Our Mission
The American Society for Public Administration is the leading professional membership association for public service. Its members include federal, state and local government employees; researchers and scholars; students; nonprofit professionals; and others committed to advancing public service excellence in the United States and around the world.
ASPA brings together the practitioner and academic communities to advance the practice and teaching of public administration through innovative programming, leading scholarship, more than 50 local chapters and 30 subject matter sections.
What We Stand For
Our Members
ASPA's members come from all areas of public administration — civil servants, city managers, elected and appointed officials, researchers, scholars, thought leaders, nonprofit managers and more. While the majority of members are based in the United States, ASPA's reach extends to 49 countries worldwide.
ASPA's membership spans sectors: approximately 40% of members are broadly defined as practitioners, and 54% as academics — including university faculty, researchers and students. State government represents the largest constituency within the practitioner community, while professors make up the largest segment within higher education.
Members range broadly in age, with nearly half between 30 and 49. ASPA is committed to reflecting the diversity of the public service field it represents.
Our History
Since 1939, ASPA has been the nation's most respected society representing all forums in the public service arena. It is an advocate for greater effectiveness in government, agents of goodwill and professionalism, publishers of democratic journalism at its very best, purveyors of progressive theory and practice and providers of global citizenship. ASPA leaders believe that by embracing new ideas, addressing key public service issues and promoting change at the local, federal and international levels, the society can enhance the quality of lives worldwide.
ASPA is the largest and most prominent broadly based professional association in American public administration. It has a diverse membership of approximately 10,000 practitioners, academics and students. ASPA serves as the principal arena for linking theory and practice within the field of public administration.
Past Presidents
Below is a list of individuals who have served as ASPA president. These individuals have been tremendous leaders, bringing vision and foresight to the organization throughout its history.