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APSA task forces seek to expand the public presence of political science by putting the best of political science research and knowledge at the service of critical issues that have major public policy implications, and by sharing with broader society what political scientists know about important trends and issues in areas of public concern.  Many of the following reports are also available as free .pdf downloads at Reports and Publications.

U.S. Standing in the World: Causes, Consequences, and the Future (2009)
America’s global standing has become a central concern of U.S. leaders and citizens. U.S. leaders, regardless of party, pledge to “restore U.S. standing” as a central goal of America’s foreign policy agenda. Standing has been the subject of widespread public discussion and intellectual debate. Yet despite all this attention, three issues fundamental to standing have been relatively ignored:

1. What is standing and how has it varied?
2. What causes standing to rise and fall? 
3. What impact does standing have on U.S. foreign policy? 

This task force answers these questions by synthesizing what we now know about U.S. standing and/or identifying what we need to know to understand better a topic of clear national and international importance.
1 copy $5; bulk rates available
 

The Persistent Problem: Inequality, Difference, and the Challenge of Development (2008)
This report highlights the complex, multidimensional nature of inequality in the era of globalization, and documents that despite the impressive strides by nations like China and India, absolute inequality between the richest and poorest countries is greater than ever before in history. This report’s central argument is that, under conditions of high inequality, elites—both international and within individual nations—may create socially suboptimal institutions and policies, and they may resist changes that promote development but threaten their dominance. 
1 copy $5; bulk rates available

American Democracy in an Age of Inequality (2004)
Equal political voice and democratically responsive government are widely cherished American ideals. Indeed, the United States is vigorously promoting democracy abroad. Yet, what is happening to democracy at home? Our country’s ideals of equal citizenship and responsive government may be under growing threat in an era of persistent and rising inequalities. Disparities of income, wealth, and access to opportunity are growing more sharply in the United States than in many other nations, and gaps between races and ethnic groups persist. This report describes how progress toward realizing American ideals of democracy may have stalled, and in some arenas reversed.
1 copy $5; bulk rates available.

Graduate Eduation in Political Science (2004)
This report describes the basic principles, and their rationales, that all graduate programs could and should seek to embody, even if in widely differing forms, and the stepsthat departments and the APSA can undertake, and often need to undertake, to fulfill these principles in ways that fit their circumstances. It reviews a series of options for individual departments, institutions, and the APSA.
1 copy $3; bulk rates available. 

Workplace and Family Issues Report (2004)
This report investigates the pressures and challenges facing those who attempt to have both a family and a career.  While these challenges will affect all faculty members at some point in their careers -- men and women, young and old -- studies show that the burdens fall more squarely on some than on others, and women still pay the price to a greater extent than do men.  It describes the 
numerous obstacles to making the academic workplace more family friendly, and the resources, coordination, and shift in academic culture that may be required to overcome these. 
1 copy $3; bulk rates available.

Women's Advancement in Political Science (2005)
This report addresses broad problem of under-representation of women in the academic ranks of political scientists in the United States. Despite substantial gains at all academic ranks since the 1970s, women seem likely to remain below parity with men in the discipline for some time to come.  It also describes next steps and actions for national and regional professional associations, institutions, departments, and senior faculty.
1 copy $3; bulk rates available.