The American Political Science Association
Some members of the AEA supported the establishment of a separate association for political science (Ely 1910, 80). They argued that having another association would reduce ‘the expense, the additional labor and the danger of weakening existing organizations’ (Proceedings of the American Political Science Association 1904, 10).
They also believed that the establishment and maintenance of a new association was necessary in order to attract new members and participants from different areas of the social sciences. This would also help strengthen the old associations, because they would only attract new members that were highly specialized in their areas. However, some members of the AEA were opposed to the establishment of an independent association for political scientists, as well as the idea of having a separate section for them within the AEA. They believed that neither option would attract active supporters to the AEA (ibid.).Despite opposition from some members of the AEA, the APSA was established in 1903, with a focus on advancing ‘the scientific study of Politics, Public Law, Administration and Diplomacy’ (Herbst 1965, 45). In addition to publishing articles and reports, the APSA aimed to have ‘the scientific lead in all matters of a political interest,’ encourage ‘research, aiding if possible in the collection and publication of valuable material,’ and generally advance ‘the scientific study of politics’ in the US (Proceedings of the American Political Science Association 1904, 11). It sought out support and contributions from political scientists, ‘public administrators, lawyers of broader culture, and, in general, all those interested in the scientific study of the great and increasingly important questions of practical and theoretical politics’ (ibid.: 10). Despite separating from the AEA, members of the APSA still wanted the two associations to be in harmony with one another. In fact, the APSA ended up being ‘affiliated with the American Historical and the American Economic Associations’ (ibid.). The APSA has become a very important association in the development of the discipline of political science. Today, it boasts more than 10,000 members from around 100 different countries.