The 2004 Conference for Political Science Department Chairs was dedicated to discussing the strategies available to chairs who are dealing with growing budget constraints. Themes included declining state budgets, surviving administrative mandates, tradeoffs of using adjuncts, and supporting professional development. APSA President Susanne Rudolph opened the conference, noting the theme is both relevant to the discipline and valuable for political science department chairs. Susan Pharr, Departmental Services Committee (DSC) chair, moderated the panel, which consisted of Michael Baer, Stephen Majeski, Shirley Geiger, Donald Baumer, and John Brehm. The Conference drew over 65 attendees to hear the five presentations and to consider concrete suggestions for how to operate efficiently under a shrinking budget. Given the widespread interest in the topic, the DSC has asked that the participants publish their findings in this symposium.