The main purpose of the AECPA is to promote the development of Political Science and Public Administration Science, to advance their research and to encourage scientific and professional cooperation among researchers, professors, scholars and specialists on the matter” (Article 1).

The permanent groups are created along these lines to promote the exchange of knowledge among researchers who have special interest in a certain area of political science and to provide visibility for their academic activities.

Permanent groups are themed groups following general areas of political science and public administration for a longer period that an AECPA congress: they have a variable number of members but a minimum core of 15 people from at least three different institutions. Their members are AECPA members and their activities include managing a mailing list to exchange information on calls for awards, conferences, grants, research projects and publications of interest for the group members, and coordination of the proposals by groups for the AECPA congresses.

Organisation and coordination of the permanent groups is not the responsibility of AECPA: the groups are self-run and they make their own decisions on how to elect their coordinators and manage the group.

How do I register as a member of an existing permanent group?

Send an email to the coordinator/s of the permanent group, and they will centralise new registrations on the distribution list.

How do I propose a new permanent group to AECPA?

Any member of AECPA can propose the establishment of a new permanent group. You can send a request to the AECPA secretariat, by email, with the following information (1500 words maximum): name of the proposed group and description of the proposed theme, explaining the reasons why it is deemed necessary to create a new permanent group; a description of the activities proposed by the new group; the names of 1 or 2 coordinators and of the people who wish to be part of the group. Once the proposal has been sent to the coordinators of the existing groups and their opinions are received, the AECPA Governing Board will decide whether to establish a new permanent group or not. AECPA will positively consider the general and inclusive nature of the groups, in order to prevent the excessive fragmentation of groups and the existence of many groups that are scarcely active.

Current list of permanent groups:

• Political Elite Figures, Parties and Participants
• Gender and Politics
• Political Institutions
• Strategic Intelligence and Analysis
• Compared Politics in the Maghreb and Middle East
• Public Policies and Management
• Political Theory