Article I. NAME
The name of this organization is the Section on Government Statistics of the
American Statistical Association (hereafter called the Association)
Article II. SCOPE AND FUNCTIONS
The special interests of the Section on Government Statistics are in the
production and use of statistics by the governmental bodies at all levels of
government -- federal, state, and local -- and in the practice of statistics in
the public sector. These interests include concern with statistical policy
issues, quality and usefulness of governmental data products, special problems
of state and local data, and the role of professional statisticians in public
programs.
To support these special interests, the Section on Government Statistics
shall carry out any or all of the following functions, together with such others
as are appropriate:
- Assist in the development and advancement of knowledge in techniques and
practices that will contribute to excellence in the production and use of
government statistics.
- Promote a wider understanding of the attained levels of quality,
continuity, comparability, appropriateness, accessibility, and timeliness of
release of governmental statistical activities for large and small geographic
areas.
- Encourage professional statistical review of statistical activities
carried out by governmental units.
- Disseminate information and provide training opportunities for individuals
involved in the production and use of government data and statistics.
Article III. MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall include all full members of the Association who are current
in the payment of Section dues.
The membership for each member of the Section shall coincide with that
member's membership year in the Association.
Article IV. OFFICERS
The officers of the Section shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the
Program Chair, the Program Chair-Elect, the Secretary/Treasurer, and the
Publications Officer. The Section shall have one or more Representatives on the
Association's Council of Sections, according to the number of paid Section
members, and two Representatives to the Council of Professional Associations on
Federal Statistics (COPAFS).
The term of office of the Secretary/Treasurer and the Publications Officer
shall be two years. The terms of all other officers shall be one year. The term
of the Representative(s) to the Association's Council of Sections shall be as
prescribed in the Charter of the Council of Sections. A Representative to the
Council is eligible for immediate re-election only if he or she was not
previously elected for a full term. The two Representatives to the COPAFS shall
have a tenure of two years, with overlapping terms.
No officer shall be eligible for immediate re-election to the same office
except the Secretary/Treasurer and the Publications Officer.
The Chair-Elect and Program Chair-Elect shall automatically succeed the Chair
and Program Chair, respectively, at the annual change of officers, which shall
occur on January 1.
Article V. VACANCIES IN OFFICE
If the office of Chair becomes vacant, the Chair-Elect shall become the
Chair, the term extending through the following year. The same principle of
succession shall apply if the office of Program Chair becomes vacant. Vacancies
in other offices shall be filled by appointment by the Chair with the approval
of the Executive Committee.
Article VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers and Representative(s)
of the Section to the Council of Sections and to COPAFS, and the immediate Past
Chair.
The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of the Section. Actions
taken by the Committee during the past year, and plans for future activities,
shall be presented at the annual business meeting of the Section for discussion.
The Chair, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may designate
committees or individuals to carry out the functions of the Section.
Article VII. NOMINATION AND ELECTION
The Section's Committee on Nominations shall consist of three members
appointed by the Chair. It shall also include the immediate Past Chair who shall
serve as the committee chair. No other member of the Executive Committee may be
a member of this committee.
The Section's Committee on Nominations shall submit, to the Secretary of the
Association and the Section Chair, at least two candidates for each position to
be filled, in accordance with the schedule established by the Association. In
addition, any Section member nominated by petition of 25 or more members of the
Section shall also appear on the annual ballot, provided that the petition is
presented to the Secretary of the Association in accordance with the nomination
schedule.
Balloting shall be carried out as part of the Association's annual mail
ballot for electing Association and Section officers.
Article VIII MEETINGS
The annual meeting of the Section shall be held in connection with the annual
meeting of the Association and shall be announced in advance, preferably in the
printed program for that meeting. Business may also be conducted with Section
members by mail, and with members of the Executive Committee by mail, telephone,
facsimile transmission, or other electronic means.
Article IX. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this charter may be proposed by the Executive Committee of the
Section or by petitions signed by at least 25 members of the Section and
presented to the Executive Committee. The proposed amendment shall be submitted
to the members of the Section for mail vote at the time of the annual election
of officers. If approved by a majority of the members of the Section voting, the
amendment is subject to the approval of the Association's Council of Sections.
If approved by the Council, the amendment shall be effective immediately unless
provided by the amendment itself.
