APSA is pleased to recognize the recipients of campus-wide and departmental awards for teaching excellence during the 2012–13 academic year. Pi Sigma Alpha sponsored these recipients at the Reception Honoring Teaching at the APSA Annual Meeting in Chicago.

A preview of some of the articles in the January 2014 issue.

John Aldrich is a positive scientist—in both the scholastic and colloquial sense. A progeny of the Rochester school, Aldrich's research displays a commitment to the tenets of positive political theory. He derives internally consistent propositions and subjects those claims to empirical testing, all in an attempt to explain scientifically phenomena and institutions at the heart of democratic theory. As a mentor and builder of academic institutions, Aldrich has shown unswerving kindness, modesty, and a commitment to foster new generations of political scientists. He is a positive influence on his students, his colleagues, and the political science discipline at large.

Each year, PS editorial staff provides a report of activities to the APSA Publications Committee and the APSA Council, and usually we report on a few items in that report to our readers. Below we offer highlights and a summary of the results of the 2012 PS Reader Survey. In addition, because articles in PS are peer-reviewed, we take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of the reviewers who offered their time and service to PS and the profession. Their names and affiliations are listed at the end of this report.

The APSA Task Force on Electoral Rules and Democratic Governance has published its report, Political Science, Electoral Rules, and Democratic Governance, edited by Mala Htun and G. Bingham Powell, Jr.

As the United States Congress began its 113th session, 72 freshman members arrived on Capitol Hill to represent their congressional districts for the first time. It would be universally heralded as the most diverse freshman class in history, containing four new African Americans, 10 new Latinos, five new Asian Americans, 24 new women, the first two Hindus, the first Buddhist, the first non-theist to openly acknowledge her belief prior to getting elected, and four new LGBT members, including the first openly bisexual congresswomen and the first openly gay congressman of color. But for all their diversity, each of them had at least one thing in common: none of them had ever been a member of Congress before. How do freshman policy-makers legislate? What unique challenges do they face? What accounts for variations in their legislative activity?

One of the first, and most frequent, questions asked of congressional fellows is: What do you want to get out of your fellowship? Fellowship Director Jeff Biggs, former fellows, professors, chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and members will, at one point or another, raise this topic. At an abstract level I had an answer: I sought a better understanding of the legislative process. But, at times, it felt like a trick question. At a practical level I had almost no idea what I was getting into. I had few expectations or preconceived notions about the lessons that would come over the next year. Without legislative experience to fall back on, setting out to accomplish a prearranged set of goals seemed impossible. So I took a different tact. Rather than search for expertise in a particular policy area or with a specific goal in mind, I sought a placement that would treat me unexceptionally. I set out to find an office assignment that would offer complete emersion as a congressional staffer. I fashioned myself as a miniature Clifford Geertz. I needed to get as close as possible to living the life of a full-time staffer, complete with long hours and a significant portfolio. After I came up for air at the end of my fellowship, I figured I will have learned lessons I did not necessary start out to find, but would nonetheless enhance my understanding of the institution and how those within it practice and perceive politics.

Congressional Fellows in the class of 2012–13 Amir Fairdosi and Joshua Huder made contributions to this issue of PS; in the July issue of PS, Anthony Madonna, also class of 2012–13, contributed to PS. Here they are, with the entire class of Congressional Fellows.

Founded in 1953, the APSA Congressional Fellows Program is the nation's oldest and most prestigious congressional fellowship. The program remains devoted to its original objective of expanding knowledge and awareness of Congress. For nine months, select political scientists, journalists, doctors, federal executives, and international scholars gain “hands on” understanding of the legislative process by serving on congressional staffs. Through this opportunity, the association enhances public understanding of policymaking and improves the quality of scholarship, teaching, and reporting on American national politics. For more information, please visit http://www.apsanet.org/content_3031.cfm. Individuals selected for the program for 2013–14 are listed below.

On the 10th anniversary of the APSA Centennial Center for Political Science and Public Affairs, it seems appropriate to go back to the genesis—to the decisions made by the 1998 APSA Council—to remind ourselves of their expectations.

The sixth annual APSA Africa Workshop was conducted in partnership with the Institute for Governance and Development (IGD) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from July 1 to 12. The event is part of a multiyear initiative to support political science research and teaching in Sub-Saharan Africa through a series of residential political science workshops at African universities and research institutions. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Africa Workshops program is a major component of APSA's efforts to engage with political science communities outside the United States and support research networks linking US scholars with their colleagues overseas.

APSA is currently soliciting applications from political scientists interested in serving as co-leaders for the 2014 APSA Africa Workshop. Submissions must come from a team of two US-based and two Africa-based scholars. Those applying to be co-leaders must propose a workshop theme, location, and African institutional partner. The application deadline is November 1, 2013. For more information, visit the Africa Workshop website or contact Andrew Stinson at africaworkshops@apsanet.org.

Recognizing excellence in the profession is one of the most important activities of APSA. The following awards were announced in August 2013 and presented to these awardees during the APSA Annual Meeting at the Awards Ceremony August 29, 2013, in Chicago, Illinois.

Investigations by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) of the administrations of the institutions listed below show that, as evidenced by a past violation, they are not observing the generally recognized principles of academic freedom and tenure approved by this Association, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and more than 200 other professional and educational organizations which have endorsed the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure.

The American Political Science Association returned to its roots for the 2013 Annual Meeting and Exhibition. In 1904, the association held its first Annual Meeting at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. While the meeting attendance in 1904 was a modest gathering with a dozen presentations, the 2013 APSA Annual Meeting brought together more than 6,000 political scientists from all over the world for a variety of programmatic, networking, and social events. Some 800 panels were offered. From August 29 to September 1, scholars gathered in historic Chicago to explore an exciting program focused on the theme Power and Persuasion. The 2013 Annual Meeting Program Chairs Catherine Boone, now at London School of Economics and Political Science, and Archon Fung, Harvard University, framed the meeting around the theme statement: “To help societies meet the needs for political interactions of increasing complexity and scale, political scientists need to understand better the uses and abuses of both persuasion and power in varying contexts and scales. This year's theme encouraged scholars to consider the politics of persuasion and power, along with their many intersections.”

To increase graduate student participation in the Annual Meeting, the association awarded Advanced Graduate Student Travel Grants for the 2013 Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Recognizing challenging economic times across academia, Cambridge University Press offered $5,000 to supplement the APSA travel grants program and support graduate students and scholars participating in the APSA Annual Meeting. The names and institutional affiliations of the awardees follow.