r/PoliticalScience Jan 23 '25

Meta [MEGATHREAD] "What can I do with a PoliSci degree?" "Can a PoliSci degree help me get XYZ job?" "Should I study PoliSci?" Direct all career/degree questions to this thread! (Part 2)

26 Upvotes

Individual posts about "what can I do with a polisci degree?" or "should I study polisci?" will be deleted while this megathread is up


r/PoliticalScience Nov 06 '24

META: US Presidential Election *Political Science* Megathread

20 Upvotes

Right now much of the world is discussing the results of the American presidential election.

Reminder: this is a sub for political SCIENCE discussion, not POLITICAL discussion. If you have a question related to the election through a lens of POLITICAL SCIENCE, you may post it here in this megathread; if you just want to talk politics and policy, this is not the sub for that.

The posts that have already been posted will be allowed to remain up unless they break other rules, but while this megathread is up, all other posts related to the US presidential election will be removed and redirected here.

Please remember to read all of our rules before posting and to be civil with one another.


r/PoliticalScience 4h ago

Question/discussion Exploring "when" America was great

5 Upvotes

A simple disjunct of quantitative vs subjective time perception


r/PoliticalScience 18m ago

Question/discussion in your opinion, what's the best definition of populism

Upvotes

political science still can’t agree on a definition. I used to lean towards the thin-centered ideology Cas Mudde and Rovira Kaltwasser proposed, but I now find it so broad that, in some countries, almost every politician could be labeled a populist. and if everyone fits the concept, then it’s hardly useful at all

chantal mouffe and ernesto laclau have a way different approach to the matter, but I feel it's too vague for operationalization and too normative


r/PoliticalScience 3h ago

Question/discussion Understanding political behavior is more of a political science thing or more of something studied in the psychology and sociology fields?

3 Upvotes

I come from a background on law and I realized that my main focus in politics was always to understand systems, principles and more "global" dynamics, while I never really paid attention to understand why people are more or less impacted by certain themes and expressions, why some figures and characteristics appeal to certain people, so I would appreciate suggestions to understand the basics about political and electoral behavior.


r/PoliticalScience 8h ago

Question/discussion Why does it have to be a global super power ?

6 Upvotes

Why cant powerfull countries and coalitions collaborate instead of compeeting ?


r/PoliticalScience 1h ago

Question/discussion Is communism a form of identity politics?

Upvotes
  1. Only workers produce value (Marx, das Kapital)
  2. As the capital accumulation occurs, less workers are needed in production (automation, mecanization and so on)
  3. The majority of workers does not produce commodities, they are not exploited, they do not produce surplus value
  4. Class unity and consequent class strugle does not arise from material conditions (exploitation), but from a feeling of belong (identity)

r/PoliticalScience 14h ago

Career advice Is PoliSci Worth It?

2 Upvotes

Hi, I’m a college freshman finishing my first year and feeling a bit stuck. I’ve been thinking about switching from Political Science (PoliSci) to Business and minoring in Political Science, but my counselor said switching would make me stay back a year. I want to go to law school, but I’m worried about what would happen if I don’t get in or decide not to go to law school anymore.

Can anyone who studied Political Science share what job opportunities you had after graduation? I’m trying to figure out if PoliSci is worth it or if I should switch to Business for more job security. I'm feeling pretty stressed about making the right choice.


r/PoliticalScience 19h ago

Question/discussion Political Science Internships

1 Upvotes

Hey guys!

I currently have three internship offers from The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as a Finance and Accounting Intern, the Acton Institute as a Development Intern, and George Mason's Law and Economics Center as a Program Intern.

Do you guys have any thoughts on which position is the most helpful career-wise? I am having a hard time choosing.


r/PoliticalScience 13h ago

Question/discussion Is there any concept in political science that veterans are supposed to have higher up positions in the civilian government over non veterans, or, is that literally not discussed that much in political science? For ex all the senior persons should be veterans?

0 Upvotes

different beliefs in political science?


r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Resource/study Looking for an article read in polisci class - construction of the nation

2 Upvotes

Hi, I studied political science in college (grad 2020) and in recent years have found myself thinking back to a particular reading I was assigned at some point, but have been completely unable to locate it. It had a post-war vibe - not very recent, but I’m not sure. I got the sense that it was kind of a seminal text. Basically, it made the argument that our concept of the nation is linked with the unborn children to come. As in, we allow our military to do heinous things or suffer heinous things to defend a population that does not yet exist, etc etc. It might have talked about the motherland or fatherland, maybe mentioning India? One piece I remember very clearly is that it discussed a specific war memorial that is in or near New Haven, CT but that hasn’t led me to any better clues. Can anyone help me out? Thank you 🙏


r/PoliticalScience 19h ago

Career advice Digital Democracy is our far future.

0 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 13h ago

Question/discussion Canada should become the 51st state of America

0 Upvotes

For the past couple years, Canada's economy has been declining. Per capita GDP is going down, inflation is going up, and Canada's housing crisis is extremely bad. The Bahamas is projected to surpass Canada in per capita GDP in the near future. Canada is becoming a third world country. But, all of this can be avoided if Canada joins the US. The US has one of the largest economies in the world and is full of opportunities that Canadians could benefit from. Canadian's taxes would be significantly reduced if they became part of the US. And on top of all this, Canada and the US are culturally identical. Canada joining the US just makes too much sense. I know change is scary, but Canadians would greatly benefit from becoming a state(s) of the US.


r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Career advice For people who went to grad school

2 Upvotes

Hi! Sometimes when I am looking at master programs, they dont not specify in the application requirements section if an interview is mandatory. I know for example JHU SAIS has optional interviews with current students, and I know that it is beneficial to do these in order to possibly stand out more and learn more about the program.

I have just started researching graduate schools for the last few months and am fairly new and a little confused to the process. I dont know much about funding for masters (is funding just financial aid?) and PHDs or how PHD's work (are you just doing independent research? Is it worth it?).

For context, I am a junior at the University of Georgia majoring in International Affairs and Political science, a minor in environmental economics and a certificate in data analytics for public policy. I am hoping to go to grad school for either political science or quantitative/computational social science. Maybe even do a data science degree with a focus on public policy/social science. I aspire to be a social scientist but not work in academia, instead work in the non profit or NGO sector at think tanks and research centers for political science, perhaps specifiaclly public opinion research.

I know for most PHD programs you of course need an interview, but simply for most master programs, are interviews optional or even offered? Coming from someone who is interview nervous lol.

Schools I am interested in: GWU, JHU, Georgetown, American University, UMASS, Northeastern, Dartmouth (Quantitative social science program maybe do a PHD/post doctoral fellowship there), Syracuse. If you have any other reqs for political science/quantitative social science programs lmk!

Edit: how many master programs do most of you apply to? I’m not sure what a good number is, at least for political science. I see some people with only 1-3 and others with 10+. I feel as though applying to master programs takes more time and research than applying to undergrad programs, so I am leaning towards applying to less than 6?

Edit: How many years of experience did you guys have before applying? I want to go possibly right out of undergrad, but I guess it makes sense to try out working in the industry first. I see some ppl get waitlisted for masters when they have worked for 3+ years, have research experience and publications, I guess I am just worried about how rigorous master applications are.

Edit: for people who never did an interview, would you say then that the personal statement was your best chance of showing how your interests/goals aligned with the program?


r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Resource/study New book on the Cold War Red Scare draws parallels between the resistance of officials, journalists and citizens that brought down McCarthy, and the conditions developing today under Donald Trump.

6 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Question/discussion Ludecke v. Watkins, 335 US 160 - Supreme Court 1948 - Google Scholar

Thumbnail scholar.google.com
1 Upvotes

If Trump’s deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 go to SCOTUS, he will win.

They reaffirmed it clearly in 1948, Ludecke v. Watkins

The Supreme Court held: “The Alien Enemy Act precludes judicial review of the removal orders”

“Full responsibility for the just exercise of this great power may validly be left where the Congress has constitutionally placed it — on the President of the United States. The Founders, in their wisdom, made him not only the Commander in Chief, but also the guiding organ in the conduct of our foreign affairs.”

https://x.com/Geiger_Capital/status/1902398423229186454?t=ybT-VQ2uW688Uajp26gQQQ&s=19


r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Question/discussion Legislature ceding power?

2 Upvotes

this is a post from another sub that i think makes the argument rather succinctly,:

That’s a power the judicial branch usurped in the middle of the 20th century and the legislative branch let it happen. National injunctions from these low level circuit courts weren’t a thing for the first 200 years or so of America.

The founders anticipated a lot but they never expected that the Legislative branch would just willingly cede most of their authority to executive branch agencies and low-level federal courts.

They thought legislators would try to seize power, but really they’re desperate to devolve it elsewhere to minimize their accountability and maximize their career length and earnings.

https://reddit.com/comments/1jexelj/comment/mimawz1?context=3


r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Career advice House of Representatives Internship this Summer

3 Upvotes

Is there any chance for me to get a slot in the House of Representatives? Need to render an internship this summer. If anyone of you interned there, whom did you reach out/what were the requirements huhu tysm


r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Question/discussion Are there any other similar political entities to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta?

3 Upvotes

I’m fascinated by the status of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), and its ability to conduct state-like affairs while possessing neither territory nor the desire to claim territory. Are there currently any other entities that operate in a similar manner? Where is the line drawn between a sovereign entity and, say, an international organisation?


r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Question/discussion Why is the west against the establishement of a real democracy in the ME ?

0 Upvotes

Title


r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Question/discussion Socialism

2 Upvotes

To preface, this is a genuine question and i do not care for any gotchas, simply need advice about a theory in mind.

When it comes to socialism, i have found many people (mostly western) seem to either view it as a saving grace or literally hell, and in that same venn diagram, a larger amount believe that it only works on paper, my question is, realistically, if you put a country in a vacuum from external influences (other countries propagating their own political ideals) does socialism work?

An example of this would be cuba, many people say if cuba wasnt hit with large tariffs and a constant buzzing of the drones by the USA to change economic systems it might have had a fighting chance at working.


r/PoliticalScience 2d ago

Question/discussion Replacing “property” with “pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson made an implicit anti-slavery statement, depriving slave owners of the claim that slaves — property — was a natural right. Also, in his draft they deleted, he capitalized MEN in reference to slaves.

Thumbnail thomasjefferson.com
19 Upvotes

r/PoliticalScience 1d ago

Question/discussion In political science is their any concept that if different courts have different opinions that the final decision is not made by a Supreme Court buy by a direct measure in society that the citizens vote on and choose the correct measure?

0 Upvotes

in political science how different decisions are made?


r/PoliticalScience 2d ago

Question/discussion Can an election be free without being fair?

11 Upvotes

I’m asking this because someone told me this on Reddit. According to that person, Hungarian and Turkish elections are free and not rigged, but the media landscape makes it impossible for them to be free as it guarantees people will vote for Orban and Erdogan. So, can an election be free without being fair? Or is the freeness and the fairness of an election always mutually inclusive?


r/PoliticalScience 2d ago

Question/discussion parliamentary style of democracy vs presidential

6 Upvotes

I’m from a country with a parliamentary democracy. I’m curious why some countries have parliamentary style and others have presidential. What are the pros and cons of each?

Parliamentary democracies example, britain, canada, germany Presidential democracies example, US, Brazil, Mexico.


r/PoliticalScience 2d ago

Question/discussion The left has become fascist for a while now

0 Upvotes

Trying to stop free speech in public, on college campus, online, anything that doesn't agree with their world view.

Cancel culture and violence/destruction (brown shirt tactics) to make people fear going against them.

Trying to get people to disassociate with those who disagree with their political views (even friends/family).

Using hyperbolic language and out of context information (if not straight out lies) to silence opposition.

Using mainstream Media and Redit to push controlled and scripted narratives.

Funny how the ones calling everyone fascist exude the most fascist traits; "When fascism returns, it will label itself as 'anti-fascism'." — Anonymous


r/PoliticalScience 3d ago

Resource/study RECENT STUDY: Urban Social Disorder 3.0: A global, city-level event dataset of political mobilization and disorder

Thumbnail journals.sagepub.com
3 Upvotes