Political Science deals with the perennial questions of  Who Governs? and To What Ends? Political Scientists study the formal and informal political processes that shape public policy. The field combines humanistic and scientific perspectives in order to understand the political behavior of individuals, groups, and nations. The major fields in the discipline of political science include:

  Political Theory This is the study of the normative (ethical and moral) elements of government and politics. It includes the study of the great political thinkers from Plato to the present. Political theorists may specialize in the thought of a period such as Ancient Greek Philosophy or Enlightenment Thought or in topics like American Thought , Utopian thought, Feminist Thought or Political Epistemology. Theorists consider questions like the limits of politics, the nature of justice and the good life, and human nature. Some theorists study Empirical Theory which deals with  the methods (often statistical or behavioral) of political research.

  American Politics This is the study of the workings of the American political system. It includes the study of Constitutional or Public Law, Political institutions such as the Supreme Court, the Congress, and the Presidency, as well as areas like Voting Behavior, Parties and Interest Groups, Lobbying and PACs,  State and Local Government, Urban Politics, Public Policy, Media Politics, Minority and Women’s Politics.

  Comparative Politics  This the study of the government, politics and cultures of other nations. Some comparativists specialize in a region such as African or Asian politics or a single country such as England or France. Others study comparative institutions such as parliaments and legislatures, the politics of developing nations, or patterns of political leadership.

  International Relations This area is now being referred to by some as World or Global Politics. Specialists in IR study the interactions of nations in times of peace and conflict. They study the makings and workings of Foreign Policy, International Organizations like the United Nations and the World Court, Diplomacy, National Security and Defense, Terrorism and International Political Economy.

  Public Adminstration This is the study of Bureaucracy, Public Policy and Policy Implementation. Scholars in this area are interested in Management, Public Finance and Budgeting. Many in this field  have earned  advanced specialized degrees such as the M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration).  Many Public Administrators work as City Managers or in various government agencies.

While these are the major fields of Political Science, political scientists often have very eclectic and diverse areas of research. Some study Political Psychology, Politics and Literature, Administrative Law, Criminal Justice, Gay and Lesbian Politics, and Urban Affairs, to name but a few common areas of interest. The best way to see the breadth of political science as a discipline is to examine the program of the annual meeting of The American Political Science Association (APSA) which is published in PS:  Political Science and Politics, a major professional journal. Check the Summer edition of this quarterly. The American Political Science Review (APSR) is the most prestigious of all of the many journals in political science.

Students interested in pursuing political science in graduate school should take a look at the APSR and some of the other important journals in the field.  Some of these many journals include:   Polity, The Review of Politics, Foreign Affairs, Political Theory, Western Political Quarterly, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Comparative Politics, Orbis, Politics and the Life Sciences,Public Opinion Quarterly, Public Administration Review, Women And Politics, The Journal of Politics, The Political Science Reviewer, American Politics Quarterly, World Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Foreign Policy, Campaigns and Elections, and Philosophy and Public Affairs. There are also many journals devoted to the politics of individual countries and regions as well as specialized topics in public policy and research.  You should feel free to talk to the political scientists on the faculty about their areas of research and expertise.