Why political science is important

Any casual perusal of the newspapers and the television channels reveals that political scientists are at the forefront of debates and discussions for their knowledge and expertise. The scope of political science is vast and experts have divided the field of political science into five sub-disciplines that are political theory, public administration, comparative politics, international relations, and public law.

It needs to be noted that these sub-disciplines cover the entire gamut of the modern political economy and provide the basis for the study and understanding of how the global political economy works. The study of the matters concerning the allocation and distribution as well as the transfer of power is one of the main preoccupations of political scientists.

The success or otherwise of the governance structures is gauged by political scientists who examine the multifaceted and multilayered factors at work that contribute to good or bad governance.

The scope of the political scientists has now been broadened to include the realm of the study of the democratic elections across the world. Most Political Science majors pursue a J. Department of Political Science and Geography. Geography and Environmental Sustainability B. Global Affairs B. Political Science B. Why Global Affairs? Geography Careers Graduate M. Geography M. Why Political Science? Because of the broad nature of Political Science, majors develop a unique skill set that is quite attractive to employers and useful for any job: Oral and written communication skills An understanding of research methodologies and statistics Critical and logical thinking skills An ability to identify community needs and solutions Knowledge about government laws, regulations, and processes Insight into human behavior and organizational dynamics Leadership and communication skills The Department of Political Science offers students access to a number of opportunities that can increase their learning and job prospects, including study abroad programs to Europe, Mexico, and other parts of the world; internships in city and state government, law firms, non-profit and community groups, and businesses around San Antonio; participation in student groups such as the Model UN; and the opportunity to work closely with faculty in developing and writing an honors thesis.

What can you do with a Political Science degree? Government Jobs Almost 17 percent of all jobs in the United States are federal, state, or local government positions. Community Advocacy and Political Entrepreneurs Many Political Science graduates work in political fields outside the government.

Policy Analysts Policy analysts propose new public policies, regulations, and laws and assess the impact of existing ones. Lobbyists and Government Liaisons Lobbyists are individuals who work on behalf of businesses and other organizations ranging from oil companies to environmental groups, the Chamber of Commerce to labor organizations, and even churches and charities to persuade legislators to pass laws that would benefit their group.

Legal Careers Many Political Science students go on to law school and enter into legal careers. Business Careers Not everyone who wants to go into business needs a business degree.

Teaching Because most Political Scientists are interested in people and in many cases want to improve society, many tend to gravitate toward teaching. Careers in Political Science Your education in Political Science means that you are particularly well suited for research, analysis, and writing, skills required at myriad organizations and businesses.

Some of the more common careers for Political Science majors include the following: Business liaison. Are American political institutions, ideas and practices unique, or are they similar to other societies? How might American politics be improved? To acquire first-hand experience with the American political system, students are encouraged to participate in academic internships in Washington D.

The subfield of political methodology is concerned with the philosophical bases of political science, social science, empirical research design and analysis, and practical field research experience. Courses in the political methodology field cover philosophical issues regarding the possibility of a science of politics, the similarities and differences between political science and other social sciences, alternative modes of explanation, and the truth of knowledge claims.

They also examine the formulation of experimental and non-experimental research designs for making causal inferences about political processes and behavior and explore the. Students are also provided an opportunity to conduct individual and group research projects through seminars. The political methodology faculty have current research and teaching interests in such diverse topics as mass media, feminist theory, language politics, political economy, rational choice theory, and public policy.

Political Science students, especially those returning to campus, should familiarize themselves with the University's Back-to-School Checklist. Some of the major subfields are described below. Political Theory Political theory is concerned mainly with the foundations of political community and institutions. Comparative Politics Comparative politics is a broad field with a variety of approaches and goals.

Manage consent. Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.

We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.

Functional Functional. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

Performance Performance. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Analytics Analytics. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website.

These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Advertisement Advertisement.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns.