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Department of Politics and Policy

Faculty

Lena Zuckerwise, Associate Professor and Chair
Gregory Williams, Associate Professor and Program Director, Master of Public Policy
Abel Djassi Amado, Associate Professor
Ambassador (ret.) Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Joan M. Warburg Professor of International Relations
Courtney Kaminski, Assistant Teaching Professor

Overview

The field of political science is divided into four subfields: American politics, comparative politics, international politics, and political theory. Collectively, courses in these areas introduce students to the study of the institutions of government, the processes of decision-making (domestic and international), the content of these decisions (public policy), and their impact on society. The field of political science is also concerned with questions of how governments should be constituted and how politics should be carried out. The study of political science has traditionally provided a solid foundation for careers in government (national, state, and local), diplomacy, law, and business, as well as in teaching and journalism. For this reason, students often choose to combine a major in political science with one of a wide variety of other majors, such as communications, economics, literature and writing, history, management, psychology, or sociology.

The curriculum in the Department of Politics and Policy consists of four introductory courses, a wide variety of topics courses, and an advanced seminar. Students in the department are encouraged to undertake internships in government offices and interest groups at the national, state, and local levels. They also have the opportunity to pursue independent research with individual professors. The department also encourages students to engage in political science studies abroad.

Learning Outcomes

At the successful completion of the Political Science major, students will understand and be able to critically analyze:

  • Domestic and international institutions of government
  • The processes of decision making
  • The content of political decisions
  • The impact of political decisions on society
  • The theoretical foundations of government and governmental decision-making 

Departmental Honors

To become a candidate for honors in political science, a student must have a GPA of 3.67 in political science and must submit a proposal for a thesis to the department in the spring of their junior year. The chair, in consultation with members of the department, will determine candidacy. In addition to the courses listed above, an honors candidate is also required to complete POLS 350 Independent Study followed by POLS 355 Thesis. Graduation with honors in political science is based on the assessment of the faculty committee to which the student submits their thesis.

Departmental Awards in Political Science:

Each year, the department recognizes selected graduating seniors for their academic accomplishments and contributions to the Politics & Policy department. The Carroll French Miles Award recognizes a graduating Political Science major who has demonstrated academic excellence in the major. The Roy M. Tollefson Award recognizes a graduating Political Science major who has demonstrated a high level of engagement with the department and its programming. Award recipients are selected each year by the Politics & Policy faculty. The James P. Warburg Award recognizes a graduating Political Science major who has demonstrated academic excellence in the major and International Relations (IR) Concentration. The Dag Hammarskjöld Award recognizes a graduating Political Science major (IR Concentration) who has demonstrated a high level of engagement with the department and its programming.