Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management

Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management
Name	Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management
Founded	0 1979
Location	Washington, D.C.
Key people	Angela Evans (President, 2023-2024)
Focus	Public policy, Public administration
Website	https://www.appam.org

Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management. The Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management is a leading professional organization dedicated to improving public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis, and education. Founded in 1979, it serves as a central hub for scholars, practitioners, and students from diverse disciplines including economics, political science, sociology, and public health. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and its membership includes faculty from institutions like the Harvard Kennedy School and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as analysts from agencies such as the Congressional Budget Office and the World Bank.

History

The organization was established in 1979 by a consortium of prominent scholars and policy analysts, including founding figures from the Brookings Institution and the RAND Corporation, who sought to create a multidisciplinary forum for rigorous policy research. Its formation was influenced by the earlier work of the Public Policy Program at the University of California, Berkeley and the growth of similar programs at the University of Michigan and Duke University. A key early milestone was the establishment of its flagship publication, the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, in 1981, which quickly became a cornerstone of the field. The association's growth paralleled the expansion of graduate programs in public policy and public administration across the United States and internationally, solidifying its role as a preeminent scholarly society.

Mission and activities

The core mission is to advance the science, teaching, and practice of policy analysis and public management through interdisciplinary collaboration and the dissemination of high-quality research. Primary activities include organizing the annual Fall Research Conference, publishing scholarly journals, and administering prestigious awards like the David N. Kershaw Award and the APPAM Dissertation Award. The association actively promotes diversity and inclusion within the field through initiatives such as the Diversity Fellows Program and supports the professional development of early-career scholars. It also facilitates engagement between academia and institutions like the Urban Institute, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and various United States federal executive departments.

Publications

The association publishes several influential scholarly periodicals and resources central to the field. Its flagship journal is the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, a peer-reviewed quarterly that features research on the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policy. Other key publications include APPAM Perspectives, a magazine highlighting contemporary policy debates, and the International Journal of Public Administration. The organization also disseminates research through conference proceedings, policy briefs, and special reports, often featuring work by researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research and analysts from the Government Accountability Office.

Annual research conference

The Fall Research Conference is the premier annual gathering, attracting thousands of attendees from universities, think tanks, and government agencies worldwide. Held in cities such as Denver, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, the conference features hundreds of panels, roundtables, and poster sessions covering topics from health care reform and climate policy to criminal justice and education finance. Notable keynote speakers have included former Federal Reserve chairs, Nobel laureates in economics like Esther Duflo, and leaders from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The conference also hosts the Policy Council meeting and serves as the venue for awarding the Kershaw Award and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awards.

Governance and membership

Governance is overseen by an elected Policy Council and an executive committee led by a president, such as recent officeholder Angela Evans. Membership is composed of individual scholars, practitioners, and institutional members from leading schools of public policy, including the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Student memberships are offered to those enrolled in programs at institutions like the London School of Economics and Tsinghua University. The association maintains strategic partnerships with other organizations, including the American Society for Public Administration and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

Awards and fellowships

The association administers several prestigious awards and fellowships to recognize outstanding contributions to the field. The most notable is the David N. Kershaw Award, given for distinguished work by professionals under the age of 40. Other significant honors include the APPAM Dissertation Award, the Ph.D. Fellowship Program, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awards for health policy research. The organization also bestows the Robert M. Ball Award for outstanding achievements in social insurance and the Robert A. Levine Memorial Award for the best student paper presented at the Fall Research Conference, fostering the next generation of policy analysts.

Category:Public policy organizations Category:Professional associations based in the United States Category:Organizations established in 1979