The 104th Annual Meeting in Boston explored the differentiation of ideas, people, institutions, and nations to discuss “Categories & the Politics of Global Inequalities.” Program cochairs Jane Junn of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and Ed Keller of the University of California, Los Angeles, organized all panels and plenary sessions by working closely with the Program Committee, a team of 56 members drawn from the Organized Sections.

A record-breaking 7,200 attendees gathered at the Hynes Convention Center, Sheraton Boston, and the Boston Marriott Copley Place, centrally located in the historic Back Bay neighborhood of downtown Boston. The convenient location of the hotels allowed attendees to explore the shops on Newbury Street, visit the scenic Charles River, and enjoy Boston's celebrated dining, art, and entertainment attractions.

Congerssman Barney Frank delivers his lecture on global capitalism. All photos by Mike Moffa.

Wednesday's pre-convention professional day gave attendees the opportunity to attend 23 short courses and an array of seminars sponsored by Organized Sections and Related Groups. Attendees connected with scholars on diverse topics, ranging from European Election Studies to Feminist Research in International Relations.

The conference officially commenced on Thursday with a multitude of noteworthy panel discussions and plenary sessions, as well as a lively exhibition hall filled with political science publishers. The Awards Luncheon and Ceremony recognized more than 130 people in the profession for books, dissertations, papers, and notable career achievements. The 2008 Frank J. Goodnow Award was awarded to Paul Sniderman and Judith H. Stiehm.

Scholars were welcomed on Thursday evening with Dianne Pinderhughes's delivery of her Presidential Address, “The Challenge of Democracy: Explorations in American Racial Politics.” Following the address, the opening reception welcomed all attendees with an evening of entertainment, hors d'oeuvres, and cocktails. Annual Meeting attendees also had the chance to watch day-long coverage of the final day of the Democratic National Convention, which concluded with the Democratic presidential nominee's acceptance address.

On Friday, two award honorees gave distinguished lectures. Donald F. Kettl of the University of Pennsylvania gave the John Gaus Lecture, entitled “Administrative Accountability and the Rule of the Law,” and the James Madison Lecture was delivered by former APSA president Theodore Lowi of Cornell University. Both speeches will appear in the January issue of PS.

Saturday brought a collection of engaging plenary sessions, including Susan J. Carroll's “Reflections on Gender and Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign: The Good, the Bad, and the Misogynic.” The APSA Teaching and Learning Committee sponsored the plenary session, Excellence in Teaching: Honoring the Career of Michael Sandel. On Saturday evening, Congressman Barney Frank delivered his lecture, “I Told You So: A Liberal Look at Global Capitalism.”

The APSA General Membership Meeting was the main highlight of Saturday's course of events, as it gave APSA members the chance to engage in association governance. Attendees of the meeting had the unique opportunity to witness President Dianne Pinderhughes pass the gavel to President-Elect Peter Katzenstein.

Over the course of the Annual Meeting, small working groups met to discuss focused topics. Working group participants attended panels, poster sessions, and plenaries that corresponded with their topic, and convened separately each day for deeper discussion on the material. Additionally, universities and sections also hosted a number of receptions and happy hours throughout the week, including events exclusively for graduate students and award-winning teachers.

The APSA eJobs Annual Meeting Placement Interview Service allowed preregistered candidates to interview for university faculty positions. APSA provided space and facilities for 150 institutions to conduct interviews with 471 candidates.

Join us for the 105th Annual Meeting in Toronto! It will be held from September 3–6 in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Sheraton Toronto, and Fairmont Royal York. The Call for Papers closes December 15, 2008 (see page 951). For more information, visit http://www.apsanet.org/section_222.cfm and look for more details in PS throughout the year ahead.

104th Annual Meeting By the Numbers

• 7,205 total attendees (including exhibitor personnel, members of the press, and guests)

• 830 panel sessions

• 1,418 papers submitted to PROceedings

• 575 poster presentations

• 161 travel grants awarded

• 21 APSA awards presented

• 110 Section awards presented

• 100+ exhibitors

Dianne Pinderhughes delivered her Presidential Address, “The Challenge of Democracy: Explorations in American Racial Politics,” to a full auditorium.

Award winners at the Reception Honoring Teaching. For a full list of teaching awards, see page 845.

Attendees gather to watch CNN's coverage of the Democratic National Convention, sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha.

Donald F. Kettl delivered the annual John Gaus Lecture on public administration.

Former APSA president Theodore Lowi delivered the James Madison Lecture.

Susan J. Caroll spoke on misogeny and the Clinton campaign in a plenary session.