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COMMONWEALTH MATTERS

J. Wesley leckrone

Editor-in-Chief

This issue of COMMONWEALTH marks a milestone for the 
publication. It was launched as a general interest journal of Political Science 
in 1987 under the editorship of Donald Tannenbaum of Gettysburg College. 
COMMONWEALTH had always encouraged scholarship about the Keystone 
State. However, as the journal evolved under the editorships of Thomas 
Baldino (Wilkes University) and Gerard Fitzpatrick (Ursinus College) the 
content began to focus more heavily on Pennsylvania politics. In 2014, the 
Executive Board of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association (PPSA) 
decided the journal should focus exclusively on scholarship involving 
Pennsylvania. PPSA, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Policy Forum 
and Temple University’s Institute for Public Affairs, approached Temple 
University Press about publishing the newly reconstituted journal. They 
agreed and will begin publishing COMMONWEALTH: A JOURNAL OF 
PENNSYLVANIA POLITICS AND POLICY in 2016.  Consequently, this 
issue marks the final iteration of COMMONWEALTH: A JOURNAL OF 
POLITICAL SCIENCE. 

Thanks are due to those who have built the journal over the course of 
the last twenty-eight years. In addition to the three Editors-in-Chief, many 
others have assisted in various editorial capacities. We would like to thank 
Michael Cassidy (Office of the Democratic Chairman, Pennsylvania House 
of Representatives), Beverly Cigler (Penn State Harrisburg), Martin Collo 
(Widener University),  Harold Cox (Wilkes University), Gordon Henderson 
(Widener University), Mike King (Legislative Office for Research 
Liaison, Pennsylvania House of Representatives), James Morse (Widener 
University), James Skok (Penn State Harrisburg), and Annette Steigelfest 
(Widener University).  

On a personal note I would like to thank Gerard Fitzpatrick who has 
done everything to help create a smooth transition in editorship. He has put 
up with innumerable panicked emails concerning the finer points of getting 
a journal to press and for that I am much indebted to him. I would also 
like to thank Christopher Borick (Muhlenberg College), Paula Holoviak 



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(Kutztown University), Joseph McLaughlin (Temple University) and 
Michelle Atherton (Temple University) for their fine work in reimagining 
the mission of COMMONWEALTH. Finally, Barbara Crawford, Phil Wolfe 
of Phil Wolfe Graphic Design and Ashley Adamik and Scot Cantalupo of 
Sheridan Press all deserve thanks for their excellent job of getting the final 
“independent” issue of COMMONWEALTH to press.

Information about submitting manuscripts and access to back issues 
of COMMONWEALTH is available at http://www.papolisci.org/journal-
commonwealth. Future issues of the journal will be available on Temple 
University Press’ website at https://tupjournals.temple.edu/index.php/
commonwealth/index.