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THE PENNSYLVANIA POLITICAL 
SCIENCE ASSOCIATION

Founded in 1939, the Pennsylvania Political Science Association 
(PPSA) is the nation’s oldest state political science association. Its mission 
has always been to promote scholarship, research, and the exchange of ideas 
within the Pennsylvania community of political scientists. PPSA draws its 
membership principally from the political science and public administration 
faculties of Pennsylvania’s public and private colleges and universities 
but also includes government professionals and faculty members from 
surrounding states.

PPSA’s annual conference includes dozens of panelists covering a 
wide variety of subject areas. While university faculty compose the vast 
majority of participants, legislators, legislative staff, executive officials, and 
undergraduates also have been participants. The PPSA began publishing 
COMMONWEALTH: A Journal of Political Science in 1987. 

Guidelines for Submitting Manuscripts

Commonwealth is seeking manuscripts across a broad range of topics 
related to the politics, policy and political history of Pennsylvania. The 
journal is interdisciplinary in nature, appealing to scholars and practitioners 
in fields such as political science, public administration, public policy and 
history.  

We’re Looking for the Following Types of Content for 
COMMONWEALTH:

•• General articles on Pennsylvania state and local government
•• Multi-state comparative analyses featuring Pennsylvania or its 

regions
•• Impacts of federal policies on the Commonwealth
•• Analyses of specific public policy issues 
•• Public administration and implementation politics in 

Pennsylvania
•• Pennsylvania political history 
•• Public law and the courts in the Commonwealth
•• Pennsylvania campaigns, elections, and public opinion
•• International relations with clear consequences for Pennsylvania 

and its regions

COMMONWEALTH is a peer-reviewed journal founded by the 
Pennsylvania Political Science Association in 1987.  From 2004-2010, 



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the now defunct Legislative Office for Research Liaison (LORL) of the 
Pennsylvania House of Representatives jointly published the journal with 
PPSA.  COMMONWEALTH’S editorial staff, Editorial Review Board, and 
referees maintain the highest standards of peer review and publication. 
Copies of COMMONWEALTH are sent to all PPSA members—individual, 
departmental, and institutional. For PPSA membership rates, please visit 
the Association’s website at http://www.papolisci.org/. 

Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format. The 
preferred length is 15-30 double-spaced pages, including notes, references, 
tables, and appendices. Format should follow the American Political Science 
Association’s Style Manual for Political Science.  For guidance, authors 
should consult previous issues of COMMONWEALTH, the American 
Political Science Review, or the editor. Tables should be created manually, 
and they should be placed in the body of the manuscript, not at the end. 
Content notes should be used sparingly, and they should be contained in 
endnotes rather than footnotes.  Appendices should be placed after the 
content notes. A list of references should be placed last. The author’s name 
and affiliation should appear only on a separate cover page. An abstract of 
no more than 150 words should accompany the manuscript.  Manuscripts 
should be submitted as e-mail attachments (no paper copies) to:

Dr. J. Wesley Leckrone 
Department of Political Science 
Widener University 
Chester, PA  19013 
Phone: 610-499-4633 
Email: jwleckrone@widener.edu

BOOK REVIEWS
COMMONWEALTH will consider proposals for reviews of texts that 

examine politics and policy in Pennsylvania. The books primary focus should 
be on the Commonwealth, its regions, or local politics in the state. We also 
welcome proposals about books that place Pennsylvania in a comparative 
context with other states in the region or country. Reviews should not be 
undertaken until the book review editor has accepted a proposal. Submit 
proposals and brief curriculum vitae to:

Dr. Tom Baldino 
Department of Political Science 
Wilkes College 
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 
Phone: 570-408-4474 
Email: thomas.baldino@wilkes.edu



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PENNSYLVANIA POLITICAL 
SCIENCE ASSOCIATION

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM

Please print all information:

Name  ______________________________________________________

School  _____________________________________________________

Address  ____________________________________________________

Email  ______________________________________________________

Office Phone  _________________________________________________

Membership Dues: Faculty $10.00/Student $5.00  ____________

Make checks payable to:  Pennsylvania Political Science Association

Send this form with payment to:
Dr. Steve Lem
Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration
P.O. Box 730
Kutztown University
Kutztown, PA  19530




