scholars unified by the belief that ideas are foundational to politics across levels of analysis. Further, we are interested in proposals that grapple with the difficulty of studying ideas, as well as the benefits of recovering previously overlooked or dismissed ideas. With that in mind, we are open to papers exploring the role of ideas across political contexts and regions, including ideas promoted by elites, subalterns, and a range of other actors. We are especially interested in proposals that connect the role of ideas to the theme of the 2025 APSA Meeting: “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” Scholars at all career stages, from all backgrounds, are welcome to submit.

Division Chair(s): Mallory Sorelle, Duke University; Serena Laws, Trinity College

The Class and Inequality division supports research on the political causes and consequences of economic inequality, social class stratification, mobility, and opportunity. The Section encourages papers from the full range of subfield and methodological perspectives. For 2025, we especially welcome proposals that connect the politics of class and inequality to the conference theme of reimagining politics, power, and peoplehood in times of crisis. We also support proposals that are attentive to intersectional dimensions of class and inequality and that foster greater engagement across theoretical, substantive, and methodological approaches that may not typically be in conversation with one another.

Division Chair(s): Jeffrey Becker, University of the Pacific; Jack Turner, University of Washington

The American Political Thought division invites proposals for individual papers, panels, and roundtables, from scholars across all ranks, that build on the 2025 conference theme “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times.” American Political Thought is a subfield that engages, and reimagines, connections between the historical, theoretical, institutional, cultural, and literary dimensions of American Politics. We welcome proposals that draw inspiration from these diverse approaches and subject matter within the field of American Political Thought to address the conference theme’s focus on crisis. “Crisis” is a resounding theme in American political thought — from the precontact and colonial periods, to the revolutionary period, to the Civil War and Reconstruction period, to the conflict between liberalism, conservatism, and radicalism in the twentieth century and beyond. “Crisis” occurs along lines of ideology and religion, as well as along axes of power such as gender, class, race, ethnicity, and sexuality. Proposals that seek to cross and combine multiple ways of reimagining American politics, power, and personhood are particularly welcome. In times of crisis, how can American Political Thought help us make sense of, and challenge, inherited practices and concepts about politics, power, and peoplehood? What possible new arrangements of politics can we imagine, and how ought we evaluate efforts to preserve existing practices and identities? We welcome complete panel and roundtable proposals that highlight participants who draw from a diverse range of intellectual approaches and perspectives.

Division Chair(s): Janine Clark, University of Toronto; Nermin Allam, Rutgers University

In the turbulent landscape of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the persistence and transformation of authoritarian regimes provide significant insights for reimagining politics, power, and peoplehood in times of crisis. The globalization of authoritarianism has linked MENA regimes to broader global trends and enabled the exchange of repressive strategies and technologies. The crackdown on political activism, particularly following the Arab Spring, stifled the democratic movements that once promised transformative change. The region’s ongoing conflicts and political polarization have further entrenched authoritarian regimes that exploit instability to consolidate power amidst societal fragmentation. Economic instability—marked by high unemployment rates, inflation, and widespread poverty—has deepened societal divides and eroded public trust in governance. External pressures such as climate change and geopolitical tensions exacerbate existing socio-economic strains and further complicate efforts to achieve stability and progress. As MENA societies grapple with these challenges, the reimagining of politics becomes not just a matter of reform but a necessity for survival. Understanding these complex and interwoven changes and dynamics is crucial for reimagining the possibilities of politics and power in the MENA region and beyond during times of crisis.

In line with this year’s APSA theme on Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times, the Middle East and North Africa section welcomes submissions that address the following key themes and questions:

Globalized Authoritarianism: In what ways is authoritarianism in the MENA region linked to global trends? How do international alliances and investment, support networks and knowledge exchanges among authoritarian regimes influence local practices?

Digital Technologies: How have the spread of new digital technologies impacted governance and security in authoritarian regimes? What strategies can counter the global spread of repressive technologies and policies?

Conflict and Polarization: How have ongoing conflicts and political polarization shaped governance and societal cohesion in the MENA region? What role do external actors play in these conflicts, and how do they influence the political landscape?

Evolving Political Activism: What has been the trajectory of democratic movements since the Arab Spring? How have Islamist political forces adapted in the face of authoritarian repression? Where have the democratic activists gone, and what are the prospects for political movements?

Reimagining Peoplehood: How are gender relations and identity politics—broadly defined— being reshaped in the MENA region amidst crises? What new narratives and constructions of power can emerge to foster inclusive and just societies?

APSA MENA is committed to increasing diversity, inclusion, and access for our presenters and attendees. In addressing these questions, we seek analyses that span international, regional, and national levels and adopt diverse methodologies. We strongly encourage proposals from MENA-based scholars, scholars from minoritized groups, and traditionally underrepresented institutions. We welcome proposals that are interdisciplinary, reflect diverse methodological and analytical approaches, or explore comparisons between the MENA and other regions.

Division Chair(s): Diana Owen, Georgetown University; Leah Murray, Weber State University

Civic engagement is essential to the health of a democratic society. When all people have the opportunity to participate, the potential to promote the public good over private interests is enhanced. Engagement can foster an inclusive environment where people feel valued. It offers mechanisms for addressing issues of public concern and reaching equitable solutions. Community membership forged through democratic practices and principles can work to ensure that government is responsive to the public’s views and demands. However, this ideal has been greatly compromised in the current era. Civic engagement is adversely affected by the proliferation of misinformation, the prominence of uncivil discourse, and persistent polarization. Political and social divides have widened, coinciding with a precipitous decline in trust. There has been a rise in activity among intolerant groups that increasingly has turned violent.

Civic engagement does not translate equally to democratic empowerment. Members of marginalized groups often find pathways to participation blocked, including through legal obstacles. Voter suppression laws, for example, have contributed to a growing racial gap in voter turnout. At the same time, people have been reimagining civic engagement in ways that confront the difficulties inherent in fractured civil society. Many of the traditional avenues of participation have been transformed as digital technology enables novel types of engagement. People have envisioned engagement that extends traditional boundaries of organized politics and community service so that their voices and actions make a difference. Some core questions to contemplate regarding civic engagement in light of imagining politics, power, and peoplehood in times of crisis include: What are the divides that exist in civic engagement? What are the causes of division and disorder in civic life? How have technological shifts influenced the opportunities, challenges, and gaps in participation? How are power relationships manifested in civic engagement? How can civic engagement be reimagined in times of crisis? We encourage submissions that employ innovative theories and methodologies that will advance the research agenda on civic engagement. Panels will provide occasions to share exemplary research and provoke discussion that builds upon extant knowledge and explores new directions for the field. Submissions should be made with the understanding that attending the annual meeting is a realistic option.

Division Chair(s): Ursula Hackett, Royal Holloway, University of London

In alignment with the 2025 APSA Annual Meeting theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” the Education Policy and Politics Section invites proposals that explore the relationships between education and the political, social, and economic upheavals characterizing our current era. At a time of deepening polarization, the resurgence of authoritarianism, and the pervasive impact of misinformation, educational institutions are critical arenas where the tensions and crises of our times play out and, potentially, where solutions and new pathways are forged.

Scholarship in education politics considers crucial questions about the relationships between education and political movements, social justice, and governance challenges in the US and around the world. In what ways do different educational practices and curricula contribute to or undermine democratic resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism and illiberalism? How do educational policies impact social inequalities and social cohesion? How are educational systems worldwide adapting to global crises such as climate change, forced migration, and pandemics? We seek submissions on these questions and on education politics more broadly.

We encourage submissions from a broad range of methodological perspectives, including qualitative, quantitative, experimental, conceptual, and theoretical work. The Education Policy and Politics Section values interdisciplinary approaches and welcomes proposals for papers, panels, and posters from scholars at all career stages, as well as those bringing fresh insights from diverse research traditions and backgrounds. We especially welcome proposals that bridge gaps between American and comparative politics and provide a richer understanding of education’s role in contemporary political crises around the world.

Division Chair(s): Jennifer Mitzen, Ohio State University; Sebastian Rosato, University of Notre Dame

The IR Theory section builds on the conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times” to call for proposals that think theoretically about world politics, structure a new space for theoretical exchange at the intersection of theory and international relations, and connect previously siloed areas of inquiry. We are especially interested in proposals that engage with the conference theme, grappling with the problem of imagining global politics in a time of disinformation, deepening distrust, and heightened awareness of global existential threats. How are shifts in technology, society, and the economy restructuring global politics? What stories of peoplehood and constructions of power might counter the trends to disorder, division, and fear? The section embraces all theoretical approaches to the study of IR, including but not limited to, constructivism, liberalism, realism, critical race, feminist, and formal theory. Our goal is to foster scholarship that thinks theoretically, across the regional, topical, and methodological spectrum. We encourage single paper submissions, Author meets Critics panels about published or in progress book manuscripts, and complete panel proposals. All proposals will be given serious consideration, but the strongest consideration will be given to panel proposals with a high degree of intellectual coherence and feature a diverse range of intellectual approaches and perspectives, career stages, and backgrounds. The section is committed to respecting diversity and recognizing the importance of multiple and interdisciplinary approaches from a broad range of scholars.

Division Chair(s): Jesse Crosson, Purdue University; Jane Sumner, University of Minnesota

The APSA Organized Section on American Political Economy promotes research and dialogue on the interaction of American democracy and American capitalism. We invite proposals for papers and panels that engage with this topic from a range of vantage points, including those considering the role of federalism and local governance, national political institutions, race, and power inequalities among organized interests. We also welcome proposals that tackle substantive areas of economic governance—for example, in response to climate change, housing unaffordability, deindustrialization, or business regulation —and/or that examine the American political economy in comparative perspective or in the context of the international political economy. The APE section embraces the goal of increasing diversity, inclusion, and access throughout the profession, and we aim to assemble panels that reflect a diversity of methodologies and approaches as well as representation of scholars from a wide range of backgrounds.

Division Chair(s): Raphaëlle Khan, CUNY; Shivaji Mukherjee, Simon Fraser University

The South Asian Politics Section invites submissions exploring all facets of the domestic and international politics of South Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. We welcome contributions across Political Economy, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Political Science more broadly.

In alignment with the 2025 conference theme, “Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times,” we encourage proposals that address how these themes intersect with the dynamics of South Asian politics. We are particularly interested in how these themes can shed light on contemporary challenges – such as democracy and authoritarian tendencies, nationalisms, religious and ethnic conflicts, and growing inequalities – and offer innovative perspectives. We also particularly encourage proposals reflecting on the interrelation between domestic and international challenges, and the impact of Asia’s fast-changing geopolitical context on South Asia.

We seek proposals grounded in a deep historical understanding of the region, while engaging with theories and debates in Political Science. Submissions from diverse methodological traditions and interdisciplinary approaches are warmly welcomed.

We also invite panel proposals that bring together a wide range of scholars and encompass papers focused on multiple South Asian countries.

We look forward to your contributions and to a stimulating discussion on the political realities and dynamics of this pivotal region and what they can teach us about the larger world.