About PRG

Founded in 1979, the Presidency Research Group (PRG) represents the scholarly community whose professional interests focus on the American Presidency.

Its membership includes scholars from around the world. Primarily political scientists, the PRG includes members from a number of academic disciplines including communications, history, and psychology. The PRG is an organized section of the American Political Science Association (APSA), which holds the Membership list.

In addition to its general meeting of members held annually along with the national convention of the American Political Science Association, the PRG maintains a Steering Committee to guide the organization. To maintain capacity for quick decisions, the Steering Committee maintains an executive committee composed of the President, Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer. The Steering Committee conducts business throughout the year via its own list service. In addition, the Steering Committee organizes working groups and committees. It maintains permanent prize committees for a number of special awards, including the Richard E. Neustadt Prize and its Founders' Awards series.

Through its Board of Directors, the PRG also participates in a number of national advisory committees on matters related to scholarship, including White House operations, presidential papers, executive privilege, and secrecy in government.

Following is an internal index with links to the current leadership and business meeting of the PRG. Earlier leadership lists are in PRG Leadership History.

President:
Victoria A. Farrar-Myers
University of Texas, Arlington
Political Science
PO Box 19539
601 South Nedderman
Arlington TX 76019-0539
victoria@uta.edu

Vice President & President-Elect:
Charles E. Walcott
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Political Science
528 Major Williams Hall - 0130
Blacksburg VA 24061
cwalcott@vt.edu

Secretary/Treasurer:
Jeffrey E. Cohen
Fordham University
Political Science
441 East Fordham Road
Bronx NY 10458
cohen@fordham.edu

PRG Report Editor:
Richard J. Powell
University of Maine
Department of Political Science
243 North Stevens Hall
Orono, ME 04469
(207) 581-1795
(207) 581-4856 - fax
rpowell@maine.edu
Web page: http://www2.umaine.edu/polisci/powell.htm

2008 Program Chair:
Diane J. Heith
St. John's University
Government & Politics
8000 Utopia Parkway
Jamaica NY 11439
heithd@stjohns.edu

Past President:
Lori Cox Han
Chapman University
Political Science
One University Drive
Orange CA 92866
lhan@chapman.edu

Board of Directors:
Randall Adkins (2005-2008), University of Nebraska, Omaha
Nancy Baker, (2006-2009), New Mexico State University
Terri Bimes, (2006-2009), University of California, Berkeley
David B. Cohen (2005-2008), University of Akron
David Crockett (2006-2009), Trinity University
Brendan Doherty (graduate student, 2005-2008), University of California, Berkeley
Chris Dolan (2005-2008), University of Central Florida
Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, (2006-2009), University of North Texas
Lilly Goren, (2007-2010), Carroll College
Karen Hoffman, (2005-2008), Wheeling Jesuit University
Martha Joynt Kumar (Ex Officio), Towson University
Ken Mayer, (2007-2010), University of Wisconsin
Kevin McMahon, (2007-2010), Trinity College
Jeff Peake, (2007-2010), Bowling Green State University
Andrew Rudalevige (2006-2009), Dickinson College
Steven Schier (2005-2008), Carleton College
Shirley Anne Warshaw, (2007-2010), Gettysburg College
Stephen Weatherford (2005-2008), University of California, Santa Barbara

The Career Service Award is given every four years during a presidential election year, the PRG shall form a committee to give an award to recognize career service to the study of the Presidency. Nominations are to be submitted by February 1, 2008.

The Richard E. Neustadt Award is given for the best book on the U.S. presidency published during the previous year. Nominations should be submitted by February 1, 2008.

The Founders Award named in honor of David Neveh will be given for the best paper presented by a graduate student at either the preceding year's APSA annual meeting or at any of the regional meetings in 2007-2008. Nominations should be submitted by May 1, 2008.

The Founders Award (PhD.) is named for Bert Rockman will be given for the best paper presented by a PhD-holding scholar at the previous year's APSA annual meeting. Nominations should be submitted by February 1, 2008.

Paul Peck Presidential Award
This award is presented by the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution to honor presidential service and portrayal. The PRG represents APSA as one of eight nominating organizations. For more information, please visit http://www.npg.si.edu/. The deadline will be set by the Smithsonian Institution.

Best Undergraduate Paper Award
This award is given for the best undergraduate paper completed in the academic year 2007-2008. Nominations should be submitted by May 1, 2008.

** NEW AWARD **
The George C. Edwards III Dissertation Award will be given annually for the best dissertation in presidency research completed and accepted during the 2007 calendar year (January 1, 2007-December 31, 2007). The recipient will received a $200 award. To be considered for the award, nominees must submit the following documents to each member to the Award Committtee: (1) a hard copy of the dissertation, (2) a .pdf of the dissertation on a CD, (3) a nominee form, and (4) a nominator form and letter. The Award Committee welcomes nominations by dissertation committee chairs or committee members. Nominations are to be submitted by February 1, 2008.

Board Members and officers in Attendance: Randy Adkins, Dave Adler, Nancy Baker, Terri Bimes, Meena Bose, Jim Campbell, David Crockett, Brendan Doherty, Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, Victoria Farrar-Myers (vice president), John Fortier, Nancy Kassop, Martha Kumar, Rich Powell, Chuck Walcott (secretary-treasurer).

President Han noted the list of this year�s PRG award winners (see Exhibit A attached hereto). These awards will be announced at the business meeting.

President-elect Farrar-Myers announced that all award committees for 2008 are at full strength (see Exhibit B). Further, she informed the Board that the APSA will solicit departments for nominees for the Edwards dissertation award, which will come on-line in 2007. And as in previous years, the APSA will solicit publishers for the Neustadt award.

Professor Walcott reported that our membership now stands at 416, which is down from prior years, though up slightly from its low point this year and about level with last year. The long-term downward trend is worth noting and addressing, but in no way jeopardizes the PRG�s standing with the APSA. Financially, we are in good shape (see Exhibit C). The fund to endow the Edwards and Neustadt awards has nearly $5000 in it.

Professor Bose reported that the PRG has 22 panels at this meeting, 10 of which are co-sponsored. She noted that aggressively seeking co-sponsorship served to expand our panel total beyond the 17 originally allocated. Of about 115 submissions, 85 were accepted. Professor Bose reported that we had ample numbers of people willing to serve as panel chairs and discussants. She observed that in the future we could use more full-panel and roundtable proposals, and that themes were hard to develop for some rather disparate papers. Many of the rejected proposals failed because they could not be fit into a panel theme. We did not get a theme panel from the APSA because we did not have the requisite interdisciplinarity to fit this year�s theme.

Professor Powell noted that both the last two issues of the newsletter have been on time and filled with ample content, though much of that content tended to come in toward the last minute. He will be stepping down in order to pursue a leave, but will produce this year�s final issue.

Professor Farrar-Myers reported that the APSA has modified the formula for allocating panels to sections, and that the details of the new formula would be available and shared soon. The APSA is also trying to move toward a norm (not a requirement) of only three papers per panel in order to offer more opportunity for discussion.

Recruitment strategies for organized sections were discussed at the breakfast. Journal partnerships have become popular; the APSA staff will try to monitor this to determine their effect on membership in sections offering journals, and in other sections as well. The APSA will also offer services to sections: the capability to generate e-mail �blasts� to section members and to lists of lapsed members, as well as free web hosting for section web pages.

Professor Farrar-Myers announced the formation of a new organized section, Sexuality and Politics. The section has quickly moved close to the required 250 members necessary for APSA recognition.

Mentoring was another topic of discussion at the breakfast. APSA staff made it clear that they do not consider section efforts in this area to be in competition with their own. Sections are encouraged to devote effort to mentoring, an area in which the PRG is well known to be a leader.

The APSA is involved in international partnerships, most notably with the IPSA. The IPSA will next meet in Santiago, Chile, in 2009. Since this is not a location that promises to attract strong attendance, the APSA is encouraging its members to consider participating.

Finally, APSA staff indicated that they seek to involve more faculty from community colleges and non-Ph.D.-granting institutions in section leadership positions. It is hoped that an enhanced focus on teaching and learning will help to achieve this goal.

Professor Kumar observed that not only has the PRG mentoring program been successful, but also that nobody has turned down a request to be a mentor.

Professor Kumar then reported on the annual meeting of scholars with the White House counsel�s office. President Han was also among those in attendance. For the first time, the group was not able to meet with the Counsel, now Fred Fielding. Instead, they met with one of his then-deputies, Bill Kelly, whom Professor Kumar described as �combative.� Since this meeting was less than satisfactory, Professor Kumar has written directly to Mr. Fielding requesting that the Executive Order be rescinded. She has also met with congressional staff to urge that Congress act on the issue. The fear is that a new president might choose to keep the order. President Han and the Board thanked Professor Kumar for her efforts.

President Lori Cox Han explained a decision by this year�s officers to clarify the criteria for considering a book for the Neustadt award. A book can be considered only in its initial publication (not subsequent editions, foreign language editions, etc.) in competition with other books published in the same calendar year. It is the responsibility of authors and publishers to meet the deadlines, though the Neustadt committee may, at its discretion, solicit submissions. There was no dissent to these clarifications.

President Han thanked Martha Kumar for her efforts in raising funds for the Edwards dissertation award. At Randy Adkins�s suggestion, the Board voted unanimously to recommend transferring $1000 immediately from the regular account to the Edwards-Neustadt account, thus reaching the endowment threshold and making it possible to place the money in the hands of the APSA to manage.

The Board thanked Rich Powell for his excellent work on the newsletter, then moved to a discussion of recruitment of his successor and the format of the newsletter. Recruitment will proceed apace, and continuation of the electronic format was generally supported. Professor Powell reported that he has nearly completed the scanning of all back issues of the newsletter into electronic format for access via the PRG web site.

The Board moved to a discussion of the PRG web page, with the consensus being that we should take advantage of the APSA�s offer to host it for free, primarily to assure continuity. Professor Powell requested that the page not be moved before December so that he does not have to alter his routine for publishing the newsletter.

A discussion of the newsletter and the search for a new editor broadened into a conversation about how better to connect with the bulk of the PRG membership, i.e. people who do not generally come to PRG meetings. Professor Farrar-Myers raised the idea of a task force on membership and communication to explore such issues. The Board approved this, to run parallel to the search for a new newsletter editor.

Professor Farrar-Myers proposed that the PRG sponsor a conference on the presidency in the spring of 2009, probably in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She asked the Board for approval to create a committee to plan and to look for funding. This was passed unanimously.

The executive officers recommended Jeff Cohen to be the new secretary-treasurer. This was unanimously accepted by the Board.

After one secret ballot plus a runoff, the Board elected Lily Goren, Kevin McMahon, Jeff Peake and Shirley Anne Warshaw to three-year Board terms.

President Lori Cox Han called the meeting to order at approximately 12:00 p.m. and welcomed all members to the annual business meeting. The minutes of the previous business meeting, September 2, 2006, were unanimously approved.

President Han introduced Diane Heith, program chair for the 2008 meeting. Professor Heith announced that the APSA will be modifying its formula for allocating panels to sections, and urged PRG members to submit proposals.

President Han introduced the award presenters, while noting that plaques would have to be mailed out later. Chuck Walcott, secretary-treasurer, took full responsibility for the failure to procure plaques on time, while sharing the blame generously with others.

Brandice Canes-Wrone, Who Leads Whom? Presidents, Policy, and the Public (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006).

(Mary Stuckey, chair; Lydia Andrade, Ryan Barilleaux, Caroline Heldman, Ray Tatalovich)

Jeffrey E. Cohen and Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, �Change and Stability in the President�s Legislative Policy Agenda, 1789-2002.�

(John Woolley, chair; Jody Baumgartner, Terri Bimes, Stephen Borrelli, Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha)

Kevin James Parsneau (University of Minnesota), �Politicizing Priority Departments: Presidential Policy Priorities and Subcabinet Nominations� (presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association).

(Bruce Nesmith, chair; Rebecca Deen, Graham Dodds, Leah Murray, Brandon Rottinghaus)

Carrie Roush (Dickinson College), ��Great Writ,� Great Power: Habeas Corpus and Prerogative in the Lincoln and Bush II Presidencies� (advisor: Andrew Rudalevige)

Shirley Anne Warshaw, chair; Randall Adkins, Meena Bose, Matthew Dickinson, Mark Rozell)

Portrayal: Bradley Patterson

Service: Colin Powell

Professor Walcott reported that our membership now stands at 416, slightly up from the last report, but still part of a gradual down trend. The treasury is in good shape with a bit over $8,000 and the Edwards award fund stands at $4,835. When it passes $5,000, it can be turned over to the APSA to manage and additional money can be added to fund the Neustadt award.

The committees have been fully appointed and their membership will be posted soon. Professor Farrar-Myers conveyed the Board�s decision that any book is eligible for the Neustadt only once, in the year of its initial publication. She urged members to remind editors and publishers to get nominated books submitted on time.

President Han reported for program chair Meena Bose, who could not attend. The PRG this year had 22 panels, 10 of which were co-sponsored, plus 10 posters. Of 115 proposals, 85 were accepted. The main reason a proposal was rejected was lack of fit with other papers. We had no APSA theme panel. President Han also announced that Nancy Kassop is section chair for the Western meetings in San Diego, March 20-22. Professor Kassop noted that the deadline for proposals is September 12 and urged members to visit the Western web site or e-mail Prof. Kassop.

President Han thanked Professor Powell for his excellent work on the newsletter and announced that he is stepping down after the next issue. Therefore, we will be searching for a new editor. Professor Powell reported that scanning back issues of the newsletter into digital format is almost complete and that these will be available through the PRG web site. He urged early submission of material for the December issue.

Professor Farrar-Myers announced that the APSA has modified its formula for allocating panels to sections. Number of submissions has become a more important factor. Details of the new formula will be disseminated by the APSA soon. The APSA is also encouraging a new norm of three papers per panel in order to facilitate discussion.

The APSA is encouraging sections to migrate their web pages to the APSA server, which will host them at no charge. The PRG is seriously considering this. The APSA will also be allowing sections to send �blast� e-mails to their membership and/or to those who have not renewed.

Several sections have been partnering with journals, providing reduced-price subscriptions with section memberships. The APSA is monitoring the effects of this practice. The APSA is also encouraging sections to provide mentoring and to involve faculty from B.A. and M.A.-granting schools in leadership positions. Finally, the APSA is urging participation in the 2009 IPSA meetings in Santiago, Chile.

Professor Kumar promised renewed effort toward sustaining our highly successful mentoring program. Regarding the Executive Order, Professor Kumar reported that off-the-record meetings with the White House Counsel�s office continue, but most recently critics of the Order have not been well received. Professor Kumar has sent a note directly to White House Counsel Fred Fielding and met with Senate staffers to urge that the order be rescinded.

President Han presented this year�s slate of officers. As per our rules, the vice president becomes president, the secretary-treasurer become vice president, and a new secretary treasurer is nominated by the officers and presented to the Board for approval. Thus this slate of officers was presented:

Lily Goren, Ken Mayer, Kevin McMahon, Jeff Peake, and Shirley Anne Warshaw, all for three year terms.

President Han noted that the first George Edwards dissertation prize of $250 would be presented next year, and that the PRG has also decided to endow the Neustadt award at the same level. The Board has decided to transfer $1000 to the Neustadt fund this year, completing the endowment of the Edwards award and getting a start on the Neustadt. Continued support from the treasury is possible, depending upon finances.

Shirley Anne Warshaw announced that she is editing a new series on the presidency for Stanford University Press, and encouraged PRG members to submit manuscripts.

MaryAnne Borrelli, chair of the Edwards dissertation committee for next year, asked for others who have served on similar committees to share their experience with her.

Terri Bimes announced a conference on �The American Presidency at War� to be held at the University of California at Berkeley in the fall of 2008.

President Han thanked the membership for their support during her term as president, then turned the gavel over to Professor Farrar-Myers. Professor Farrar-Myers presented Professor Han with a small gift as a token of appreciation for her work on behalf of the PRG.

Professor Farrar-Myers, upon accepting the gavel, urged PRG members to register with the APSA as a media contact and to let others know when we do something for the media. She emphasized her interest in using the listserv to work toward becoming an e-community. She also announced the formation of an ad-hoc committee on Membership and Communication to examine ways we can serve our members better, and asked for volunteers for this committee. Professor Farrar-Myers also indicated that the PRG will be in a position to give some monetary support for assistance to whoever becomes the next newsletter editor.

Professor Farrar-Myers also announced plans for a presidency conference in 2009, probably in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. An advisory committee for this conference will be formed.

Finally, Professor Farrar-Myers asked the membership for continuing feedback on the work of the PRG.

About the Presidency Research Group