The American Political Science Association uses a variation of the Chicago Manual of Style citation system. It concentrates on formats important to political science, with special attention given to documents produced within the United States government.
The citation style guide for the revised 2018 edition of the American Political Science Association is predicated upon the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. Most of the citation style guidelines are based on the Chicago Style.
APSA relies on an author-date system (as used in Chicago Style), not the notes-bibliography system. In APSA, parenthetical references within the text direct readers to the reference list. However, footnotes can be used in ASPA in a more limited scope. They can be used to present short substantive material or to cross reference other sources. Footnotes should not be used to cite sources better left for the reference list. Ultimately, footnotes should be used sparingly.
