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Writing for political science? APSA style is the standard. The American Political Science Association developed this format specifically for the discipline, and it's required for all APSA journals. If you already know Chicago Author-Date, you're most of the way there—APSA is built on it. Learn how to cite sources in APSA format for political science papers. Complete guide with examples for books, journal articles, government documents, and court cases.
What Is APSA Style?
APSA style uses parenthetical author-date citations with a reference list at the end. It's based on the Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition but adds specific guidance for government documents, legal sources, and political science materials. The full APSA Style Manual is available free online.
In-Text Citations
Place the author's last name and year in parentheses. No comma between them—this is one key difference from some other styles.
Basic citation:
(Smith 2020)
With page number (required for direct quotes):
(Smith 2020, 45)
Two authors:
(Smith and Jones 2020)
Three authors:
(Smith, Jones, and Lee 2020)
Four or more authors:
(Smith et al. 2020)
Multiple works by same author, same year:
(Smith 2020a, 2020b)
Multiple sources:
(Smith 2020; Jones 2019)
Note: Don't use "ed." or "trans." in parenthetical citations.
Reference List Format
References appear at the end, listed alphabetically by author surname. Use hanging indents.
Books
Smith, John. 2020. The Future of Democracy. New York: Academic Press.
Multiple authors:
Smith, John, and Mary Jones. 2020. Political Behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Edited volume:
Smith, John, ed. 2020. Readings in Political Theory. Boston: Beacon Press.
Journal Articles
Aldrich, John H. 1980. "A Dynamic Model of Presidential Nomination Campaigns." American Political Science Review 74(September): 651-669.
Format: Author. Year. "Title." Journal Volume(Issue or Month): Pages.
With DOI (preferred for online access):
Vassallo, Francesca. 2020. "Teaching Comparative Political Behavior in the Era of Digital Activism." Journal of Political Science Education 16(3): 399-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2019.1694534
Book Chapters
Hermann, Margaret G. 1984. "Personality and Foreign Policy Decision Making: A Study of Fifty-Three Heads of Government." In Foreign Policy Decision Making, eds. Donald A. Sylvan and Steve Chan. New York: Praeger.
Government Documents
APSA gives special attention to government sources—essential for political science research.
Congressional report:
U.S. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations. 1997. The Threat from International Organized Crime and Global Terrorism. 105th Cong., 1st sess.
Agency report:
U.S. Census Bureau. 2023. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2022. Report P60-279. Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office.
Court Cases
Include the case name (italicized) in your text, followed by the year:
In Mapp v. Ohio (1961), the Supreme Court applied the exclusionary rule to the states.
Reference list:
Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961).
APSA follows Bluebook conventions for legal citations.
Websites
American Political Science Association. 2023. "APSA Style Manual." https://connect.apsanet.org/stylemanual/. Accessed January 15, 2024.
Include access date for online sources. If no date is available, use "n.d."
News Articles
Newspaper:
Cuff, Daniel F. 1985. "Forging a New Shape for Steel." New York Times, May 26.
Online news (include timestamp if available):
"Israeli Forces Bombard Gaza City." 2024. BBC, July 8. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/example.
Footnotes in APSA
Unlike Chicago Notes-Bibliography, APSA prefers parenthetical citations. However, footnotes can be used sparingly for:
- Substantive comments that would disrupt the text
- Cross-references to other parts of your paper
Footnotes should not be used simply to cite sources—that's what parenthetical citations are for.
Key APSA Conventions
- No comma before year. Write (Smith 2020) not (Smith, 2020).
- Et al. threshold. Use "et al." for four or more authors in citations; in the reference list, name all authors unless there are ten or more (then list first seven plus et al.).
- Government as author. Start with the country, then department, then agency.
- DOIs preferred. Include digital object identifiers for all online sources when available.
- Headline-style capitalization. Capitalize major words in titles.
APSA vs APA
| Feature | APSA | APA |
|---|---|---|
| Field | Political science | Psychology, social sciences |
| Comma before year | No | Yes |
| Journal issue | Volume(Month): Pages | Volume(Issue), Pages |
| Et al. threshold | 4+ authors | 3+ authors |
| DOI format | Full URL | https://doi.org/... |
Who Uses APSA?
APSA style is required for all APSA journals (American Political Science Review, Perspectives on Politics, etc.) and widely used in political science, public policy, international relations, and public administration programs.
