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  4. 2024 Nominating Committee
  5. Nominating Committee Procedures

Nominating Committee Procedures


The nominating committee is charged with selecting candidates for AEA elected offices. According to the Association's by-laws, the members of the committee are appointed by the president-elect of the Association, with the provision that additional members can be appointed by a petition signed by two percent of the members of the Association. The by-laws specify that a past officer serves as the chair of the committee. By tradition, the former president of the Association who is completing their term on the executive committee serves as chair. Typically, one outgoing vice president and one outgoing member of the executive committee are chosen by the president-elect to serve on the committee, and one member of the previous year’s nominating committee is asked to carry over to provide continuity. The president-elect chooses four additional members of the committee from the Association’s membership.  

As soon as the nominating committee is chosen, their names are shared with the membership. Members are encouraged to suggest names of candidates to the committee as part of each year's officer election ballot. The nominating committee proposes at least two names of members to be considered as nominee for president-elect, and two or more nominations for each other elective office to be filled. The nominating committee and the executive committee together form an electoral college to choose the single candidate for president-elect. People chosen to be on the ballot are asked if they are willing to stand for election. Candidates willing to stand for election are required to complete an ethics questionnaire.

The by-laws of the Association do not specify the qualifications the nominating committee should look for in candidates. To aid the committee in its work, Association President David Card, President-Elect Christina Romer and Committee Chair Ben Bernanke provided the following guidance:

AEA elective office is not just another honor to recognize outstanding scholarship. It is a vital decision-making role for the organization. In selecting candidates, the nominating committee is encouraged to consider:

    • The dedication, enthusiasm, and values a candidate would bring to the role.
    • The ability of the candidate to work well with others, to help lead a large organization, and to work in the best interest of all members of the AEA.
    • The contributions of the candidate in their role as an economist, including research, teaching, professional service, policymaking or advising, and work in the private or nonprofit sectors.
    • The diversity of candidates along many dimensions, including field and style of research, type of institution at which they are employed, gender, race/ethnicity, seniority, and sexual orientation.