Political Science

In every corner of the globe, "'politics' --the art and craft of determining who gets what, where, when, and how of the scarce resources in society" -- is practiced as a means of dealing with and resolving human conflict. The discipline of political science seeks to understand and explain politics from both a practical and scientific perspective. Indeed, as a political science major, you will consider such everyday practical questions as: How much government should there be? What is the proper distribution of income among citizens? Should government help the poor, protect the environment, and regulate the economy? You will also consider such scientific questions as what causes poverty and racism? Why do nations go to war? Why don't people vote? Why do some countries have universal health coverage while others do not?

Why Study Political Science?

You may wonder why you should study political science. One very obvious but important reason is that it will make you a better educated person. Today, a well-educated citizen is expected to know something about the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and the social sciences. Like psychology and sociology, political science will make you much more aware of the social sciences and, as a consequence, make you a more broadly educated and interesting person. The study of political science will also enable you to exercise your civic responsibility more effectively, whether it be by voting or joining political organizations. A well-informed and active citizenry, after all, is the hallmark of a democratic system of government. Many students study political science because it is excellent preparation for careers in law, business, government, or teaching. Others pursue graduate degrees in preparation for specialized careers in political science, public policy analysis, public administration, international relations, environmental science, or urban planning. Finally, you may wish to take political science because of the enormous impact government has on the daily lives of all citizens. Virtually all aspects of our social and economic environment are in some way influenced by government. Hence, it is important to know about these influences if only to better understand how they affect us.

Career Opportunities in Political Science

While a political science degree - unlike engineering or nursing, for example - does not prepare you for any specific job, there are, nonetheless, a number of career opportunities open to the political science major. These include:

• Federal, state, and local government management and civil service positions.

• Staff and research positions in Congress, state legislatures, and selected executives agencies at the state and federal levels.

• Political consulting and research positions with public relations firms, professional polling organizations, and foundations.

• Positions with private lobbyists, non-profit consumer and public interest groups, and such government-related organizations as the National Governors Association, National League of Cities, and National Association of Counties.

• Foreign and international affairs positions including private business corporations and banking; service organizations such as the United Nations, Red Cross, and International Chamber of Commerce; and US governmental agencies concerned with foreign and international matters, including the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, and Agriculture.

• Writing and news analyst positions with the national news media, including radio and television.

• Law enforcement positions in police organizations, the FBI, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Customs Service, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and many others.

For those political science majors who wish to earn advanced degrees in preparation for teaching or government work, the Department of Political Science offers both the M.A. and the Ph.D. degree in political science, with emphasis in general political science or policy studies.

Students who would like to know more about careers in political science should contact the Department of Political Science for the free publication, Careers and Study of Political Science: A Guide for Undergraduates.