Conclusion: Recent Steps and the Road Ahead in the Enduring Quest for Equity in Political Science

As emphasized in this symposium, political scientists have long decried systemic inequality and inequity in the profession. Despite an abundant literature addressing these profound problems, they persist.What can bring genuine change to the discipline? This symposium offers a fresh perspective on the stubborn barriers to creating a positive climate for women, scholars of color, LGBTQþ identified, and other underrepresented individuals in political science. We analyze microaggression, bullying, and implicit bias (Ghosh and Wang 2022) as well as exclusion and disproportionate service burdens (Simien and Wallace 2022). Stressing that past attempts to surmount the obstacles have not resolved them, we discuss what can overcome the problems. We identify best practices at both the departmental and university levels (Michelson and Wilkinson 2022). Furthermore, we recommend policies, initiatives, and strategies that the American Political Science Association (APSA) can pursue (Ackerly and Franklin 2022). In this conclusion to the symposium, however, I do not recapitulate the introduction or the articles that comprise its main narrative. Rather, I track recent progress and discuss how we can effect structural transformation to better combat systemic inequity and inequality in political science.