^aChair, Political Studies Association of the UK, School of Politics and Communication Studies, Roxby Building, Liverpool L69 7ZT, UK. E-mail: j.tonge@liv.ac.uk

Abstract

National political science associations in Europe face several important challenges. The growth of politics as a discipline means that they have become expanding organisations, attempting to cope with ever-larger memberships and remits. This article examines the particular challenges confronting the Political Studies Association of the UK, as it attempts to represent its members' interests. The particular challenges for the Association identified in this article are protection of research, amid concentration of funding, curriculum convergence via the Bologna process and the creation of horizontal links across Europe with other political science associations.