What is Political Science?

Are you interested in American politics? Elections? Civil liberties? International relations? Conflict and War? Political systems in other countries? Democraticization? Political science is the social scientific study of these questions and many others. Do some of these topics interest you? If so, majoring in political science might be ideal for you. Our interdisciplinary approach to learning provides students with a unique program emphasizing innovative ways to understand politics.

(Professor Monroe's class held a legislative simulation on the floor of the California Senate) 

Fields of Study

• American politics
• Comparative politics
• International relations   

Emphasis

• Political behavior (e.g., public opinion, elections)
• Political institutions (e.g., legislatures, courts)
• Systematic understanding (e.g., empirical methods)
• Interdisciplinary approaches (e.g., economic, cognitive)