Charter


Section on Government Statistics

Charter (Revised 2019)
 

Section chartered in 1988.

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. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Section on Government Statistics are to promote the use of sound statistical theory and methods in the production of data at all levels of government - be it Federal, State, local, or international; assist in the broad dissemination of those data; and encourage good statistical practice by all users.

Areas of interest for the Section include all that involve the production, dissemination, and application of governmental statistics. This includes areas such as statistical policy issues, quality and usefulness of governmental data products, special problems of State and local data, comparability of data among different countries, and the role of professional statisticians in the public sector.

 

Article III. FUNCTIONS

To support these special interests, the Section on Government Statistics shall carry out the following functions, together with such others as are appropriate: 

  1. 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.
  1. Promote a wider understanding of the attained levels of quality, continuity, comparability, appropriateness, accessibility, relevance, and timeliness of governmental statistical activities for large and small geographic areas.
  2. Encourage professional statistical review of statistical activities carried out by governmental units.
  3. Disseminate information and provide training opportunities for individuals involved in the production and use of government data and statistics.

 

Article IV. MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall include all full members of the Association who are current in the payment of Section dues. Section dues are set by the officers of the section and may be altered annually in consultation with the Treasurer of the Association. The membership for each member of the Section shall coincide with that member’s membership year in the Association.

 

Article V. OFFICERS

The elected officers of the Section shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the Past-Chair, the Program Chair, the Program Chair-Elect, the Secretary/Treasurer, the Council of Sections Representative, and the Publications Officer. These officers are the members of the Executive Committee (Article VII); all are voting members.   All officers must be Section members.

Officers elected to the position of Chair serve for three years in the three single year terms as Chair-Elect, Chair, Past-Chair. Officers elected to the position of Program Chair serve for two years in the two single year terms as Program Chair-Elect and Program Chair.

The term of office of the Secretary/Treasurer and the Publications Officer shall be two years. The term of the Representative to the Association’s Council of Sections shall be as prescribed in the Charter of the Council of Sections. No officer shall be eligible for immediate re-election to the same office except the Secretary/Treasurer and the Publications Officer. The Representative to the Council of Sections is eligible for immediate re-election only if he or she was not previously elected for a full term.

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 VI. 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 VII. COMMITTEES

Types. The Committees of the Section shall consist of the Executive Committee, Standing Committees provided by this Charter, and other Committees as the Chair may establish to serve a particular need or interest of the Section.

The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers in Article IV. 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 appoint committees or individuals to carry out the functions of the Section, including a Newsletter Editor, an Amstat Online Assistant Editor, Awards Coordinator, Chairs of Award Committees, and other positions needed to efficiently conduct the business of the Section.   This may include designations or appointments needed to execute joint ventures with other Sections, such as the annual Data Challenge Expo, if participation in such ventures are approved via Executive Committee vote or by other channels as may be defined.  The Chair may delegate one or more of these appointments to other Officers of the Executive Committee. Such appointed individuals are not members of the Executive Committee (and hence are not voting members) but may be invited to participate in Executive Committee meetings and other business meetings of the Section. The Executive Committee will review the GSS Charter and update the GSS Operating Procedures each year.

Standing Committees. The Standing Committees provided by this Charter are the Committee on Nominations, the Committee to Nominate Fellows, and the Charter Committee.  The Chair of each Standing Committee must submit regular reports to the Executive Committee.

  • The Committee on Nominations shall consist of the immediate past Chair of the Section (per Article IV), who serves as chair of the Committee, and who is responsible for appointing members. This committee 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 ballot for electing Association and Section officers. The Committee on Nominations needs to ensure least one member of the Executive Committee will not be employed by a government agency and can fulfill Section functions prohibited by the Hatch Act. The Committee on Nominations structure for the current operating year can be revised at any time by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Any permanent changes must be revised in the Charter and approved by a majority vote on the membership. 
  • The Committee to Nominate Fellows shall consist of three members. The Section Chair will appoint a new member each year to replace the member rotating off the committee. Each year the Committee shall identify members of the Section who would be suitable nominees for the honor of Fellow of the American Statistical Association (as described in the By-Laws of the Association) and shall coordinate preparation and submission of the nominations. The Committee to Nominate Fellows structure for the current operating year can be revised at any time by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Any permanent changes must be revised in the Charter and approved by a majority vote on the membership.
  • The Charter Committee shall consist of three voting members of the Executive Committee, including the Council of Sections representative. The Charter Committee will review the Charter each year, and if necessary, shall prepare amendments to be submitted to the Section in accordance with Article X of this Charter. In addition, the Charter Committee will undertake a revision every three years, in accordance with the schedule of the Committee on Sections Governing Board. In the event that the Charter Committee undertakes a major revision of the Charter, the Executive Committee may extend the life of the current Charter one year at a time.   The Charter Committee structure for the current operating year can be revised at any time by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Any permanent changes must be revised in the Charter and approved by a majority vote on the membership.

 

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 program for that meeting. Between annual meetings, business may be conducted by mail, email, 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. Amendments are subject to the approval of the Association’s Council of Sections Governing Board. The proposal shall then be submitted to the members of the Section for vote at the time of the annual election of officers. If approved by the majority of the members voting, the amendment shall be effective immediately unless provided otherwise by the amendment itself. 
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