The History of the Research Committee
RC 49 traces its roots back to the 1994 IPSA World Congress in Berlin. It was recognised as study group in 1995 and granted research committee status in 1999. Since its first conference in Boston in 1995, the group has met in Århus (1996), Seoul (1997), Manila (1998), Birmingham (1999), Québec (2000), Copenhagen (2001), Ottowa (2002), Durban (2003), Oxford (2004), Boston (2005), Fukuoka (2006), Paris (2007) and Santiago (2009).

After a period of inactivity, the Research Committee is now being reformed. Elections will be held in early 2019 for the Executive Committee.

The Research Committee's Statement of Purpose
The research committee aims to provide a forum for discussion and collective work among political scientists with various matter specialisations who are interested in theoretical and conceptual discussions of possible alternatives to capitalist systems; the analysis of existing political institutions and practices in capitalist system; the study of political strategies to ameliorate basic social problems such as racism, sexism, poverty, environmental degradation, and war; and the study of reform and revolutionary political movements.

The Research Committee's Officers
Chair :
- James Chamberlain, Mississippi State University