2026 Division Calls

Division Chair(s): Aaron Zubia, University of Florida – azubia@ufl.edu; Constantine Vassiliou, University of Colorado – cvassili@uccs.edu

We invite proposals for panels, papers, and roundtables related to this year’s theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” The history of political thought grants us indispensable insights into the nature of democracy, which, as a regime, the ancients criticized, and the moderns increasingly came to embrace as the ideal (or default) political model to aspire toward. We request proposals that analyze the politics and prospects of democracy today, particularly in light of centralization, rapid technological development, and tensions between national and global orders; that assess the present state of democratic mores; that reflect on the promise and limits of civic and/or liberal education for elevating, protecting, and rebuilding a democratic polity; that situate the threats to democracy within broader civilizational contexts; that explore the relationship between democratic crises and philosophical, moral, and religious trends; that seek to reestablish the balance between authority and liberty essential to the flourishing of any regime. We welcome proposals from scholars at all stages of the profession who are interested in investigating these topics from the standpoint of intellectual history and political philosophy.

Division Chair(s): Matthew Scherer, George Mason University – mschere2@gmu.edu; Smita Rahman, DePauw University – smitarahman@depauw.edu; Shirin Deylami, Western Washington University – deylams@wwu.edu

The Foundations of Political Theory Section of APSA welcomes proposals on a wide variety of topics related to political theory. We especially encourage papers and panels that address the conference theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” We are particularly interested in proposals that deploy diverse theoretical approaches in understanding the foundations of democracy, its complexities, and prospects for renewal. How should we understand the erosion of democratic institutions and practices? What work can and should be done to rebuild and solidify democracy? What new imaginaries are possible for democratic futures? We welcome a variety of theoretical approaches and encourage work that draws on multiple traditions, histories, and contexts to illuminate the threats to democracy and prospects for its rebuilding.

Division Chair(s): Emilee Chapman, Stanford University – emileebc@stanford.edu; Lucia Rafanelli, George Washington University – lmrafanelli@gwu.edu

The Normative Theory Division welcomes paper 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: “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” These might concern topics such as the nature of democracy and democratic rights, the justification and limits of political authority, the relationship between democratic institutions and democratic values, theories of democracy beyond the nation-state, theories of resistance, 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): Amna Salam, UC San Diego – asalam@ucsd.edu; Zhaotian Luo, University of Chicago – luozhaotian@uchicago.edu

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, papers from potential job market candidates, and papers or panel proposals that relate to the theme of the 2026 APSA Meeting: “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” 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 substantive topic.

Division Chair(s): Jennifer Chudy, Wellesley College – jchudy@wellesley.edu; Elizabeth Connors, University of South Carolina – connors4@mailbox.sc.edu

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, 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, 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. We encourage a diversity of approaches 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 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): Peter Bils, Vanderbilt University – peter.h.bils@vanderbilt.edu

The Political Economy division invites submissions on political economy, broadly defined. We especially welcome submissions that relate to elements of this year’s theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” through a political economy lens.

For example: Which actors and coalitions, e.g., voters, elites, civic organizations, courts, bureaucracies, or firms can most effectively resist anti-democratic political strategies, and under what conditions? What institutional and policy reforms help preserve democratic practices or rebuild them after erosion? How do distributional conflict, inequality, and economic shocks shape democratic backsliding and the strategies of autocrats? In what ways do economic and political factors affect citizens’ trust, participation, and support for democratic norms? Finally, submissions are welcome that investigate the definition of democracy, including conceptual and methodological issues surrounding the definition of what counts as democratic decline.

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): Matthew Lacombe, Case Western Reserve University – mjl270@case.edu; Isabel Perera, Cornell University – isabel.m.perera@cornell.edu

The Politics and History Division invites panel and paper submissions on topics related to politics and history from various disciplinary 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, state building, the history of ideas, and international order formation, 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 “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” including papers and panels exploring the historical transformation of democratic systems, institutions, and practices in ways that help to orient us towards present challenges.

The Division is committed to constructing a program that utilizes APSA’s various formats, including lightning rounds, featured paper panels, and cafes. 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): Aaron Kaufman, New York University – aaronkaufman@nyu.edu; Carlisle Rainey, Florida State University – carlislerainey@gmail.com

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 —“Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild”— provides ample opportunities to present methodological advances in the study of democratic representation, polarization, and social identities (to name just a few examples), as well as interventions that can help strengthen democracy around the world. 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): Daniel Mallison, Penn State, Harrisburg – djm466@psu.edu; Petra Hendrickson, Northern Michigan University – pehendri@nmu.edu

What role can political science education play in equipping students to navigate politics and power in times of democratic backsliding and authoritarianization? What responsibility do educators have to instill in students the ability to be critical thinkers and citizens, and to counter forces that aim to marginalize democratic norms and civic engagement? How can the political science curriculum prepare students to promote and rebuild democratic norms, behaviors, and institutions after periods of democratic decline? How can they be empowered to adapt to a rapidly changing ideological environment and political climate, and how can our educational methods and strategies foster flexible thinking and transferable skills that equip them for a future that is constantly in flux?

This section welcomes paper, full panel, and roundtable proposals on all topics related to political science education and the research of teaching and learning. Research on all levels of higher education, from community college to four-year institutions and graduate programs, is encouraged. Proposals focused on this year’s conference theme are especially encouraged, but all pedagogy-related topics, such as civic education, active learning, research methods instruction, professionalization, internships, extra- and co-curricular offerings, and technology are welcome. Work that employs empirical evidence, whether qualitative or quantitative, to make and assess different pedagogical practices is encouraged. 

Division Chair(s): Fiona Shen-Bayh, University of Maryland – shenbayh@umd.edu; Salma Mousa, UCLA – smousa@g.ucla.edu; Alexander Lee, Rochester University – alexander.mark.lee@rochester.edu

We invite innovative papers and panels in comparative politics across the full spectrum of quantitative and qualitative methods. We encourage scholars to pose ambitious, big-picture questions and to examine diverse outcomes; from civic behavior and democratization to interethnic conflict and climate attitudes. We particularly welcome panels that integrate different forms of evidence and methodological perspectives to address a common intellectual problem, including projects that bridge subfields. Our aim is to create a forum for important and original comparative research. Note: Historically, organized panel submissions have enjoyed higher acceptance rates.

Division Chair(s): Christopher Chambers-Ju, University of Texas at Arlington – christopher.chambersju@uta.edu; Vineeta Yadav, Penn State University – vuy2@psu.edu

The Comparative Politics of Developing Countries Division welcomes 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: “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” We encourage cohesive panel proposals and welcome all methodological approaches and disciplinary perspectives. We particularly welcome scholarship from researchers that employ a diversity of approaches, engage with interdisciplinary communities, and make their work accessible to broad audiences outside of the academy.

Division Chair(s): Anton Shirikov, University of Kansas – shirikov@ku.edu; Stella Hong Zhang, Indiana University  – hz66@iu.edu

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 2026 APSA Meeting: “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” 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 and intellectual traditions, gender, rank, and nationality, including scholars in these regions. We invite panels and papers that examine democratic backsliding, authoritarian consolidation, and resistance in communist and post-communist countries. We are especially interested in the specific mechanisms of democratic erosion in the region and the sources of democratic resilience, including the actors and strategies that have proven effective in protecting democratic rights and practices. With respect to authoritarian regimes, we welcome papers and panels that study threats to political and civil freedoms as well as forms of resistance by remaining independent societal forces. Papers that examine single-country case studies or cross-country comparisons of communist or former communist states are equally welcome as long as they are theoretically grounded and empirically sound.

Division Chair(s): Chitralekha Basu, University of Cologne – basu@wiso.uni-koeln.de; Spyros Kosmidis, University of Oxford – spyros.kosmidis@politics.ox.ac.uk

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 has eroded, populist and authoritarian movements have gained 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, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” we welcome papers that provide theoretical and evidence-based insights into the extent, causes and processes of democratic erosion and backsliding in advanced industrial societies. Papers could explore, for example, the causes and extent of democratic erosion and backsliding in such societies, and when and how citizens and political actors are able to protect and strengthen the democratic rights, processes and institutions that are under threat.

Division Chair(s): Kaija Schilde, Boston University – kschilde@bu.edu

The European Politics and Society section invites paper and panel proposals that examine contemporary challenges to democracy through the lens of state-society relations and the changing sociology of politics in European institutions. As democratic institutions face unprecedented threats, the interplay between social structures, political behavior, and state transformation is at the center of understanding democratic crisis and renewal.

We welcome proposals that address the conference’s three core questions through comparative analysis of European politics and society:

Understanding Democracy’s Crisis in Europe: How do changing social structures and political sociology explain democratic backsliding? We seek comparative work examining the social bases of illiberalism, transformation of party systems, state-society relations, and how social polarization drives democratic erosion.

Protecting European Democratic Space: What role do social forces and state structures play in defending democracy? We invite scholarship on civil society mobilization, the sociology of resistance movements, institutional responses to social demands, and comparative variation on how states enable or constrain democratic protection.

Rebuilding and Reimagining Democracy: How might evolving state-society relations inform democratic renewal? We encourage proposals exploring emerging forms of political participation, changing citizen-state relationships, and how different European societies grapple with modifying democratic practices to address inequality, demographic change, and economic transformation.

We explicitly welcome and encourage diversity in approaches, methodologies, and perspectives. The section values comparative research, varied methodological approaches including qualitative and quantitative methods, historical and contemporary analyses, and work spanning different regions of Europe. We strongly encourage submissions from scholars at all career stages, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, contingent faculty, and community college educators, and from all backgrounds, irrespective of gender identification, ethnic, racial, or national-origin background.

We invite proposals for individual papers, complete panels, roundtables, and innovative formats that foster comparative discussion and debate. Given the historical role of Boston and democratic revolution, we particularly welcome work that draws comparative insights between European and American experiences of state-society relations and democratic change.

Division Chair(s): Julia Morse, UCSB – jcmorse@ucsb.edu; Amanda Kennard, Stanford University – amanda.kennard@stanford.edu

The section on International Political Economy welcomes proposals for papers, panels, and roundtables on a broad range of topics related to the international economy, including but not limited to: trade, finance, migration, labor, international development, international regulatory issues, climate change, and artificial intelligence. Submissions that incorporate this year’s theme of “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild” are especially encouraged. These might include studies that investigate democratic backsliding and globalization, the relationship between economic crises and democratic stability, populism and resistance to international institutions, and the impact of misinformation and disinformation on cross-border flows. 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): Tana Johnson, University of Wisconsin-Madison – tana.johnson@wisc.edu; Thomas Flaherty, Texas A&M University – thomasflaherty@tamu.edu

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 2026 theme, such as social movements, democratic backsliding, or the legitimacy of various forms of international governance. Our section is committed to promoting demographic, substantive, intellectual, pedagogical, methodological, and institutional diversity.

Division Chair(s): Andrew Dorman, King’s College London – andrew.dorman@kcl.ac.uk; Tracey German, King’s College London – tracey.german@kcl.ac.uk

The 2026 APSA Annual Meeting theme – “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild” – is an opportunity to understand the domestic, regional, and global influences that have led to the crisis of democracy. The steady rise of populist leaders who seek to abandon international law, violate domestic norms, and disrupt regional and global dynamics highlight the urgent need to protect democracy by providing key actors with analytically rigorous and logically sound strategies to counter anti-democratic efforts. This crisis also serves as a catalyst to reimagine the fundamental nature of democracy as we seek to rebuild democratic institutions and transform democratic practices to better protect individual rights and the free exchange of ideas.

The political, social, economic, and cultural developments that are connected to this crisis demand thorough inquiry and analysis. Division 19, International Security, welcomes individual paper, panel, and roundtable proposals on a wide range of conflict and security issues. Potential topics include – but are not limited to – the following areas of study: coercion; deterrence; war and society; alliance politics; security institutions; military innovation; security assistance; civil-military relations; gender and identity; international development; terrorism; war and peace causation; information warfare; transnational organized crime; crisis decision-making; proliferation; civil and regional war; nuclear weapons; terrorism and counterterrorism; insurgency and irregular warfare; 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 are especially welcomed.

Division Chair(s): Charles Mahoney, California State University, Long Beach  – Charles.Mahoney@csulb.edu; Luba Levin-Banchik, California State University, San Bernardino  – luba.levin-banchik@csusb.edu

The APSA Foreign Policy Division invites proposals for papers, panels, and roundtables for the 2026 APSA Annual Meeting. We encourage submissions on a wide range of foreign policy topics, including grand strategy; the use of military force; economic statecraft; the arms trade; sanctions; tariffs; alliance politics and security cooperation; diplomacy, negotiation and mediation; international institutions and multilateralism; foreign policy decision-making; domestic sources of foreign policy; transnational networks; and emerging issues such as technology, climate, migration, and global health. In keeping with the conference theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” we also welcome research examining the relationship between foreign policy and democratic regimes — including how foreign policy tools are used to defend or erode democratic institutions, how regime type shapes states’ external behavior, and how international actors respond to democratic backsliding. We encourage submissions from a broad range of intellectual traditions that utilize diverse methodological and empirical approaches.

Division Chair(s): Juan Tellez, University of California at Davis – jftellez@ucdavis.edu; Howard Liu, University of South Carolina – HL23@mailbox.sc.edu

The Conflict Processes section invites paper, panel, and roundtable proposals broadly related to the causes, dynamics, and consequences of political conflict. This includes research on the onset, escalation, prevention, and aftermath of violent conflict across a wide range of contexts, from civil wars and insurgencies to state repression, terrorism, and everyday forms of violence. This year’s conference theme, “Democracy under Threat? How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” highlights the ways in which violence and democratic erosion are often intertwined. Authoritarian actors may rely on coercion, intimidation, and repression to consolidate power, while democratic backsliding can both fuel and be fueled by violent conflict. How does violence enable or constrain the efforts of leaders to dismantle democratic rights and institutions? How do popular movements respond to violent repression, and under what conditions do their strategies succeed or fail? In what ways do polarization and societal division create opportunities for violent mobilization, and how can they be mitigated? How do the legacies of violence shape the prospects for rebuilding democratic institutions once they have been undermined or destroyed? We welcome proposals from diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives that advance our understanding of conflict processes.

Division Chair(s): Jennifer Clark, University of Houston – jclar2@Central.uh.edu; Annelise Russell, University of Kentucky – anneliserussell8892@gmail.com

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, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” Legislatures serve a core function, linking the people with their representatives. Yet, legislative institutions currently face challenges from ideological polarization and the exclusion of historically underrepresented groups to overcoming gridlock amid shifting government conditions. We especially encourage submissions using innovative data and methods, that consider underrepresented groups, and employ comparisons across time and/or institutional characteristics.

Division Chair(s): Christopher Devine, University of Dayton – cdevine1@udayton.edu

Threats to democracy, at home and abroad, constitute a major concern for scholars and the broader public, alike. Often, these threats come from presidents and executives seeking to grow their power at the expense of other institutional actors and the people they represent. Conversely, executives may play a critical role in strengthening democratic systems. How do we, as scholars, understand the nature, sources, and potential constraints on threats to democracy that may be posed by presidents or other executives and their agents? What can or should be done by these and other institutional actors, as well as the public, to protect against such threats? And how might we rebuild, once the damage has been done?

The Presidents and Executive Politics (PEP) section welcomes proposals that take up the conference theme of “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” with a particular interest in the role of executives and bureaucratic institutions in challenging or championing democratic systems and processes. We also welcome paper and panel submissions that explore enduring questions in the field relating to executive power, interbranch relations, public policy, communications, public opinion, and electoral politics, while utilizing diverse theoretical and methodological approaches and focusing on various geographic and temporal contexts. Additionally, we encourage proposals that facilitate collaboration across APSA sections by situating the study of presidents and executive politics within the broader contours of political science inquiry.

Division Chair(s): Amanda Rutherford, Indiana University – aruther@iu.edu

In democratic countries around the world, bureaucratic agencies are experiencing drastic cuts and freezes targeting their programs, budgets, and employees. Career civil servants who remain face losses in their employment protections and collective bargaining powers. While these reforms are communicated as necessary to make government more efficient and effective, many groups point to the threats of politicization, disruption, and uncertainty for public service delivery and economic stability.

The Public Administration section welcomes proposals that address the conference theme of “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild” with particular interest in research on bureaucratic responses to politicization and democratic backsliding, the functioning of bureaucratic agencies in an environment rife with uncertainty, and whether prosocial motivation can bolster bureaucratic endurance. Submissions that consider emerging questions surrounding citizen perceptions of government, cross-sector collaboration, representation, decision-making, and the use technology and artificial intelligence are also welcome. Diverse theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches from within and outside the field are encouraged. As always, proposals should be theoretically grounded and meet high standards of rigor in their design.

Division Chair(s): Steven Sylvester, Utah Valley University – ssylvester@uvu.edu

Democracy faces critical challenges as authoritarian movements gain ground, institutional trust erodes, and policy failures undermine public confidence in democratic governance. From climate change to inequality, contemporary crises demand effective policy responses, yet polarization and institutional dysfunction often prevent democracies from delivering solutions that meet citizens’ needs. As would-be autocrats exploit policy failures to justify authoritarian alternatives, there is an urgent need to understand how public policy can be designed and implemented to strengthen democratic resilience and restore faith in democratic institutions.

In this pivotal moment for democratic governance, we invite policy scholars to explore how public policy can serve as both a tool for addressing pressing societal challenges and a mechanism for rebuilding democratic legitimacy. We seek proposals that examine how policy design, implementation, and outcomes can reinforce democratic values, enhance citizen engagement, and demonstrate the capacity of democratic systems to deliver meaningful results for all populations.

Submissions are encouraged from a broad range of policy domains, including but not limited to:

Participatory Policymaking: Assessing innovative policy processes that expand citizen participation, enhance transparency, and rebuild trust between government and governed through more inclusive decision-making mechanisms.

Social Policy: Examining how welfare, healthcare, and social protection policies can reduce inequality and build solidarity while strengthening democratic support among diverse constituencies.

Climate and Environmental Policy: Investigating how democratic institutions can develop and implement effective climate policies that demonstrate responsive governance while ensuring just transitions for affected communities.

Economic Policy: Analyzing approaches to economic governance that address inequality and precarity while maintaining democratic accountability and citizen input in policymaking processes.

Digital Governance Policy: Exploring regulatory frameworks for technology platforms, data protection, and digital rights that protect democratic discourse while fostering innovation and civic engagement.

Division Chair(s): Miles Armaly, University of Mississippi – mtarmaly@olemiss.edu; Marcy Shieh, Miami University of Ohio – shiehm@miamioh.edu

The Law and Courts Division invites proposals for the APSA 2026 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 “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” Such proposals might examine the role of courts in responding to democratic backsliding, how judicial institutions and actors shape or resist threats to democratic governance, or how legal institutions and attitudes toward legal institutions contribute to democratic maintenance and renewal. 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.

Division Chair(s): Katie Rader, SUNY Albany – krader@albany.edu; Emily Regier, University of Missouri – eregier@missouri.edu

The Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence Division invites proposals for the APSA 2026 Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, from September 3-6, 2026.

We aim to assemble a set of panels representing the breadth of our field, 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 “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” Such proposals may, for example, focus on constitutional law or jurisprudence issues related to democracy, citizenship, inclusion, rights, and restrictions. They 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 might elaborate jurisprudential positions or theories with enduring relevance, engaging in debates over constitutionalism, judicial review, and their democratic implications. We further welcome papers that speak to the responsibilities of democratic citizens in moments when democracy is under Threat, including how the law has or should respond to global challenges like the rise of authoritarianism, 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 also welcome full panel submissions. We look forward to developing a robust slate of panels highlighting the intellectual efforts of a wide range of scholars.

Division Chair(s): David Cottrell, University of Georgia – David.Cottrell@uga.edu

The Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations Division invites proposals (for individual papers, complete panels, roundtables, author-meets-critics sessions, as well as new formats) that promote a deeper understanding of institutions, politics, and/or policy in federal systems. In line with the conference theme – “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild” – we especially welcome proposals that examine how federalism and intergovernmental relations help us understand today’s threats to democracy, guard against democratic backsliding, and foster democratic renewal. We welcome studies from different theoretical, empirical, and methodological traditions, including interdisciplinary approaches and mixed-methods research, and we encourage broad participation across perspectives, institutions, and career stages.

Division Chair(s): Tracee Saunders, Pennsylvania State University – tms7421@psu.edu

As democracy faces intensifying threats across the globe and within the United States, the American states have become pivotal battlegrounds in the fight to preserve and reimagine democratic governance. State governments are not merely administrative units – they are sites of contestation, innovation, and resistance. In recent years, state-level actors have played central roles in both advancing and undermining democratic norms, shaping the trajectory of civil rights, electoral integrity, and institutional accountability.

The State Politics and Policy Section invites proposals that critically examine the role of states in this democratic crisis. We seek research that examines how state-level institutions, actors, and policies contribute to the erosion or renewal of democracy. How are state legislatures, courts, and executives responding to challenges such as voter suppression, disinformation, and political violence? In what ways are states serving as laboratories for democratic reform?

We especially welcome work that engages questions, such as: How do state-level dynamics reflect or diverge from national trends in democratic backsliding? What role do race, class, religion, gender, and other identities play in shaping democratic inclusion or exclusion at the state level? How are state governments addressing—or exacerbating—major crises such as climate change, economic inequality, reproductive rights, and public health? What strategies have emerged within states to resist authoritarianism and rebuild democratic institutions?

We encourage submissions from scholars across disciplines, methodological traditions, and career stages. We value diverse perspectives and welcome proposals that center historically marginalized voices and communities. Studies may focus on individual states, compare across states, or examine more local contexts within the state framework.

Division Chair(s): Jeffrey Paller, Uppsala University  – jeffrey.paller@statsvet.uu.se; Chris  Warshaw, George Washington University  – warshaw@gwu.edu

The Urban and Local Politics section welcomes proposals featuring original research considering the role of cities and their politics in the struggle for democracy across the globe. This year’s conference theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” prompts our scholarly community to consider the “comparative and historical experiences – both within and outside the state” that underlie possible “transformations of democratic practices.”

Cities and urban regions play special and unique roles in the democratic trajectory of nations, as well as the democratic backsliding and authoritarian resilience that is happening across the world. City streets are spaces of intense protest and resistance to state power. But they are also arenas of populist mobilization for authoritarian regimes. We welcome proposals that examine the diversity of cities and their politics, and bring together papers and panels that span neighborhoods, states, countries, and regions.

Creeping authoritarianism, climate change, and crackdowns on migration are hitting cities across the world particularly hard. But cities also offer lessons in resilience, resistance, and popular mobilization. As countries across the world confront these challenges, cities are at the forefront of promoting new experiments in governance, politics, and participation. Urban and local spaces provide opportunities to promote democracy, but also fall into exclusionary and authoritarian traps. We welcome papers that address how governments and urban policy actors respond to these important societal changes, especially along the dimensions of gender, race, ethnicity, and class. Papers that explore the importance of identity, place making, intergovernmental relations, and emerging social movements on local decision-making are invited. Proposals that explore the political economy of cities and regions in countries that have seen a retraction, both politically and economically, from national governments are also welcomed.

We are especially interested in papers and panels that utilize novel methodologies or employ innovative qualitative or quantitative techniques. The Section will accept proposals for cohesive panels, roundtables, author-meets-critics, or short courses. For those submitting complete panels, roundtables or author-meets-critics proposals, please be sure to submit a chair and at least one discussant for all panel proposals and where possible highlight how the proposed session connects with the theme of “Democracy under Threat.”

Division Chair(s): Samantha Majic, John Jay College & the CUNY Graduate Center – smajic@jjay.cuny.edu; Nikol Alexander-Floyd, Rutgers University – ngaf@polisci.rutgers.edu

The Women, Gender, and Politics Section 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, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” Women, gender, and politics scholars are uniquely poised to offer incisive theoretical and empirical contributions to our understanding of democracy and threats thereto, along with other themes related to this year’s conference.

What can political science tell us about how women and gender politics interface with efforts to establish—and, more importantly, challenge—authoritarian rule around the world? How may this scholarship help us envision a more expansive and transformative democratic future? Papers may consider the gendered nature of authoritarianism, efforts to both resist and support this, and the possibilities and limits of political institutions in this time of rapid change and growing global inequality. Other topics might include, but not be limited to: the challenges to democratic institutions that are impacting women’s representation and participation in formal and informal political spaces; how non-governmental arenas, from civic organizations to popular culture, can further the collective discussion about the roots of authoritarianism and democratic backsliding; the broad impacts of policy and legislation targeting sex, gender, and sexuality; the rise of religious fundamentalism and nationalism and its connection to autocratization; the scapegoating of Black women, Latinas, and trans folks in the deconstruction of democratic institutions and expansion of government surveillance, deportations, imprisonment, and enhanced militarization; the role of national and transnational oligarchic networks; and the continued relevance of critical social theory in understanding the global resurgence of fascism.

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 care-work 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 approaches and interdisciplinary scholarship from a wide-ranging group of researchers.

We encourage paper submissions and organized panel submissions. Panel submissions must include at least four papers (preferably five), 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): Tabitha Bonilla, Northwestern University – tabitha.bonilla@northwestern.edu; Jamil Scott, Georgetown University – jamil.scott@georgetown.edu

The Race, Ethnicity, and Politics (REP) Division invites paper and full panel proposals for the 2026 Annual Meeting. We are interested in proposals that address how the politics of race and ethnicity illuminate the conference theme “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.”

Understanding that threats to democratic norms are happening globally and have a particularly significant impact on marginalized racial and ethnic communities, we call scholars of race and ethnic politics to contribute to our understanding of how identity shapes interactions with power and politics today. 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 challenge our current understandings of how democratic norms are in operation today and the implications for marginalized communities – both domestically and internally. We would like to see papers that consider how economic, gendered, and patriarchal structures have led to failures of democracy and how people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds respond to these structures by mobilizing power derived from organizing and coalition-building to renew democratic politics.

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): Alexandra Blackman, Cornell University – adb295@cornell.edu; Enrique Quezada, Holy Cross College – equezada-llanes@holycross.edu

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, with a particular focus on contributions that align with the 2026 APSA theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” In keeping with the 2026 theme, the Religion and Politics Section thus seeks contributions that examine the many ways religion intersects with the emergence and practice of democracy and autocracy around the globe. This includes research on the role of religion and/or religious institutions in democratic or autocratic systems, variation in the level of democracy embedded in religious institutions, the impact of religious networks and civil society in protecting or undermining democracy, and the compatibility of religious practices and beliefs with core democratic principles such as tolerance and pluralism. We further invite discussion of the role of religion and politics scholars and educators in promoting democracy and pluralism 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 institutions.

Division Chair(s): Eduardo Alemán, University of Houston – ealeman2@uh.edu; Taeko Hiroi, The University of Texas at El Paso – thiroi@utep.edu

The Representation and Electoral Systems Division seeks proposals on a broad range of topics related to electoral rules and political representation. We welcome research on the origins and consequences of electoral rules in democratic and authoritarian contexts, the process of electoral reform, and the integrity of electoral administration (including election forensics and auditing). We also seek proposals that address the representation of citizens’ voices and preferences in policymaking across different institutional and political contexts, examining both the substantive responsiveness of elected officials and the barriers to descriptive representation.

Furthermore, we invite contributions that examine how political polarization reshapes representational links and the ways in which populist movements challenge or redefine the relationships between citizens and the state. In line with the 2026 meeting’s theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” we particularly encourage research that addresses the role of electoral systems and representative mechanisms in mitigating democratic erosion, bolstering participation, and strengthening accountability. The division welcomes diverse methodological perspectives in addition to both single-country studies and broad comparative analyses.

Division Chair(s): Rachel Blum, University of Oklahoma – rblum@ou.edu; Brian Palmer-Rubin, University of Southern California – brian.pr@usc.edu

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 wide variety of contexts including electoral, legislative, bureaucratic, judicial, and civic arenas. In keeping with the 2026 conference theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” we especially encourage proposals that explore how parties and organizations contribute to—or undermine—the understanding, protection, and rebuilding of democracy. We are particularly interested in work that examines the role of parties and organizations in interest representation, campaigns, lobbying, protest, claim-making, the mediation of party–voter linkages, political socialization, and information dissemination. We also welcome research on how polarization, economic inequality, and disinformation shape the ability of parties and organizations to strengthen or weaken democratic resilience. The division embraces diversity in research topics and methodological approach, and we particularly welcome proposals from scholars who are underrepresented within the discipline as well as those that bring interdisciplinary and international perspectives.

Division Chair(s): Michal Grahn, Uppsala University – michal.grahn@statsvet.uu.se

Across the globe, the integrity of elections is increasingly under threat, and the norm of defeated candidates questioning electoral legitimacy is spreading. Authoritarian-leaning leaders employ a wide range of discursive and material strategies to maximize their appeal while eroding support for democratic norms and policies. In many contexts, voters now lend their support to leaders and parties that openly challenge liberal democratic principles. The study of elections and voting behavior is therefore central to understanding the processes of democratic backsliding and autocratization that animate the 2026 APSA conference theme.

This section welcomes a broad array of contributions to the study of elections and voting behavior, including—but not limited to—the causes and consequences of growing threats to electoral integrity, and the effects of democratic backsliding on electoral processes and citizen behavior. We particularly encourage work that addresses theme-related questions such as:

• How do authoritarian-leaning leaders manipulate elections, and how do voters respond to growing autocratization and democratic backsliding?
• To what extent do disinformation, media capture, and attacks on election administration undermine electoral trust and participation?
• How do citizens, parties, movements, and civil society actors resist electoral manipulation and defend democratic practices?
• Under what conditions do voters support leaders who challenge democratic norms, and when do they turn away?
• How do electoral institutions constrain—or enable—would-be autocrats?
• What lessons can be drawn from historical and cross-national cases of electoral contestation for understanding and rebuilding democracy today?
• In moments of democratic crisis, what role can elections play in reimagining and revitalizing democratic practices?

We welcome empirically robust contributions as well as novel theoretical takes on a multitude of issues within the field of elections and voting behavior. In keeping with APSA’s commitment to increasing diversity, inclusion, and access throughout the profession, we particularly encourage a diversity of approaches, interdisciplinarity, and contributions from a wide range of researchers. By situating the study of elections and voting behavior within the broader conversation on democracy under Threat, this section seeks to advance both analytical and prescriptive insights into how elections function as sites of democratic erosion, resistance, and potential renewal.

Division Chair(s): Allison Archer, University of Houston –  amarche3@central.uh.edu

The Public Opinion Division invites innovative paper and full-panel proposals related to public opinion research. In keeping with the 2026 Conference Theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” we encourage proposals related to understanding the global crisis of democracy, protecting democratic rights, and reimagining democratic institutions and practices. Potential topics of interest include, but are not restricted to, research on public opinion dynamics, the nature and effects of elite communication and media messaging on the mass public, variation in public attitudes across diverse groups and identities, the relationship between political institutions and mass opinion, and the role of public opinion in shaping political systems and outcomes.

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 opinion by race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, etc.). 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 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): Dominik Stecula, Ohio State University – stecula.3@osu.edu

The crisis of democracy is, in significant part, a crisis of communication. The 2026 APSA theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” asks us to center information systems, media institutions, and everyday communicative practices in accounts of both democratic erosion and renewal. We invite proposals that use the diverse theories and methods of our field to address these challenges.

Understand the Crisis
We seek proposals that diagnose how communication dynamics undermine democracy by tracing failures across systems, institutions, and publics. Topics could include, but are not limited to:

• Platform and algorithm design
• Propaganda, mis- and disinformation
• Harassment and attacks on journalism and academic freedom
• News deserts and media capture
• Affective polarization and the erosion of shared facts or trust

Protect Democracy
We invite proposals that test what protects democratic discourse through prevention, friction, and repair. We are particularly interested in submissions on topics such as:

• Media and information literacy
• Transparency and accountability mechanisms for media and platforms
• Platform governance and content moderation
• Constructive dialogue and deliberation
• Building and sustaining local civic information infrastructures

Rebuild Democratic Communication
We encourage proposals that map how to rebuild democratic communication with forward-looking, resilient designs that reimagine democratic institutions and practices. Illustrative examples might explore:

• Fostering inclusive political expression
• Designing new forms of civic engagement
• Developing deliberative and participatory technologies
• Innovations for election and information integrity
• Architectures that make democratic practice resilient

We welcome diverse theories and methods, including field, lab, digital trace, quantitative, qualitative, computational, mixed-methods, and comparative designs. In line with APSA’s goals of increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and access throughout the profession, we encourage submissions from scholars across a wide range of theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary backgrounds, career stages, and institutional contexts.

Proposals should not exceed one single-spaced page and should clearly state the research questions, theoretical argument, methodological approach, and implications for political communication.

Division Chair(s): David Switzer, University of Missouri – switzerd@missouri.edu

The Science, Technology, and Environmental Politics (STEP) Section welcomes proposals for the 2026 APSA meeting. We especially welcome proposals related to this year’s theme: “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” Science, technology, and environmental issues are often at the center of struggles over authority, legitimacy, and the public good. Climate change challenges, AI-misinformation, and environmental injustice are all areas that reveal stress in democratic institutions and provide opportunities for improvement.

The STEP section welcomes proposals for papers, panels, and roundtables that examine the intersections of democracy with science, technology, and environmental governance. We particularly encourage work on how science and expertise are mobilized or undermined in contexts of democratic backsliding, the role of misinformation, surveillance, and disinformation technologies, and the democratic implications of climate change, energy transitions, and environmental disasters.

Given the diversity of scholars working on Science, Technology, and Environmental policy issues, we seek proposals that employ varied methodological approaches, theoretical frameworks, and geographic areas. We encourage proposals that have interdisciplinary approaches and welcome submissions from historically underrepresented groups.

Division Chair(s): Jianing Li, Rutgers University – jianing.li.phd@rutgers.edu

What is the role of technology in the global crisis of democracy? 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 2026 theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.”

Digital media and information technologies, including social media platforms and messaging apps, search engines, online news websites, traditional and generative AI, have been at the forefront of the challenges facing democracies. How do these technologies contribute to crucial issues including the erosion of democratic norms, polarization, social inequalities, mis/disinformation, and hateful speech? On the other hand, how do these technologies sustain various efforts aimed at strengthening democracy, building resilience, broadening participation, and helping reimagine democracy? We welcome papers that study the role of technology in relation to individuals’ opinions and behaviors, in relation to groups, campaigns, and networks, and in relation to democratic institutions and political systems across the world. The ITP section welcomes proposals that tackle questions centered around, but by no means limited to, these issues:

• How can researchers develop and reimagine frameworks and approaches to study the role of digital technologies in strengthening or hindering democracy?
• How does the use of digital technologies by individuals, political groups, networks, and institutions erode or sustain democratic norms and public trust?
• To what extent do digital technologies bring people together or drive people apart in articulating and solving collective problems, both nationally and internationally?
• How do digital technologies exacerbate various forms of social inequalities or improve social mobility and broaden participation?
• What is the role of digital technologies in spreading or countering mis/disinformation about politics, social issues, and elections across different political and cultural systems?
• To what extent are digital technologies used to empower or repress citizens as well as civic and political groups?
• To what extent does AI pose opportunities or threats to democracy? How can AI be used to address emergent concerns and facilitate positive changes?
• How does the role of technology in democracy vary across time, across geographical or cultural contexts, or across platforms?

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. Submissions should clearly state their methodological approach (e.g., data source, analysis approach).

Division Chair(s): Adriana Alfaro Altamirano, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México – adriana.alfaro@itam.mx

In an era marked by rising authoritarianism, erosion of democratic norms, and widespread political instability, democracy worldwide faces profound challenges. Such phenomena invite critical reflection—not only through political science but also through the unique insights of literature, and of the visual and performing arts.

We invite scholars to propose individual papers or full-paper panels that engage with the following core questions:

1. Understanding the Global Crisis of Democracy: How do literature, visual arts, and other aesthetic practices illuminate the nature and dynamics of democratic decline? In what ways do narrative strategies help us comprehend the cultural, emotional, and ideological forces that undermine democratic values globally?
2. Protecting Democratic Rights and Practices: How do societies employ artistic expression and storytelling as tools of resistance and resilience when democratic freedoms are under attack? What role do literature and the arts play in reclaiming public space, fostering civic engagement, and nurturing democratic identities during times of repression?
3. Rebuilding Democratic Institutions, Norms, and Practices: How can creative works envision and inspire the reconstruction of democracy? What narratives and aesthetic frameworks are most effective in imagining democratic futures, fostering dialogue, and rebuilding trust in democratic institutions and values?

We welcome interdisciplinary submissions that address these questions from a range of perspectives, including but not limited to: political theory, comparative politics, history of political thought, international relations, and cultural studies.

This section aims to generate a vibrant conversation about the vital role of art and literature in confronting one of the most pressing political challenges of our time. We look forward to your proposals on how narratives and aesthetics can both diagnose and resist the threats to democracy and inspire its renewal.

Division Chair(s): Zachariah Wheeler, Providence College – zwheeler@providence.edu; Robert Kirsch, Arizona State University – rekirsch@asu.edu

The Caucus for Critical Political Science (formerly New Political Science) is pleased to announce the call for papers for the 122nd Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, held in Boston, MA from September 3-6, 2026. 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 more just and democratic society. Submissions that engage the general conference theme of “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild” from a wide range of theoretical, methodological, epistemological, and underrepresented perspectives are especially encouraged.

In recent years, growing threats to liberal democracy have been compounded by a chronic legitimation crisis from within.  While the general condition of this 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 there are moments of opportunity, alterity, and attempts to reimagine democratic institutions in ways that expand common goods and accountability.

As a caucus committed to supporting heterodox scholarship in the discipline, Critical Political Science invites applicants who can speak to either the nature of this crisis, or these new visions of democracy, in our age of transition and disruption. Submissions that can speak to the complexity of these overlapping crises, especially as they relate to  democratic backsliding and its causes, are highly encouraged. We also welcome work that emphasizes pathways forward, including alternatives to the dominant, liberal model. We encourage applicants whose work can highlight perspectives from indigenous and non-Western political society; as well as local, national, and global articulations of related crises underlying the breakdown of democratic norms.

The Caucus remains committed to all forms of social, economic, racial, and environmental justice and encourages perspectives from individuals of diverse racial, class, 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 democracy and the threat of authoritarianism, 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): Elif Kalaycioglu, University of Alabama – elif.kalaycioglu@kcl.ac.uk

The International History and Politics (IHAP) 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 archival research, oral history, case studies, and historiographical research in the study of world politics.

The APSA 2026 theme invites scholars to analyze the global crisis of democracy and to reflect on how democratic institutions, norms and practices can be protected and built back. Studies in international history and politics are ideally suited to engage with these questions by reflecting on the links between domestic politics and international orders, bringing into view previous periods of large-scale political shifts, querying what lessons they might hold for the present and possible futures, and excavating alternative visions that emerge at these junctures. The section welcomes proposals that draw upon non-traditional historical eras, regions, and actors in addressing these themes.

Division Chair(s): Megan Stewart, University of Michigan – mgnstwrt@umich.edu; David Szakonyi, George Washington University – dszakonyi@email.gwu.edu

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 pertain but are not limited to contestation over and within democratic institutions; political violence and repression; the role of identities and partisanship in transitions to and from democracy; and authoritarian politics, institutions, and durability.

We are especially interested in proposals on democratic resilience and resistance to authoritarianism, which align with this year’s conference theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” The division welcomes papers and panels covering any region or country in both historical and contemporary time periods, including the United States. We also welcome single-country studies as well as comparative work done at either the national or subnational levels, covering both state and non-state actors, and applying a range of methodological approaches. We invite submissions from scholars from diverse backgrounds, ranks, and academic institutions, and researchers focusing on understudied regions. We especially encourage submissions of substantively cohesive panels and other organized session formats.

Division Chair(s): Ann Marie Clark, Purdue University – clarkam@purdue.edu; Alison Renteln, USC – arenteln@usc.edu; Cher Weixia Chen, George Mason University – wchen12@gmu.edu

The general conference theme for 2026, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” calls for analysis of both threats to democracy and action to protect and rebuild. APSA Division 45: Human Rights invites proposals that, in this light, present research on current human rights violations and the actors and social movements striving to defend human rights and democracy at home and abroad.

With this in mind, we especially invite submissions on human rights questions related to the conference theme:  How do different theories of democracy intersect with diverse conceptions of human rights? What are the strengths and weaknesses of global human rights frameworks for addressing  problems, including state sponsored repression as well as systemic threats such as climate change? To what extent do the promises offered by human rights principles adequately counter threats to global, regional, and domestic institutions, as well as empower individuals and groups affected by civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights deficits? How does literature on political violence inform thinking about democracy and human rights protections? In what ways are political actors at local, national, regional, and global levels calling upon, reimagining, or seeking to suppress aspects of human rights in the current context? In particular, how are challenges to academic freedom undermining efforts to discuss these very topics? What is the significance of public protest in contemporary debates about human rights and social movements, and will it play an even more significant role with increasing strategies of voter suppression?

We call for empirical and theoretical analyses of past problems and successes, drawing on a range of theoretical and methodological approaches, as well as research on the intersections of human rights with current issues that could be informed by the past or may require new approaches to rights issues. For example, possible submissions might examine the effects of any of a range of measures such as reparations, memorials, prosecutions, truth commissions, and technological innovation, as approaches to repair and strengthen democratic institutions.

Full panel submissions exploring the conference theme and its relation to human rights are welcomed, as well as individual papers and posters. We also welcome opportunities to cosponsor relevant panels with other sections.

Division Chair(s): Michael Yekple, Bowdoin College – m.yekple@bowdoin.edu; Anastasia Shesterinina, University of York – anastasia.shesterinina@york.ac.uk

The Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (QMMR) Section invites proposals for the 2026 Annual Meeting. We seek proposals employing innovative qualitative and multi-method strategies, including those rooted in the interpretive and ethnographic traditions. We are particularly interested in proposals that address how the rigorous use and integration of diverse methods enable scholars to ask new research questions, challenge dominant assumptions and theories, and generate insights that capture previously overlooked aspects of the question under study. Proposals should directly engage with the conference theme of democracy under Threat, exploring various attacks on democracy and resistance to such attacks across contexts, with implications for reimagining democratic institutions and practices. Submissions may be methodological or substantive; substantive papers should emphasize how they innovatively harness qualitative or mixed methods. 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): Kathryn Perkins, CSU Long Beach – Kathryn.Perkins@csulb.edu

The Sexuality & Politics Division invites paper, poster, and panel proposals that connect with the Annual Conference’s theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” Scholars of sexuality and politics are well-positioned to offer insight into how to navigate these times of heightened chaos, threat, and crisis and can offer new ways of thinking, and of queering, politics, power, and peoplehood.

As the place of LGBTQ+ people in society continues to shift and be subject to intense political discourse, new ways of conceptualizing or reimagining politics and power become possible. How can scholars of LGBTQ+ politics, broadly construed, contribute to these conversations? The Sexuality & Politics Division welcomes contributions to the 2026 APSA program that address these issues and others related to the conference theme from a range of perspectives and subfields 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, equity, 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. Proposals that clearly and concisely articulate the project and research question are most appreciated. We look forward to developing a robust slate of S&P panels highlighting the cutting-edge work of a broad range of scholars.

Division Chair(s): Herschel Nachlis, Dartmouth College – Herschel.S.Nachlis@dartmouth.edu; Anil Menon, UC-Merced – armenon@ucmerced.edu

The organized section on Health Politics and Policy invites submissions for the 2026 APSA Annual Meeting. The section welcomes submissions of individual papers, complete panels of up to five papers, roundtables, and author(s) meets critics sessions. This call encourages the submission of research from different methodological and theoretical perspectives that focuses on the United States, global, and comparative health politics and policy; analyzes different populations, time periods, and policy venues; and is conducted by senior and early career scholars.

Submissions that engage with the theme of the 2026 APSA Annual Meeting, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” are also welcome. To address this year’s theme, submissions are welcome from a range of perspectives on how health politics and policy might relate to democratic threats and buttresses.

The section is also interested in submissions that could facilitate theme panels. The 2026 theme encourages interdisciplinary and cross-subfield research. Following the COVID-19 pandemic and given debates about threats to democracy, health has retained increased salience in local, national, and international politics. Research related to the 2026 theme and highlighted through the Health Politics and Policy section could address questions including but not limited to:

• Does the politicization of health policy have differential effects across different groups within the population?
• What are the physical and psychological health consequences of threats to democracy, buttresses for democracy, and the absence of democracy?
• How do polarization and the politicization of health policy affect health science policy and health science communication?
• Do polarized policymaking, public opinion, and political behavior patterns evident in other policy areas manifest in health politics and policy?
• How do health policymaking institutions and health policy experts respond to new policymaking environments, including when those environments’ political principals have new and/or controversial views about and approaches to health policy?
• Do the public’s policy preferences, experiences, and expectations constrain new and sometimes-controversial health policymaking efforts, enable them, or affect and/or respond to them in other ways?
• How has the emergence of remote health care shaped the public’s engagements with and opinions on health care, politics, and policy?
• How might the emergence of AI in health care shape the public’s engagements with and opinions on health care, politics, and policy moving forward?

Division Chair(s): Sophie Borwein, University of British Columbia – sborwein@mail.ubc.ca

The Canadian Politics section invites proposals for individual papers, panels, or roundtables on any topic in Canadian politics. We especially welcome submissions that engage this year’s theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” as panels granted “theme panel” status provide Canadian politics scholarship additional space on the program.

Among other topics, we encourage work that (i) assesses threats to democratic practice—including pressures on media, civil society, researchers, and elected officials; (ii) identifies the actors, institutions, and practices that most effectively protect and strengthen democracy; and (iii) reimagines institutions and practices to reinforce participation and accountability in Canada and elsewhere. We also invite contributions that examine how cleavages—including those based in partisanship, ideology, region, ethnicity, language, gender and class—shape both democratic vulnerabilities and resilience in Canadian politics. We welcome participants from all backgrounds and perspectives, and research across theoretical and methodological traditions.

Division Chair(s): Jared Edgerton, Pennsylvania State University – jared.edgerton@gmail.com

The Political Networks Section invites proposals for papers, panels, posters, and roundtables for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, themed “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.”

Political networks research explores how patterns of relationships among individuals, groups, organizations, and states shape political behavior and outcomes. Network approaches offer useful tools for understanding political dynamics ranging from communication and mobilization to institutional performance and international cooperation.

We welcome submissions from across the discipline that use, extend, or critically engage with network perspectives and methods. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Institutions and Governance: The role of networks among elites, bureaucracies, and civic organizations in shaping policy and political outcomes.
2. Information and Communication: How networks influence the flow of information in traditional and digital settings.
3. Comparative and International Politics: Transnational and organizational networks that structure politics within and across states.
4. Conflict and Cooperation: The networked dynamics of coordination, contestation, and security.
5. Methods and Measurement: Advances in network modeling, visualization, and computational approaches.

We encourage proposals that engage with the 2026 conference theme, connect across subfields, or draw on interdisciplinary perspectives. The division also values diversity in scholarly backgrounds and substantive focus, and welcomes contributions from scholars at all career stages.

Division Chair(s): Matt Graham, Temple University – mattgraham@temple.edu

The Experimental Research division welcomes submissions on topics related to the use of experimental research. We encourage submissions that build upon the annual conference theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” Research on other topics is also welcome.

We invite theoretical, methodological, or empirical proposals about experimental methods, including survey, laboratory, and field experiments. An experiment must involve random assignment, which excludes observational designs that are sometimes called natural or quasi-experiments.

APSA offers various presentation formats, and we welcome proposals that take advantage of these options. We encourage cohesive panel proposal that take different approaches to studying the same substantive or methodological topic. We hope to showcase a wide range of research from a diverse group of scholars.

Division Chair(s): Ruxandra Paul, Amherst College – rpaul@amherst.edu; Marc Helbling, Mannheim University – helbling@uni-mannheim.de

In light of the overall theme for 2026—the role democracy plays in a changing world—we especially welcome submissions that theorize and assess the relationship between democracy, migration and citizenship. This can include, but is not limited to:

• The impact of changing political regimes on migration
• The effect of migration on political regime resilience
• The way migration affects democratic institutions
• The relationship between political beliefs and attitudes towards migrants
• Political values among migrants and citizens of immigrant descent
• Politicization of immigration and citizenship
• Democracy and nationalism
• Cultural diversity and social cohesion
• National sovereignty and global justice
• Migrant status, rights, and international law
• The contributions of migrant and diaspora communities to political change (e.g. democratic consolidation, democratic backsliding, recovery after episodes of executive aggrandizement etc.)
• Transnationalization (of the state to reach citizens abroad, of political parties to reach voters outside national territory, of civil society to mobilize new reservoirs of support)
• New forms of migration management and border control, and their compatibility with democratic values
• International organizations that intervene in migration politics and policy making, and the problem of democratic deficit

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

Division Chair(s): Alex Kroger, Texas State University – amk186@txstate.edu; Ada Johnson-Kanu, University of Kentucky – anjohnson-kanu@uky.edu

The African Politics Conference Group (APCG) invites submissions for paper, panel, and roundtable proposals that focus on the politics of Africa. We welcome proposals that reflect all areas of inquiry and methodological approaches. Proposals that speak to the theme of the 2026 Annual Meeting, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” are particularly encouraged. This year’s conference theme focuses on the domestic and international factors driving democratic backsliding and authoritarianism, the actors and strategies best suited to expand and preserve democracy, and the reimagining of democratic institutions and practices. We particularly welcome submissions by underrepresented groups in political science, especially African scholars.

Division Chair(s): Erik Jones, European University Institute (EUI) – erik.jones@eui.eu

The 2026 APSA Annual Meeting theme statement encourages participants to address questions about how we understand the crisis of democracy, how to claw back democratic rights and practices, how to rebuild democratic norms and institutions, who are the key actors, what are the most efficacious strategies, and whether the need to reclaim democracy requires and provides opportunities for a more fundamental reimagining of what future democracy should look like. The study of Ideas, Knowledge, and Politics is at the core of this inquiry. Panel or paper proposals on any of these themes would be welcome. The Ideas, Knowledge, and Politics division is pluralist in method and epistemology, and open to empirical as well as theoretical approaches. Innovative formats are particularly encouraged.

Division Chair(s): Chris Faricy, Syracuse University – cgfaricy@syr.edu; Kris-Stella Trump, Johns Hopkins University – kstrump@jhu.edu

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. In 2026, we especially welcome proposals that speak to the broader APSA theme of “Democracy under Threat.” Democratic erosion deepens political inequalities and is intertwined with economic inequalities; we welcome assessments of these dynamics, as well as papers that examine the role of class and inequality in efforts to protect and rebuild democracy. We support proposals that are attentive to intersectional dimensions of class and inequality and that foster engagement across theoretical, substantive, and methodological approaches. We particularly welcome proposals from junior and under-represented scholars.

Division Chair(s): Christina Bambrick, University of Notre Dame – cbambric@nd.edu; Connor Ewing, University of Toronto – connor.m.ewing@gmail.com

The American Political Thought division invites proposals exploring the 2026 conference theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” American Political Thought is a subfield that engages and reimagines connections between the historical, theoretical, institutional, cultural, and literary dimensions of American politics. We invite theoretically ambitious, historically-grounded, and methodologically diverse submissions on any topic, but papers and panels that speak to the conference theme are especially welcome. To that end, we encourage submissions on topics like the sources of democratic practices, standards, and expectations; legacies of democratic progression and regression; prospects for democratic reform; the role, requirements, and challenges of civic education and civil discourse; and the place of political economy in constitutional self-government. We are particularly keen to receive proposals that probe the connection between intellectual traditions and contemporary challenges; engage conversations across periods, approaches, or canons; and illuminate enduring challenges, cleavages, or patterns in American politics.

Complete panel, roundtable, and author(s) meet critics proposals will receive strong consideration, as will submissions featuring a diverse range of approaches, backgrounds, and career stages. Chairs reserve the right to add new members to proposed panels.

Division Chair(s): Chantal Berman, Georgetown University – chantal.berman@georgetown.edu; Sean Yom, Temple University – sean.yom@temple.edu

In the twenty-first century, states and societies in the MENA are experiencing novel change. More than a “crisis of democracy,” they are undergoing a crisis of power. From insurgency to municipalization, from financialization to climate crisis, and from mass migration events to changing norms of gender and family life, prolonged flux permeates the social fabric and state structures across much of the region, stretching from the Maghreb to the Gulf. This has compelled political scientists to question the hierarchies, institutions, norms, and relationships that long defined how the study of the MENA.

In that vein, the 2026 MENA sectional program centers upon several core issues. First, we welcome paper and panel submissions that relate to the broader APSA meeting theme, in particular the tricky task of theorizing democratic institutions and practices in a region often dominated by oppressive regimes. Who are “pro-democracy” actors? What are their convictions and strategies? Can we locate democratic practices within autocratic political systems, and vice-versa? Conversely, what actors subvert democratic practices? Where do vectors of autocratization find support, whether internal or external? Along these lines, we also welcome proposals that assess the effects and implications of democratic rule in the MENA. Have institutions of formal democracy (when and where they have existed) sufficiently ensured representation and responsiveness—and if not, what explains their inadequacy? Along these lines, we also welcome submissions that explore how MENA cases offer comparative insights for scholars engaged in other global regions. Does the MENA offer leverage in explaining wider trends, such as autocratic reversions and democratic backsliding? What are the prospects and challenges for comparative research that juxtapose the MENA alongside other regions in the study of democracy and autocracy?

Second, we welcome paper and panel proposals that consider the dynamics and consequences of the MENA’s major ongoing conflicts, including but not limited to the war and genocide in Gaza; the violence in post-Assadist Syria; the Sudanese civil war; and protracted struggles in Libya, Yemen, and elsewhere. What state and non-state actors promote or constrain these episodes of violence? Do strategies of conflict resolution or mitigation borne from other regions provide any leverage? How has regional order changed through systemic forces like alliance patterns and security dynamics? Finally, we welcome submissions that investigate other topics outside these themes, but which inform contemporary MENA political science. Examples include the politics of gender; race and ethnicity; religious institutions; social movements and civil society; local politics; urban studies; public opinion; state-business relations; political economy of development; regional and international security; foreign policy; and other topics.

APSA MENA is committed to increasing diversity, inclusion, and access for our presenters and attendees. 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 – owend@georgetown.edu; Chapman Rackaway, Radford University – crackaway@radford.edu

Active, informed, and engaged participation are necessary elements to a healthy and functional democracy. Democracies expect, and require, the citizenry to exercise diligent supervision and evaluation of elected officials to ensure that the popular will is followed as much as possible. The public and elected officials have numerous mechanisms that provide processes and safeguards for the citizenry to keep a watchful eye on their duly elected representatives and to hold them accountable for performance that does not satisfy the public’s expectations. From the franking privilege to the ballot box, a panoply of options exists for participating in acts of civic engagement. Mobile telecommunications and social media make access to information and the ability to communicate reaches levels never realized throughout human history. The potential for constructive engagement is thus as high as it has ever been. Used with fidelity and passion for democracy, there is the possibility of an era of the most connected and engaged participation in the two-hundred-plus year history of popular democracy in America. Democracies, particularly those of diverse societies, thrive when barriers to participation are low and feelings of legitimacy are evenly distributed across the electorate. However, the actual acts of participation can and do diverge from this ideal.

Dangerous signs of support for and acts of authoritarianism regularly make news. Mis- and dis-information are at ever-increasing levels complicating the process of becoming informed political participants. While voter turnout has increased, accusations of vote suppression and fraud are rampant. Public faith in democracy and its systems are at near-all-time lows. Tensions are high between races and genders, exacerbating mistrust and eroding social capital. Support for non-democratic or illegitimate forms of participation are on the rise.

In light of the challenges confronted by the public in their efforts to perform acts of civic engagement, what is the state of political participation in republican democracies today? Have symbolic forms of participation supplanted real-life acts? How are different populations envisioning and engaging in acts of civic leadership? What groups benefit and suffer from these changing and new modes of participation? What role does social capital (and its accordant absence) play in civic engagement? What novel and strategic ways are engagement strategies changing to adapt to the current political environment? Do changing attitudes threaten democratic participation and civic engagement? How can civic engagement be substantively measured and assessed? How do participants engage with others across societal divisions? How do acts of civic engagement highlight, enhance, or alter power relationships? How does civic engagement differ across different forms of democratic government?

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): Lesley Lavery, Macalaster College – llavery@macalester.edu

In alignment with the 2026 APSA Annual Meeting theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” the Education Policy and Politics Section invites proposals that explore the crisis of democracy by focusing on how schools and members of school communities (administrators, union officials, parents, students) understand threats to democracy, advocate for the rights of special populations when they come under assault, and aid in rebuilding democratic institutions, norms and practices.

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 institutions, 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? Trust in formal institutions?  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): Sebastian Rosato, Notre Dame University – sebastian.rosato.3@nd.edu; Jennifer Mitzen, Ohio State University – mitzen.1@osu.edu

The IR Theory section builds on the conference theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild” 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 global crisis in democracy as a crisis in and of the international order. What concepts, frameworks, or historical examples offer leverage for explaining and understanding the current crisis? What does it mean from a global standpoint to protect democracy, and what resources exist for that protection? How is de-democratization restructuring global politics what role has global politics played in de-democratization? What feats of imagination and constructions of power might counter de-democratization and contribute to democratic rebuilding?

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 featuring 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): Devin Caughey, MIT – caughey@mit.edu; Jared Clemons, Temple University – jared.clemons@temple.edu

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 featuring a diversity of theoretical perspectives, empirical methods, and scholarly identities. Examples of substantive topics covered by APE include the political economy of race; the role of organized interests and political coalitions; federal, local, and multilevel governance; law and political economy; mass attitudes and policy feedback; and policymaking in areas such as taxation, credit, housing, trade, regulation, finance, immigration, labor markets, and climate change. We especially encourage proposals related to APSA’s 2026 theme of “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild.” Connections and overlap with comparative and international political economy are welcome as well.

Division Chair(s): Aliz Toth, LSE – a.toth1@lse.ac.uk; Varun Karukurve-Ramachandra, USC – karekurv@usc.edu

The South Asian Politics Section invites submissions exploring all aspects of domestic and international politics in South Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. We welcome submissions across all sub-fields: Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Economy, Political Methodology, Political Theory, and Political Science broadly defined. In alignment with the 2026 conference theme “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” we encourage proposals that rigorously address how these themes intersect with the dynamics of South Asian politics.

We are interested in how these themes can help our understanding of the issues – bureaucracy, civic engagement, discrimination, disinformation and misinformation, elections, environment, ethnic and religious cleavages, governance, internal and external security, migration, minority rights, partisanship, political institutions, social movements, technology, etc. – and how they provide innovative perspectives on regional understanding that is also applicable to global comparative politics. We particularly encourage proposals that reflect on the relationship between domestic and international challenges, and the growing importance of South Asia in the global geopolitical context.

We seek proposals grounded in a deep historical and contemporary understanding of the region that engage with theories and debates in the discipline. We warmly welcome submissions from diverse methodological perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches. We also invite panel proposals that bring together scholars from multiple backgrounds and feature papers examining various South Asian countries.

Division Chair(s): Nicholas Haas, Aarhus University – nick.haas@ps.au.dk; Jiyoung Ko, Korea University – jyko@korea.ac.kr

What is the relationship between nationalism and democracy? While nationalism is often linked to democratic backsliding, is it necessarily a threat to democracy? Can certain forms of nationalism instead sustain—or even strengthen—democratic institutions and practices? Recent years have underscored the authoritarian turn of nationalism, yet not everyone is equally receptive to exclusionary conceptions of the nation. Pockets of resistance can emerge, and elite and public fragmentations over national identity may produce a complex interplay of actors and outcomes, with radically different implications for democratic health. Under what conditions can nationalism be mobilized to protect democracy rather than undermine it? Conversely, how does democracy itself shape nationalism? Does democratic backsliding alter how people view the nation? And might these shifts open new possibilities for cultivating healthier democratic practices?

In line with the 2026 APSA theme, “Democracy under Threat: How to Understand, Protect, and Rebuild,” we invite proposals that engage with these critical questions at the intersection of democracy and nationalism. 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, nationality, and areas of substantive focus.

This year marks the inaugural meeting of the APSA Nationalism and Politics Section, and presenters will have the opportunity to be in on the ground floor of a community brimming with enthusiasm and eager to facilitate discussions and mentorship of young scholars. We also anticipate that there will be an opportunity to join a pre-APSA workshop on Nationalism and Politics.