Just complete and submit the online membership application form, with evidence of your credentials as a scholar of political thought.
Is there a membership fee?
You have the option of joining for free, as an Active Member or a Mailing List Member. However, APT requests members from institutions with sufficient resources to pay a small membership fee from their budgets, to help sustain the organization.
Do I need to reside in North America?
No, we welcome members from around the globe. Meetings are held in North America, but our mission to support political theory in the academy generally means that our work transcends borders.
To whom should I direct questions about membership?
What should I do if the application form doesn’t work when I click “submit”?
Don’t panic! Problems arise with web forms periodically. There could be a problem with our server or the Internet connection to it. Sometimes the forms misfire when applicant information differs in form from typical submissions (most frequent in the case of applications from abroad, with addresses or names not fitting American or Canadian norms). If your submission doesn’t go through, contact Club Express via their help options, or write to the APT Communications Secretary at
communications@associationforpoliticaltheory.org explaining the problem. If possible, please include all the information you submitted and any error message you might have received.
When my membership is approved, what will happen?
Our Membership Secretary will send you a welcome message generated by our database, which will list the information you submitted and give you a username (your email address) and a password. With that information, you will be able to log onto the website to view the Member Directory, paper archives, and other restricted information. Note that final approval of membership applications may take four to six weeks.
What does a typical submission say about my interests?
Submissions vary, as is to be expected in a field as diverse as political theory / philosophy. Some, like this one, are very short and somewhat formal:
Augustine; the American founding era; religion and politics.
Others are more elaborate and personal:
I am interested in contemporary theories of democracy, especially those relating to diversity and democracy. Consequently, I engage a variety of discourses, including feminism, post-structuralism, critical race theory, and neo-conservative critiques of these discourses. As a literature professor, I also am interested in the place of rhetoric and poetry in the history of political thought, as well as in contemporary late modern republics.
Members are welcome to express their interests in ways that make sense to them, though we ask that you stay relatively brief and remain focused on your scholarship, teaching, or both.
If my membership application is not approved, what more can I do to be approved?
Write to the Membership Secretary filling any gaps in your application noted in the rejection notice.