Fields of Study

American Politics includes the study of American national institutions, political behavior, and sub-national politics. American national institutions include the constitutionally specified institutions (the presidency, Congress, and the courts) and the interactions among institutions such as the president and Congress; constitutional, statutory, and administrative law; and extra-constitutional institutions such as political parties.

Comparative Politics covers the study of political experience within more than one nation-state for the purpose of making systematic comparisons. Within comparative politics, there are two main approaches, the cross-national approach, and the area studies approach. The cross-national approach involves the simultaneous study of a large number of nation-states to address particular theoretical questions of broad applicability, and the tools normally involve quantitative analysis of empirical data.

International Relations deals with the study of all aspects of the relations between nation-states, including political, diplomatic, military, economic, and environmental relations, among others. It also deals with the relations between non-state actors across national boundaries, and with international organizations that facilitate relations between countries. 

Political Theory offers students opportunities to engage in the rational scrutiny and moral assessment of political behavior, expectations, and experience from a broad variety of perspectives. Faculty members have teaching and research strengths in global and comparative political theory, the history of political thought, democratic theory, feminist theory, the philosophy of social science, contemporary political philosophy, the history and theory of tolerance, and the enlightenment. 

Public Policy/Public Administration is the scientific study of the politics of institutions, structures, and organizations. The study of public policy focuses on the analysis and explanation of government and non-government responses to public problems. It seeks to explain how institutions, organizations, and the public interact with various governance structures to develop the policies that they do. It is also concerned with the evaluation and impact of these policies on citizens, governing institutions, and organized interests.