If you have an interest in analyzing world politics, reading historical events and modern conflicts, and proposing solutions to these sensitive topics, then political science may be a suitable major for you.
Political science refers to the theory and practice of politics. It raises questions about how people govern, what changes may happen to the political system, and how society and social relations operate under the political system.
More specifically, the study of political science is the distribution and transfer of power, how to make political decisions, and the effectiveness of government. To do this, political scientists consider factors such as stability, the judicial system, and public health, all of which are affected by government actions. They can also use statistical data to predict and respond to crises, such as how governments have responded to drought or famine in history, and how effective these strategies have been.
A strong political science education involves not only the political science field but also the following related fields.
- Economics
- Law
- Sociology
- History
- Philosophy
- Geography
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Neuroscience
Political science requires an understanding of history, government, and scientific methods including statistics. For those who are keen to understand politics, there are a large number of sub-fields to choose from.
Comparative politics
Comparative politics conducts empirical research on the teaching types of the constitution, political actors and legislatures, from the perspective of the country. Essentially, this means that the field focuses on the role and truth of a society based in part on internal systems.Comparative political scientists usually adopt two methods; the first is a transnational method, which refers to the simultaneous study of multiple nation-states to form widely applicable theoretical practices. The second is to adopt regional research methods to analyze a region in depth.The hotspot of comparative politics is to compare different political systems and implementers, and use their similarities and differences to fully understand their characteristics and effectiveness.
Political economy
Political economy is concerned with the relationship between government, law, and customs in terms of production and trade. This field studies the distribution of wealth and income within a country. Economics and sociology are two important influencing factors in this field. Political economy not only focuses on the operation of wealth in the government, but also how wealth affects individuals, society, markets, and countries.
International relations
International relations is the field of political science that studies the interaction between national institutions (such as nation-states, governments, and transnational organizations). International relations experts look at how treaties, trade, immigration, and culture work on a global scale.Like all fields of political science, international relations is made up of interdisciplinary research. In order to fully understand the relationship between political actors, it is also necessary to understand society, economy, and ideology. Scientists use all the tools they have at their disposal to explain and understand the operation of international politics.
Political theory
Political theory refers to the research and understanding of how politics, freedom, justice, and law work on a theoretical level. These political scientists raised some questions, such as how to form a legal government, what kind of rights the government should have, and what are the obligations of citizens to the government, and so on. Under the influence of classical and contemporary political thought and philosophy, political theorists combine normative theory and quantitative methodology with many other fields, including moral philosophy, economics, humanities, natural sciences, and behaviorism. This is combined with a comprehensive theoretical understanding of the role, function and effectiveness of the government.
Public administration
Public administration involves the formulation and implementation of government policies. Because public administrators facilitate government planning, organization, and control, it operates between business, government, and the public. Public administrators are concerned with what policies the public needs and how to best deploy them in a way that benefits everyone.
Public policy
Public policy is about understanding and creating policies. The goal of this field is to understand and form the principles governing social laws, such as what governments at all levels do or don’t do when responding to a problem. Public policies are formulated in response to social issues, including laws and regulations.These policies are formulated on behalf of the public, and the public may not be able to vote or express opinions on every issue that arises. Policies are goal-oriented, designed to solve specific problems or achieve specific goals, and are specifically created and implemented by the government.
What do Political Science students study?
Within the field of political science, there are different projects such as international relations, public policy or political science. Generally speaking, the course has five research areas, including comparative politics, international relations, political philosophy or political theory, public administration and public law, with special emphasis on methodology and your country’s politics.
Political science education will cover a variety of topics, including an understanding of history, as well as an understanding of theories and methods, and a better understanding of how the political system works. The key to the political science curriculum is politics and personal ethics, written and oral communication, interest in research and analysis, flexibility, and the ability to debate opposing views.
