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Political Science

   Member of the Division of Social Studies

Chair(s):

Gemma Sala

Faculty:

Leif Brottem
Ryan Dawkins
Barry Driscoll
Doug Hess
Peter Hanson
Danielle Lussier
Wayne Moyer
Amy Schoenecker
Barbara Trish
Eliza Willis - Senior Faculty Status

Political science courses focus on how societies make decisions affecting the lives of their citizens. Questions raised by political science include: Who has power, how is it acquired, and how is it used? What produces stability and what produces change in societies? What is political leadership, what forces shape the relations between leaders and the led, and how do societies utilize their governments to deal with basic problems? Political science offers students both a grasp of the various answers provided for these questions and a sophisticated sense of how to choose among these answers.

Since a core of central questions is common to virtually all the department’s courses, students of political science are expected to begin with the introductory course, POL 101 , in which these questions are pointedly raised. This course provides the necessary background for further work in various subfields of the discipline: American politics, comparative politics, and international relations.

Political science majors should take statistics and other courses from across the curriculum to enhance their understanding of the political world. Appropriate internships, research projects and experiences off campus enrich the major.

Recent graduates in political science have undertaken careers in a number of different fields, including law, journalism, teaching and business. Work in politics and public policy - in government, policy and electoral campaigns, and NGOs - in both domestic and international realms is especially attractive to majors in political science.