About

The Committee on Concepts and Methods (C&M) is a Research Committee of the International Political Science Association (IPSA). Founded by Giovanni Sartori and friends, C&M was the first research committee recognized by IPSA in 1970. C&M remains one of IPSA's most active Research Committees. Its institutional home, and sponsor, traditionally rotates with its Chair. C&M is currently housed at the University of Texas at Austin and before that at CIDE in Mexico City and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. C&M promotes conceptual and methodological discussion in political science. It provides a forum of debate for adherents of methodological schools who otherwise tend to conduct their deliberations at separate tables.

The committee has periodically published two Working Paper Series. Political Concepts focuses on concept analysis and language-use in politics, Political Methodology on research design, theory building, and theory testing in the study of politics. The series are on hold as the committee considers alternative publication strategies.
The triennial C&M Award on Concept Analysis in Political Science rewards conceptual work of excellence in the study of politics. The triennial Best C&M Working Paper Award recognizes outstanding contributions to our working paper series.
The C&M collection of syllabi covers graduate and undergraduate courses on political language, concepts, and measurement.
Les Intraduisibles, the Dictionary of Untranslatable Terms in Politics, discusses political terms of difficult translation from and into English.

News from Members reports on research projects, publications, conferences, and professional news from C&M members.
Membership in C&M is open to scholars worldwide and is free. It allows you to submit news, post course syllabi, vote in C&M elections, and share contact information and research interests with other members.

News & Highlights

Concept Analysis in Capri! Mauro Calise and team lead this yearly course on concept analysis in September 2024 in Capri. Applications due April 15. Details here.

IPSA 75th Anniversary Conference on Democratization and Autocratization. 11-13 September, Lisbon, Portugal. Applications due April 10. Details here.

The IPSA 2023 Business Meeting. If you are in Buenos Aires, please attend the committee's business meeting. July 17 at 12:45-1:45PM in Room SJ2 201.

IPSA heads to Buenos Aires in 2023. Details on the meeting here. The call for panels opens September 20, 2022 (panels) and for papers (November 15, 2022).

Concept Analysis in Capri! Mauro Calise and team lead this yearly course on concept analysis in September 2022 in Capri. Details here.

The IPSA 2021 Business Meeting. For those attending IPSA, virtually, please feel free to stop in at our business meeting. 13 July at 15:30 UTC here.

Call for Submissions: 2021 Concept Award!. The call is now open for the best work on concepts over the last three years. Everything you need to know to submit is here..

Conference Seed Funding (2021 competition). IPSA provides seed funding (up to $1500) to its Research Committees (RC) for small conferences. If you have an idea for a meeting on some aspect of "Concepts and Methods," please send your suggestion by February 24th to Zach Elkins (zelkins@austin.utexas.edu) and Tobias Hofmann (tobias.hofmann@fu-berlin.de). Be sure to describe the purpose of the meeting and how the funds would be used. The most promising and impactful idea will be chosen to represent our Committee in the competition.

IPSA 2021 has gone virtual. IPSA will contact participants on February 10 with details about your participation. Lisbon will have to wait for yet another year.

IPSA Brisbane Meeting: For those headed to Brisbane, the C&M business meeting will be held Sunday, July 22, 12:45-1:45 pm, in room Foyer/Door 1/4-T20. Please join us to meet other members and to discuss current initiatives.

2018 Concept Award. Congratulations to Alisha Holland, the 2008 winner for her work, "Forbearance." See details here.

In Memoriam. On April 4, 2017, we lost a great one. Giovanni Sartori was not only one of the most creative and influential thinkers of our time, but he was also somebody who built and fostered intellectual communities, including this research committee. To say that he will be missed is an enormous understatement.