PART II: Introduction

The American Political Science Association was founded in 1903 and is the leading professional organization for the study of politics. Given its list of lofty core objectives, which include concern about standards, the environment for those researching, teaching, and engaging in the study of politics, and the promotion of excellence, one might get the impression that the discipline of political science in the United States has achieved its goals of professionalization and rigor. For more than thirteen thousand members in over eighty countries, the APSA largely sets the standards of legitimacy in the discipline. At the same time, we find