The American Political Science Association (APSA) invites submissions for a PS: Political Science & Politics special issue, Rethinking the Global Legacies of 1776. As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, this issue seeks fresh, rigorous perspectives on how the Declaration’s ideals and contradictions have shaped political thought and practice in the U.S. and around the world.
- What does independence mean today amid geopolitical turmoil and democratic erosion?
- How have liberty, sovereignty, and self-determination traveled, transformed, and been contested across time and place?
We welcome contributions that situate the Declaration within global, comparative, historical, and contemporary frames, probing both emancipatory legacies and imperial projects, as well as the “unfinished promises” of independence for different groups and contexts.
Suggested themes include (but are not limited to):
- Independence & empire: tensions between liberation and colonization in the modern international order.
- Democratic ideals in motion: global diffusion, adaptation, and contestation of democratic norms in the 21st century.
- Right-wing politics & democracy: implications of global right-wing movements for democratic institutions.
- Unfinished promises: race, gender, and citizenship in U.S. domestic and foreign policy, historical and present.
All submissions should make distinct, empirical, and/or theoretical contributions. We welcome diverse methodologies and disciplinary approaches.
Submission Details
- Deadline: February 15, 2026 (submit on or before this date)
- How to Submit: Via Editorial Manager: www.editorialmanager.com/ps
- Length: Fewer than 4,800 words, including notes and references
- Style & Format: Submit in Word; use in-text citations with endnotes; references should conform to the APSA Manual of Style
- Supplementary Material: You may upload an online appendix for supporting materials
Accepted manuscripts will be published on First View as they are completed and will later be compiled into the special issue.
About the Special Issue
This issue approaches 1776 through a global and comparative lens. While the Declaration catalyzed movements for popular sovereignty and independence, it also intersected with—and sometimes enabled—projects of expansion and exclusion. We invite authors to reckon with these complex legacies across politics, policy, and political thought.
Questions? Please submit through www.editorialmanager.com/ps and include any notes for editors in your cover letter.