The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Title	The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Discipline	Political science; Social science
Abbreviation	Ann. Am. Acad. Pol. Soc. Sci.
Publisher	American Academy of Political and Social Science
Country	United States
History	1890–present
Frequency	Quarterly
Issn	0002-7162

The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science is a long‑running peer‑reviewed quarterly journal published by the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Established in the late 19th century, the journal has published thematic issues and commissioned essays engaging with debates connected to legislative debates, constitutional developments, and public policy controversies. It has served as a forum for contributors associated with institutions such as Columbia University, Harvard University, University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Princeton University and for scholars linked to organizations including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, and the Brookings Institution.

History

The periodical began amid intellectual currents influenced by figures connected to Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Croly, and the Progressive Era reform movement and published early material resonant with work by scholars associated with John Dewey, Thorstein Veblen, Charles A. Beard, and William Graham Sumner. During the 20th century the journal intersected with debates involving actors such as the New Deal, commentators like Walter Lippmann and John Maynard Keynes, and scholars from institutions including the Social Science Research Council and the National Bureau of Economic Research. In subsequent decades issues engaged with themes prominent in the contexts of the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Great Society, and policy responses to economic events like the Great Depression and the 1973 oil crisis.

Scope and content

Annals issues are organized around thematic symposia that address topics connected to public affairs, policy analysis, and institutional change, often featuring contributors from United States Congress staff, scholars affiliated with Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and practitioners from entities such as the Department of State (United States), the Department of Defense (United States), and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Past themes have included analyses of legislation linked to the Social Security Act, deliberations concerning the Civil Rights Act of 1964, regulatory responses following the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and comparative perspectives referencing the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan. The journal publishes empirical studies, policy essays, and reviews with contributors drawn from think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, Center for American Progress, and international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Editorial structure and publication details

The journal is produced under the auspices of the American Academy of Political and Social Science with an editorial board that has included scholars from Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University. Issues are guest‑edited by experts connected to research centers such as the Kennedy School of Government, the Harris School of Public Policy, and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; contributors have included recipients of awards like the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, the Pulitzer Prize, and the MacArthur Fellows Program. Publication frequency is quarterly, and formats have included special issues, symposiums, and invited essays shaped in dialogue with organizations such as the American Political Science Association and the American Sociological Association.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major bibliographic databases and citation services that cover social policy and public affairs literature, often alongside serials indexed with records for publications from the Modern Language Association, the American Psychological Association, and multidisciplinary services used by researchers at institutions like Oxford University and Cambridge University. Libraries catalog the journal in systems used by the Library of Congress, the British Library, and national research libraries in countries such as Canada and Australia.

Notable articles and special issues

Noteworthy contributions have included essays addressing the implications of rulings from the United States Supreme Court for public policy, analyses responding to crises like the September 11 attacks and the 2008 financial crisis, and thematic issues on topics involving immigration policy debates linked to the Immigration and Nationality Act, urban policy discussions referencing the Housing Act of 1949, and welfare reform tied to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. Contributors have included scholars and practitioners associated with Milton Friedman, Paul Krugman, Elinor Ostrom, Robert Putnam, Theda Skocpol, Daniel Ellsberg, and policymakers who served in administrations such as those of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama.

Impact and reception

The Annals has been cited in scholarly literature across disciplines represented by associations such as the American Historical Association, the Association of American Geographers, and the American Educational Research Association, and its thematic volumes are often used in syllabi at universities including Brown University, Cornell University, and University of California, Los Angeles. Reviews and citations appear in outlets ranging from journals published by the Oxford University Press and the Cambridge University Press to reports by policy organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations and the RAND Corporation. Its influence is visible in policy debates considered by committees of the United States Congress and in proceedings that involve panels at gatherings like the American Association for the Advancement of Science and meetings of the International Political Science Association.

Category:Political science journals Category:Academic journals established in 1890