Home > Academics > Majors/Concentrations > Political Science

Advisory Board: Dr. Tim Steigenga, Dr. Mark Tunick, Dr. Martin Sweet (on leave 09-10)

Description: Political science is a broad discipline concerned with how people with different interests and values reach collective decisions and form binding policies in order to maintain a stable and flourishing society. It studies the role of law and government and non-governmental institutions in distributing scarce resources. It takes up questions such as what makes a government legitimate? What causes revolutions and wars? How can government be arranged to realize the greatest happiness of its citizens, and what factors determine whether the ideal arrangement is achieved in practice? The Honors College concentration in political science provides the necessary groundwork for students wishing to do graduate work in political science and related disciplines, and is excellent preparation for law or business school or careers in journalism, public affairs, education, and government. The discipline of political science is closely connected with other disciplines, including economics, history, philosophy, and sociology. Political science itself is commonly divided into four sub-fields:
American politics: studies the government of the United States, including the relations between the three branches (the Presidency, Congress, the Judiciary), between the federal government and the states, and between government and private interests. Students might examine health care or immigration policy, explain election outcomes, learn how to measure public opinion, or consider whether lobbying, litigating, or taking to the streets is more effective in achieving social change.

Comparative politics: focuses on foreign (non-U.S.) political systems. Students compare different systems to evaluate the various ways in which governments respond to similar problems and meet citizen needs. Central factors for comparison include political culture, political institutions, political processes, and public policy. A comparative analysis of these factors can help us to answer questions such as why some countries are democratic while others are authoritarian, why some are well-developed politically and economically while others are not, and why some are stable while others face internal conflicts and civil wars.
International relations: International Relations is the study of patterns of conflict and cooperation among world actors, primarily nation-states, but also international organizations, nationalist groups, religious groups, non-governmental organizations, and others. Students examine questions about the nature of the international system, the distribution of power and resources among international actors, why nations go to war and make peace, and how foreign policy is constructed. Topics for study include war and the use of force, nuclear weapons and proliferation, the politics of global welfare, development and underdevelopment, international political economy, international organizations, globalization, environmental security, and foreign policy.

Political Theory: Political theory is concerned with the nature of politics and the sort of knowledge appropriate to the study of politics. It also focuses on concepts such as justice, freedom, equality, and legitimacy, exploring how these concepts have been developed throughout history and how they bear on contemporary issues. Political theorists examine foundational questions such as: Why do people live in government? What makes government legitimate? Why should policies be decided by majority vote and not by experts? Government may be needed to ensure our freedom, but at what point does government make us unfree? Can there be a science of politics?

Available Options: Concentration in Political Science

Concentration in Political Science

The Introduction to American Politics requirement may be satisfied by the AP Government exam.

Political Science Electives: At least 4 of these courses must be 3000-level or above, 2 of which are political science courses in the same sub-field. Up to 3 of the 6 courses may be "Electives in related disciplines" (see below). Courses used to satisfy the requirements of the Honors Core can not be used to satisfy this requirement. Courses not listed below may be used only with the prior approval of the Concentration Advisor. No more than 2 non-honors courses may be used for the concentration. Students are reminded they need 45 upper-level (3000 or 4000-level) credits to graduate.

Honors Thesis: Students concentrating in political science must write an honors thesis on a topic within political science.
A good deal of research conducted by political scientists is quantitative, and students concentrating in political science are strongly encouraged to take Research Methods (POS 3734). All students concentrating in political science are strongly encouraged to participate in an internship or study abroad program with a substantial political content.