January 7, 2021
On behalf of the Leadership, Staff, the Council, and as representatives of the members of the Southern Political Science Association (SPSA), we write in dismay and condemnation of the violent breach of the United States Capitol Building on January 6th and the use of false information and inflammatory rhetoric by the United States President and other political leaders to encourage it. The intentional disruption and delay of the constitutional process of certifying the presidential election is fundamentally antidemocratic and unacceptable.
Constitutionally defined electoral procedures combined with peaceful transfers of power serve as a bedrock of democracy. As a discipline, Political Science has deep theoretical and empirical knowledge of the connection of these norms and institutions to the protection of civil rights, liberties, and the legitimacy of governance. Therefore, as political scientists, we have a responsibility to speak from this base of knowledge to express our grave concerns. The regular use and repetition of false information, attempts to subvert electoral institutions, and attempts overturn election results to retain power represent profound dangers to democracy and the freedoms that permit scholarly inquiry and expression of knowledge.
The SPSA is a nonpartisan organization and does not support political parties or candidates. However, as stated in our Constitution (Article 1 Section 2(b)), we may speak on behalf of members where the interests of the Association and its members are directly involved. The functioning of democracy in the United States is a matter that directly affects us as scholars and educators.
Cherie D. Maestas,
President, Southern Political Science Association
Christopher Wlezien,
President-Elect, Southern Political Science Association
Robert Howard,
Executive Director, Southern Political Science Association
