The Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) was founded in 1939 and is dedicated to the advancement of scholarship in all areas of political science. The purposes of the MPSA are to promote the professional study and teaching of political science, to facilitate communications between those engaged in such study, and to develop standards for and encourage research in theoretical and practical political problems. As such, MPSA is a nonpartisan association. It does not support political parties or candidates. The MPSA publishes the American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), a premier journal for research in all major areas of political science. In April of each year, the MPSA holds one of the largest political science conferences, with more than 5,000 presenters from throughout the United States and around the world.