About

The Department of Political Science and International Relations is dedicated to understanding and teaching politics and government. Our faculty and students examine some of the most pressing and enduring questions people have asked about the nature and organization of political life, including:

- How does democracy take root, what sustains it, and what destabilizes it?
- How do authoritarian regimes maintain power, and how do they differ from one another?
- How do ordinary citizens form political opinions, values, and affiliations, and how do they come to participate in politics?
- What is the relationship between inequality and politics?
- What causes conflict and cooperation between nations?
- How do political institutions work (or fail), and how do they evolve?

Our research and teaching employ a broad array of sophisticated research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, to address these questions and many more.  Students in our majors receive rigorous training in analytical skills and both written and oral expression. This background prepares them for a large number of rewarding careers in the private and public sector and for the demands of citizenship.