political science essay conclusion

Political Science

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you to recognize and to follow writing standards in political science. The first step toward accomplishing this goal is to develop a basic understanding of political science and the kind of work political scientists do.

Defining politics and political science

Political scientist Harold Laswell said it best: at its most basic level, politics is the struggle of “who gets what, when, how.” This struggle may be as modest as competing interest groups fighting over control of a small municipal budget or as overwhelming as a military stand-off between international superpowers. Political scientists study such struggles, both small and large, in an effort to develop general principles or theories about the way the world of politics works. Think about the title of your course or re-read the course description in your syllabus. You’ll find that your course covers a particular sector of the large world of “politics” and brings with it a set of topics, issues, and approaches to information that may be helpful to consider as you begin a writing assignment. The diverse structure of political science reflects the diverse kinds of problems the discipline attempts to analyze and explain. In fact, political science includes at least eight major sub-fields:

• American politics examines political behavior and institutions in the United States.
• Comparative politics analyzes and compares political systems within and across different geographic regions.
• International relations investigates relations among nation states and the activities of international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and NATO, as well as international actors such as terrorists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multi-national corporations (MNCs).
• Political theory analyzes fundamental political concepts such as power and democracy and foundational questions, like “How should the individual and the state relate?”
• Political methodology deals with the ways that political scientists ask and investigate questions.
• Public policy examines the process by which governments make public decisions.
• Public administration studies the ways that government policies are implemented.
• Public law focuses on the role of law and courts in the political process.

What is scientific about political science?

Investigating relationships.

Although political scientists are prone to debate and disagreement, the majority view the discipline as a genuine science. As a result, political scientists generally strive to emulate the objectivity as well as the conceptual and methodological rigor typically associated with the so-called “hard” sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, and physics). They see themselves as engaged in revealing the relationships underlying political events and conditions. Based on these revelations, they attempt to state general principles about the way the world of politics works. Given these aims, it is important for political scientists’ writing to be conceptually precise, free from bias, and well-substantiated by empirical evidence. Knowing that political scientists value objectivity may help you in making decisions about how to write your paper and what to put in it.

Political theory is an important exception to this empirical approach. You can learn more about writing for political theory classes in the section “Writing in Political Theory” below.

Building theories

Since theory-building serves as the cornerstone of the discipline, it may be useful to see how it works. You may be wrestling with theories or proposing your own as you write your paper. Consider how political scientists have arrived at the theories you are reading and discussing in your course. Most political scientists adhere to a simple model of scientific inquiry when building theories. The key to building precise and persuasive theories is to develop and test hypotheses. Hypotheses are statements that researchers construct for the purpose of testing whether or not a certain relationship exists between two phenomena. To see how political scientists use hypotheses, and to imagine how you might use a hypothesis to develop a thesis for your paper, consider the following example. Suppose that we want to know whether presidential elections are affected by economic conditions. We could formulate this question into the following hypothesis:

“When the national unemployment rate is greater than 7 percent at the time of the election, presidential incumbents are not reelected.”

Collecting data

In the research model designed to test this hypothesis, the dependent variable (the phenomenon that is affected by other variables) would be the reelection of incumbent presidents; the independent variable (the phenomenon that may have some effect on the dependent variable) would be the national unemployment rate. You could test the relationship between the independent and dependent variables by collecting data on unemployment rates and the reelection of incumbent presidents and comparing the two sets of information. If you found that in every instance that the national unemployment rate was greater than 7 percent at the time of a presidential election the incumbent lost, you would have significant support for our hypothesis.

However, research in political science seldom yields immediately conclusive results. In this case, for example, although in most recent presidential elections our hypothesis holds true, President Franklin Roosevelt was reelected in 1936 despite the fact that the national unemployment rate was 17%. To explain this important exception and to make certain that other factors besides high unemployment rates were not primarily responsible for the defeat of incumbent presidents in other election years, you would need to do further research. So you can see how political scientists use the scientific method to build ever more precise and persuasive theories and how you might begin to think about the topics that interest you as you write your paper.

Clear, consistent, objective writing

Since political scientists construct and assess theories in accordance with the principles of the scientific method, writing in the field conveys the rigor, objectivity, and logical consistency that characterize this method. Thus political scientists avoid the use of impressionistic or metaphorical language, or language which appeals primarily to our senses, emotions, or moral beliefs. In other words, rather than persuade you with the elegance of their prose or the moral virtue of their beliefs, political scientists persuade through their command of the facts and their ability to relate those facts to theories that can withstand the test of empirical investigation. In writing of this sort, clarity and concision are at a premium. To achieve such clarity and concision, political scientists precisely define any terms or concepts that are important to the arguments that they make. This precision often requires that they “operationalize” key terms or concepts. “Operationalizing” simply means that important—but possibly vague or abstract—concepts like “justice” are defined in ways that allow them to be measured or tested through scientific investigation.

Fortunately, you will generally not be expected to devise or operationalize key concepts entirely on your own. In most cases, your professor or the authors of assigned readings will already have defined and/or operationalized concepts that are important to your research. And in the event that someone hasn’t already come up with precisely the definition you need, other political scientists will in all likelihood have written enough on the topic that you’re investigating to give you some clear guidance on how to proceed. For this reason, it is always a good idea to explore what research has already been done on your topic before you begin to construct your own argument. See our handout on making an academic argument .

Example of an operationalized term

To give you an example of the kind of rigor and objectivity political scientists aim for in their writing, let’s examine how someone might operationalize a term. Reading through this example should clarify the level of analysis and precision that you will be expected to employ in your writing. Here’s how you might define key concepts in a way that allows us to measure them.

We are all familiar with the term “democracy.” If you were asked to define this term, you might make a statement like the following:

“Democracy is government by the people.”

You would, of course, be correct—democracy is government by the people. But, in order to evaluate whether or not a particular government is fully democratic or is more or less democratic when compared with other governments, we would need to have more precise criteria with which to measure or assess democracy. For example, here are some criteria that political scientists have suggested are indicators of democracy:

• Freedom to form and join organizations
• Freedom of expression
• Right to vote
• Eligibility for public office
• Right of political leaders to compete for support
• Right of political leaders to compete for votes
• Alternative sources of information
• Free and fair elections
• Institutions for making government policies depend on votes and other expressions of preference

If we adopt these nine criteria, we now have a definition that will allow us to measure democracy empirically. Thus, if you want to determine whether Brazil is more democratic than Sweden, you can evaluate each country in terms of the degree to which it fulfills the above criteria.

What counts as good writing in political science?

While rigor, clarity, and concision will be valued in any piece of writing in political science, knowing the kind of writing task you’ve been assigned will help you to write a good paper. Two of the most common kinds of writing assignments in political science are the research paper and the theory paper.

Writing political science research papers

Your instructors use research paper assignments as a means of assessing your ability to understand a complex problem in the field, to develop a perspective on this problem, and to make a persuasive argument in favor of your perspective. In order for you to successfully meet this challenge, your research paper should include the following components:

• An introduction
• A problem statement
• A discussion of methodology
• A literature review
• A description and evaluation of your research findings
• A summary of your findings

Here’s a brief description of each component.

In the introduction of your research paper, you need to give the reader some basic background information on your topic that suggests why the question you are investigating is interesting and important. You will also need to provide the reader with a statement of the research problem you are attempting to address and a basic outline of your paper as a whole. The problem statement presents not only the general research problem you will address but also the hypotheses that you will consider. In the methodology section, you will explain to the reader the research methods you used to investigate your research topic and to test the hypotheses that you have formulated. For example, did you conduct interviews, use statistical analysis, rely upon previous research studies, or some combination of all of these methodological approaches?

Before you can develop each of the above components of your research paper, you will need to conduct a literature review. A literature review involves reading and analyzing what other researchers have written on your topic before going on to do research of your own. There are some very pragmatic reasons for doing this work. First, as insightful as your ideas may be, someone else may have had similar ideas and have already done research to test them. By reading what they have written on your topic, you can ensure that you don’t repeat, but rather learn from, work that has already been done. Second, to demonstrate the soundness of your hypotheses and methodology, you will need to indicate how you have borrowed from and/or improved upon the ideas of others.

By referring to what other researchers have found on your topic, you will have established a frame of reference that enables the reader to understand the full significance of your research results. Thus, once you have conducted your literature review, you will be in a position to present your research findings. In presenting these findings, you will need to refer back to your original hypotheses and explain the manner and degree to which your results fit with what you anticipated you would find. If you see strong support for your argument or perhaps some unexpected results that your original hypotheses cannot account for, this section is the place to convey such important information to your reader. This is also the place to suggest further lines of research that will help refine, clarify inconsistencies with, or provide additional support for your hypotheses. Finally, in the summary section of your paper, reiterate the significance of your research and your research findings and speculate upon the path that future research efforts should take.

Writing in political theory

Political theory differs from other subfields in political science in that it deals primarily with historical and normative, rather than empirical, analysis. In other words, political theorists are less concerned with the scientific measurement of political phenomena than with understanding how important political ideas develop over time. And they are less concerned with evaluating how things are than in debating how they should be. A return to our democracy example will make these distinctions clearer and give you some clues about how to write well in political theory.

Earlier, we talked about how to define democracy empirically so that it can be measured and tested in accordance with scientific principles. Political theorists also define democracy, but they use a different standard of measurement. Their definitions of democracy reflect their interest in political ideals—for example, liberty, equality, and citizenship—rather than scientific measurement. So, when writing about democracy from the perspective of a political theorist, you may be asked to make an argument about the proper way to define citizenship in a democratic society. Should citizens of a democratic society be expected to engage in decision-making and administration of government, or should they be satisfied with casting votes every couple of years?

In order to substantiate your position on such questions, you will need to pay special attention to two interrelated components of your writing: (1) the logical consistency of your ideas and (2) the manner in which you use the arguments of other theorists to support your own. First, you need to make sure that your conclusion and all points leading up to it follow from your original premises or assumptions. If, for example, you argue that democracy is a system of government through which citizens develop their full capacities as human beings, then your notion of citizenship will somehow need to support this broad definition of democracy. A narrow view of citizenship based exclusively or primarily on voting probably will not do. Whatever you argue, however, you will need to be sure to demonstrate in your analysis that you have considered the arguments of other theorists who have written about these issues. In some cases, their arguments will provide support for your own; in others, they will raise criticisms and concerns that you will need to address if you are going to make a convincing case for your point of view.

Drafting your paper

If you have used material from outside sources in your paper, be sure to cite them appropriately in your paper. In political science, writers most often use the APA or Turabian (a version of the Chicago Manual of Style) style guides when formatting references. Check with your instructor if they have not specified a citation style in the assignment. For more information on constructing citations, see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial.

Although all assignments are different, the preceding outlines provide a clear and simple guide that should help you in writing papers in any sub-field of political science. If you find that you need more assistance than this short guide provides, refer to the list of additional resources below or make an appointment to see a tutor at the Writing Center.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Becker, Howard S. 2007. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article , 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Cuba, Lee. 2002. A Short Guide to Writing About Social Science , 4th ed. New York: Longman.

Lasswell, Harold Dwight. 1936. Politics: Who Gets What, When, How . New York: McGraw-Hill.

Scott, Gregory M., and Stephen M. Garrison. 1998. The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual , 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Turabian, Kate. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Department of Political Science

Senior Essays in Political Science

Introduction, summer research, the advising process, the one-term senior essays in conjunction with a seminar, the independent, one-term senior essay course (plsc 480), length and format of one-term senior essays, year-long senior essays, the intensive senior essay, the qualities of a good senior essay, an important note research on human subjects, submitting the essay, penalties for late submission, senior essay grades and grade submission.

• Senior Essay Prizes  

One of the requirements of the Political Science major is the senior essay. The senior essay is an opportunity to go more deeply into a topic or puzzle than you ordinarily would on a final assignment for a course. At first, this may seem like a daunting task. This document is designed to allay some of that anxiety as well as familiarize you with things you need to know about the essay requirement.

Most Political Science majors write their senior essays in conjunction with a one-semester seminar. A small number of students write it in the independent, one-term senior essay course (PLSC 480), the year-long senior essay courses (PLSC 490 and 491), or the intensive senior essay courses (PLSC 490 and 493). More information can be found on these various options below

Whatever the venue in which you write your senior essay, you will have to develop a research topic, formulate specific questions that your essay will try to answer, and offer a strong motivation for the project – make the case to your readers that something valuable would be lost if your research questions were not answered. Your adviser will be your most important resource in helping you to develop the topic, questions, and motivation. There are also published guides that can help. A good one is:

• Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 2008. The Craft of Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Another valuable resource is reference librarians, both in the Social Science library and elsewhere in the Yale library system. Many useful sources are now available on-line; the reference librarians will often be more up-to-date about how to access these resources than your adviser.

During part or all of the summer between their junior and senior years, some students choose to conduct research related to their eventual senior essay project. Some carry out research in the United States, others abroad. The Political Science Department distributes, on a competitive basis, Frank M. Patterson grants for such research (Patterson grants also support summer internships). Application deadlines are posted on our Undergraduate Funds Page . Yale supports summer undergraduate research through several other programs; the link to the “Grants and Fellowships Database” is on the website.

There are several settings you can enroll in for the writing of your essay, as described in the next sections. Common to all of them, however, is the need for a close working relationship with an adviser, be it the instructor of the senior seminar in which you write your essay or an adviser for your independent research. Of absolute importance is for you to make and appear at regular appointments, and to submit drafts of your ongoing work on time. This means that, at the outset, you need to make an agreement with your adviser about a schedule for meetings and preliminary drafts. You will find some suggestions about a schedule below. Do not wait for your adviser to bring up this matter or suggest a schedule. Having a set of deadlines can have an important effect on your time management and the ultimate quality of your essay.

If you are unsure about whom to recruit as an adviser and which seminar to take, use the Political Science website to get more information about our faculty and their interests . Although the ideal adviser is someone with whom you have taken courses and interacted in the past, many students have good experiences working with instructors with whom they have never worked before. Most importantly, you will want to select someone whose research and teaching interests overlap with your own. (It’s not that he/she has to have published on your topic, but you usually would not ask an international relations expert to advise you on an essay in, say, political philosophy.)

When thinking about the faculty adviser, keep in mind that the Department requires that this person be an instructor in Political Science. Such an instructor may, for example, be in the Sociology department, but teach a course that is cross-listed with Political Science. The objective behind this rule is to have students approach their topic as a Political Scientist would. Please feel free to turn to Yale instructors who have no connection to the Political Science Department for informal advice, but your formal adviser must be an instructor in the Department. If you have any questions about whether an instructor is qualified to advise you, please consult with the DUS.

When you are in the process of recruiting an adviser, give him or her the sense that you are hard-working, committed, and independent. Yale faculty are committed to research and enjoy guiding students through what is usually their first research experience. But keep in mind that Yale professors are also very busy people, with multiple responsibilities. Email is not the most effective way to initially contact a potential adviser; they receive dozens each day and yours may fall through the cracks. A better strategy is to visit the instructor during her or his office hours , describe your thoughts on the project, and explain why you hope to work with them. In advance of the meeting, review the information on the faculty member’s personal web page, so that you are familiar with their research and how their areas of expertise relate to your topic.

You should plan to meet with your adviser regularly over the course of the semester and we recommend that you meet at least once every three weeks. In many ways, the most crucial meetings will be the early ones, when she or he helps you to develop a topic and identify sources. Furthermore, many seniors incorporate primary materials into their essay, and/or analyze publically-available information in new and inventive ways. Your adviser can help you to develop an understanding of what the relevant primary materials might be for your chosen topic, and how to go about finding, assembling, and analyzing them. While your adviser can make suggestions on your research design and suggest relevant sources, it is your responsibility to conduct the research on your topic and gather the relevant literature. In addition, your adviser can provide written and oral commentary on your drafts and give you constructive criticism on your arguments and evidence. However, keep in mind that your adviser is not responsible for providing you with an answer to your research question; it is up to you to decide upon the argument you would like to make. Please know that the best senior essays at Yale make exceptionally creative arguments or depend on extensive and sometimes original data collection or field research.

We also recommend that you elect three deadlines to help pace your progress throughout the semester. The first should be for an essay proposal of 1-2 pages. Your proposal should identify a specific question, give a provisional answer to the question, and include a specific plan of research. The proposal deadline should fall around the third week of classes. The second and third deadlines should be for drafts of your essay. By “draft,” we mean a complete essay, including all elements (introduction, body, conclusion, full references, etc.). The first draft deadline should be approximately six weeks prior to the final essay deadline; the second should be around three weeks prior to the deadline.

If you are like most Yale students, your senior essay will be the longest paper you have written to date. It would be a big mistake to attempt to write it at the last minute. Remember that a bad process often results in a weak paper. The key to writing a strong senior essay is to start early, work steadily, and seek feedback well ahead of the final deadline. Start writing as soon as possible, even well before you really feel ready to do so. Often you will find that you are more ready than you suspect. Writing can also help you identify gaps in your research or argument. Also, it will be much easier for your adviser to give you useful feedback on an actual piece of writing than on an idea expressed verbally in a meeting.

This is the most common way that students write their essays. Ideally, you will write an essay in conjunction with a seminar on a topic about which you have done some prior coursework, and/or taught by an instructor with whom you have worked in the past. If you plan to write your senior essay in a seminar, review the course offerings for the full year and identify two or three potential seminars. Of course, the seminars being offered during the semester in which you plan to write the essay, and the availability of slots in these courses, may affect your choices and decisions. You may have good reasons to write your essay in one semester, but flexibility can also be an advantage. If the perfect course (for you) on African politics or the U.S. presidency is only offered in the fall, it may be worth it to change your plan and write your essay in the fall. If the ideal seminar isn’t being offered, we encourage you to broaden the list of seminars you would consider taking. Surely your interest can be sparked by a topic that is new to you at the beginning of the term and you can still write a satisfying one-term essay in this case.

Be sure to take advantage of the pre-registration process and apply for a slot in the seminars that interest you. Keep in mind that senior majors are accepted into seminars at higher rates than other students, especially when applying through pre-registration. Pre-registration is a great opportunity to make a case for yourself. In the form that the DUS provides to you, explain your background, previous coursework, and any relevant experiences you have had. You should also indicate that you would like to write your senior essay in his or her course. In other words, applying to a seminar is the first step in recruiting your adviser.

Once you have secured a slot in the seminar, be sure to meet with the instructor early, confirm his/her willingness to advise you on the essay, and have a full, substantive discussion about your topic and how to proceed. Again, office hours are a better setting for such discussions than classrooms crowded with students trying to get into that seminar. Please also have a discussion with your instructor early in the semester about his or her expectations for your senior essay and the course’s other assignments. Often, a term paper will be the final assignment in the seminar and your senior essay will be an extension of this paper. In fact, a senior essay differs from a term paper in that it is generally a bigger, more ambitious project. Whether you will produce a separate term paper as well as a senior essay is up to your instructor. In some seminars, the final project will not be a term paper; here again, it is up to your course instructor/essay adviser whether (if at all) your requirements in the course will be modified, in light of your work on the essay. What’s important is that you find out early in the term how the instructor wants to handle your course assignments.

Occasionally, students take a seminar with the intention of writing a senior essay and then, during the semester, change their minds. If you find yourself in this situation and would like to opt out, you should contact your instructor, the DUS, and the DUS Assistant.

Note: Seniors cannot take the course in which they write their senior essay Credit/D/Fail.

Some majors have a long-standing interest in a topic or a problem related to politics or public policy about which they want to write, but no seminar is offered that is related to their topic. Such students will frequently have worked with a faculty member in the past in a related course or project, and may have already taken the relevant seminars before their senior year. For these students, writing a senior essay in the context of the independent, one-term senior essay course (480a in the fall, 480b in the spring) is a good option. In order to pursue this option, they must recruit an adviser who is willing to work with them to develop a reading list and fulfill all of the other tasks involved in writing the essay. It is very important, if you want to fulfill your essay requirement this way, to approach a professor in the Department with your ideas and obtain her or his agreement to work with you before the term starts. For a fall essay, it would be best to do this in the spring of your junior year; for a spring essay, make arrangements during the fall of your senior year.

Please note that PLSC 480 counts as a course credit toward the total number of credits that a major is required to have. It does not, however, count as a seminar. Seniors writing their essays in this course also need to take a seminar during their senior year.

Whether you write your essay in a seminar or in PLSC 480, one-term senior essays should be double-spaced and at least 25 pages long using Times New Roman 12 and one-inch margins. This amounts to about 6,250 words, excluding long verbatim quotations, bibliography, tables and figures, or other appendices. You should include a title page with the title of your essay, your name, your adviser’s name, and the date. You must number the pages.

You are required to pay careful attention to footnoting or end-noting. You must have a bibliography or reference section. There is no single correct format for any of these, but you should choose a standard citation format and adhere consistently to it throughout.

You may want to consult your adviser to see if he or she has any specific requirements about the format. If you and your adviser agree that you may depart from the above requirements (other than length), you must indicate that in a note attached to the essay. If you and your adviser wish to reduce the minimum length, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies well in advance of submission for possible approval.

Some students elect to use the senior-essay requirement to take on a more extensive and substantial research project than could be carried out in a single semester. A small number of students write year-long senior essays. Many such students conduct related research during the summer between their junior and senior years. (This is by no means a requirement. See the section about sources of funding for summer research.) Year-long essays are expected to be substantially longer than a regular term paper. While there is no fixed length, the year-long senior essay is usually about 50-60 pages in length.

To write a year-long senior essay, students must apply during the spring term of their junior year. The application is usually due at the end of March. (Check the website for exact deadlines ). Students should submit to the DUS Office: (1) the yearlong senior essay prospectus form signed by the faculty adviser who has agreed to supervise the student’s essay, (2) a two-page statement of project, and (3) an up-to-date transcript. Normally a successful candidate will have at least an A- average in Political Science and a B+ average outside the major. It is expected that no more than fifteen students will be admitted.

Students who are admitted take two courses related to their essay. In the fall of their senior year, they take PLSC 490a, The Senior Colloquium, a course designed to hone their research skills. In this course, they develop a research prospectus for the senior essay, begin their research, and share their progress on a weekly basis with their instructor and their fellow classmates. (Note that 490a counts as a senior-year seminar.) In the spring, they take PLSC 491b, The Senior Essay, in which they work closely with their adviser to complete the essay. Please know that students receive a temporary grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory in 490a. Once they have completed the senior essay, they receive a letter grade, which applies retroactively to 490a and to 491b.

During their junior year, a small number of students are accepted into a version of the major called the Intensive Major. To be accepted into this major, students need to apply in November of their junior year. (Check the website for exact deadlines ). During the spring of their junior year, Intensive Majors take PLSC 474b, Directed Reading and Research for Junior Intensive Majors. In the fall term of their senior year, they take PLSC 490a, The Senior Colloquium, and in the spring term they take PLSC 493b, Senior Essay for Intensive Majors. By taking PLSC490a/493b, Intensive Majors pursue a year-long independent study in partnership with their adviser. The intensive senior essay is similar to the year-long senior essay in scope and length.

There is no single standard or set of standards for what constitutes an excellent senior essay. For specific guidance, rely on your adviser. For a political science essay, of course, you should situate your essay within the best and most important literature on the politics of the question being examined (including political science literature), engage with the relevant ideas and controversies (both public and academic), bring to light important relevant evidence (with due research diligence), and engage the reader with an original, distinct, and hopefully even distinguished argument.

Rarely does an excellent essay rely exclusively on articles, especially journalistic ones, found on the internet with a search engine. Read and rely on a few scholarly books too, as well as academic journal articles. A good way to get leads on what those might be is to trace the published sources identified in footnotes of interesting books or articles you have already found. Be sure to consult your adviser about the quantity and quality of sources you are using.

Needless to say, good writing is an essential element to a good essay—that is to say an essay that is clear, engaging, and otherwise “a good read.” Strive for a captivating introduction, and a satisfying conclusion. Write, re-write, and re-write again, until the argument develops and flows from paragraph to paragraph, from beginning to end. You should, by all means, seek advice from resources in the Yale University Center for Teaching and learning (CTL) writing labs .

If you use a source for your essay, you must acknowledge it. It hardly needs saying that evidence of plagiarism can result in a failing grade for your senior essay and a delay of graduation. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s work, words, or ideas as if they were your own. You must make clear in your written work where you have borrowed from others—whether data, opinions, questions, ideas, or specific language. This obligation holds whether the sources are published or unpublished. What counts as a source varies greatly, but the list certainly includes readings, lectures, Web sites, conversations, interviews, and other students’ papers. For more information see the  Center for Teaching and Learning’s ‘What is Plagarism?’ page .

Ethical concerns incorporated in university rules require prior approval from Yale’s Human Subjects Committee for research involving gathering information from human subjects (a living person about whom an investigator gets identifiable private information through either a direct interaction with the person or through access to private data sources) in interviews, participant observation, experimental, medical and other personal records and potentially other kinds of research. Material gathered through such research cannot be included in your senior essay unless you received prior approval. Be sure to discuss this matter early with your adviser, and both of you should consult the Yale Human Research Protection Program and review the Educational Resources available on their website.

Upon completion of your essay, you must deliver a hard copy to your adviser. We recommend that you have your thesis bound, but this is not required. (If you choose to bind it, we recommend TYCO Printing, DocuPrint & Imaging, or Staples.) At the very least, it should be stapled. You may want to ask your instructor what he or she prefers.

You also need to email an electronic copy, in Word or PDF, to the DUS Office (send to undergrad.polisci@yale.edu ). You must include the entire essay (all text, tables, bibliography, etc.) in one electronic file. Please name the electronic version of your essay as follows: Last name_First name.

Note: You must submit a hard copy to your adviser, but we ask that you do not deliver a copy to the DUS Office as well. Instead, please send an electronic copy only to undergrad.polisci@yale.edu .

Your Senior Essay Prospectus form is due during Shopping Period of the semester in which you plan to write the essay. This form will outline your plans for completing the essay and, like all Political Science forms, it is available on the Political Science website ( http://www.yale.edu/polisci/undergrad/forms.html ). Please submit a hard copy of this form to the DUS Assistant in Rosenkranz Hall, Room 130. Check the Political Science website to see the exact date it is due ( http://www.yale.edu/polisci/undergrad/deadlines.html ).

NEW: the independent essay courses (PLSC 480, 490, 491, 493) now carry red permission keys. Students who enroll in PLSC 480 will not be able to seal their schedules until they have submitted the Senior Essay Prospectus form by the Department’s deadline. Once the DUS has signed your form, you will receive a green permission key and will be allowed to seal your schedule. Students who enroll in PLSC 490, 491, and 493 will automatically receive a green key before schedules are due.

Mid-way through the semester, the DUS Assistant will ask you to submit your tentative essay title. Please respond promptly. The title should give a clear idea of what your research is about. We need working titles early on to help the staff assign appropriate second readers to your essays. You are free to modify the title before final submission.

Please check the Undergraduate Program Deadlines Page to learn the date the senior essay is due and know that it is due no later than 4:00 p.m. on that day. By 4:00 p.m., you must give a hard copy to your adviser. You must also send an electronic copy to the DUS Office ( undergrad.polisci@yale.edu ). (Please do not deliver a hard copy to the DUS Office.)

We understand that in rare cases, unexpected or extenuating circumstances interfere with a student’s plans to complete his or her essay on time. Please know that extensions can only be granted by your residential college dean. Instructors cannot grant an extension unless the residential college dean has authorized one. In the event that you receive an extension, please submit a Dean’s Excuse to your adviser and the DUS Office that explains why the essay is late.

A late essay, for which there is no authorized extension, is penalized one half letter grade (e.g., A to A-) for each three days the essay is late.

Your faculty adviser will serve as the first reader of your senior essay, and will assign it a letter grade. The DUS will also appoint an anonymous second reader, who will assign a grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. (The second reader’s grade does not average into your final grade.) In the rare case of a failing grade from the first reader or an Unsatisfactory grade from the second reader, you will be asked to revise the essay and resubmit it.

Note that in order to graduate from Yale College, a student majoring in Political Science must achieve a passing grade on the senior essay.

If the essay is written for PLSC 480, the grade on the essay is the grade for the course. Instructors will be asked to report that grade to the DUS Office who will submit the grades on the Faculty Grading Submission site (FGS). If the essay is written in a seminar, the adviser will report the essay grade to the DUS Office and will calculate the grade for the seminar based on the essay and the other course requirements. Seminar instructors will be asked to submit their course grades on FGS. Please consult your adviser (not the DUS Office) for your final essay grade.

Your essay grade helps determine whether you will receive distinction in the major. To graduate with distinction in Political Science (as in all majors), you must receive an A or A- on your senior essay (as well as course grades of A or A- in 75% of your Political Science courses).

Senior Essay Prizes

Faculty advisers (and second readers) may nominate senior essays, whether written in the fall or spring semester or as year-long projects, for the following prizes:

• James Gordon Bennett Prize for the best senior essay in International Relations.
• Philo S. Bennett Prize for the best senior essay in Political Philosophy.
• Charles W. Clark Prize for the best senior essay in Comparative Government or Politics.
• Frank M. Patterson Prize for the best senior essay on the American Political System.
• Percival N. Clement Prize for the best senior essay in support of the principles of the American Constitution and its first ten amendments.

At the end of the academic year, all of the majors and all faculty members will be notified of the recipients of these prizes. In addition, these essays will be posted on the Department’s website.  YOu can see previous years award winner and their essays on the Prizes Page .

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Essay on Politics: Topics, Tips, and Examples for Students

Defining What is Politics Essay

The process of decision-making that applies to members of a group or society is called politics. Arguably, political activities are the backbone of human society, and everything in our daily life is a form of it.

Understanding the essence of politics, reflecting on its internal elements, and critically analyzing them make society more politically aware and let them make more educated decisions. Constantly thinking and analyzing politics is critical for societal evolution.

Political thinkers often write academic papers that explore different political concepts, policies, and events. The essay about politics may examine a wide range of topics such as government systems, political ideologies, social justice, public policies, international relations, etc.

After selecting a specific research topic, a writer should conduct extensive research, gather relevant information, and prepare a logical and well-supported argument. The paper should be clear and organized, complying with academic language and standards. A writer should demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject, an ability to evaluate and remain non-biased to different viewpoints, and a capacity to draw conclusions.

Now that we are on the same page about the question 'what is politics essay' and understand its importance, let's take a deeper dive into how to build a compelling political essay, explore the most relevant political argumentative essay topics, and finally, examine the political essay examples written by the best essay writing service team.

Politics Essay Example for Students

If you are still unsure how to structure your essay or how to present your statement, don't worry. Our team of experts has prepared an excellent essay example for you. Feel free to explore and examine it. Use it to guide you through the writing process and help you understand what a successful essay looks like.

How to Write a Political Essay: Tips + Guide

A well-written essay is easy to read and digest. You probably remember reading papers full of big words and complex ideas that no one bothered to explain. We all agree that such essays are easily forgotten and not influential, even though they might contain a very important message.

If you are writing an essay on politics, acknowledge that you are on a critical mission to easily convey complicated concepts. Hence, what you are trying to say should be your main goal. Our guide on how to write a political essay will help you succeed.

Conduct Research for Your Politics Essay

After choosing a topic for the essay, take enough time for preparation. Even if you are familiar with the matter, conducting thorough research is wiser. Political issues are complex and multifaceted; comprehensive research will help you understand the topic better and offer a more nuanced analysis.

Research can help you identify different viewpoints and arguments around the topic, which can be beneficial for building more impartial and persuasive essays on politics. Sometimes in the hit of the moment, opposing sides are not able to see the common ground; your goal is to remain rational, speak to diverse audiences, and help them see the core of the problem and the ways to solve it.

In political papers, accuracy and credibility are vital. Researching the topic deeply will help you avoid factual errors or misrepresentations from any standpoint. It will allow you to gather reliable sources of information and create a trustworthy foundation for the entire paper.

If you want to stand out from the other students, get inspired by the list of hottest essay ideas and check out our political essay examples.

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Brainstorm Political Essay Topics

The next step to writing a compelling politics essay is to polish your thoughts and find the right angle to the chosen topic.

Before you start writing, generate fresh ideas and organize your thoughts. There are different techniques to systematize the mess going on in your head, such as freewriting, mind mapping, or even as simple as listing ideas. This will open the doors to new angles and approaches to the topic.

When writing an essay about politics, ensure the topic is not too general. It's always better to narrow it down. It will simplify your job and help the audience better understand the core of the problem. Brainstorming can help you identify key points and arguments, which you can use to find a specific angle on the topic.

Brainstorming can also help you detect informational gaps that must be covered before the writing process. Ultimately, the brainstorming phase can bring a lot more clarity and structure to your essay.

We know how exhausting it is to come up with comparative politics essay topics. Let our research paper writing service team do all the hard work for you.

Create Your Politics Essay Thesis Statement

Thesis statements, in general, serve as a starting point of the roadmap for the reader. A political essay thesis statement outlines the main ideas and arguments presented in the body paragraphs and creates a general sense of the content of the paper.

Creating a thesis statement for essays about politics in the initial stages of writing can help you stay focused and on track throughout the working process. You can use it as an aim and constantly check your arguments and evidence against it. The question is whether they are relevant and supportive of the statement.

Get creative when creating a statement. This is the first sentence readers will see, and it should be compelling and clear.

The following is a great example of a clear and persuasive thesis statement:

 'The lack of transparency and accountability has made the World Trade Organization one of the most controversial economic entities. Despite the influence, its effectiveness in promoting free trade and economic growth in developing countries has decreased.'

Provide Facts in Your Essay about Politic

It's a no-brainer that everything you will write in your essay should be supported by strong evidence. The credibility of your argument will be questioned every step of the way, especially when you are writing about sensitive subjects such as essays on government influence on economic troubles. 

Provide facts and use them as supporting evidence in your politics essay. They will help you establish credibility and accuracy and take your paper out of the realm of speculation and mere opinions.

Facts will make your essay on political parties more persuasive, unbiased, and targeted to larger audiences. Remember, the goal is to bring the light to the core of the issue and find a solution, not to bring people even farther apart.

Speaking of facts, many students claim that when they say ' write my essay for me ' out loud, our writing team is the fastest to respond and deliver high-quality essays meeting their trickiest requirements.

Structure Your Political Essay

Your main goal is to communicate your ideas to many people. To succeed, you need to write an essay that is easy to read and understand. Creating a structure will help you present your ideas logically and lead the readers in the right direction.

Sometimes when writing about political essay topics, we get carried away. These issues can be very emotional and sensitive, and writers are not protected from becoming victims of their own writings. Having a structure will keep you on track, only focusing on providing supported arguments and relevant information.

Start with introducing the thesis statement and provide background information. Followed by the body paragraphs and discuss all the relevant facts and standpoints. Finish it up with a comprehensive conclusion, and state the main points of your essay once again.

The structure will also save you time. In the beginning, creating an outline for essays on politics will give you a general idea of what should be written, and you can track your progress against it.

Revise and Proofread Your Final Politics Essay

Once every opinion is on the paper and every argument is well-constructed, one final step should be taken. Revision!

We know nothing is better than finishing the homework and quickly submitting it, but we aim for an A+. Our political essay must be reviewed. You need to check if there is any error such as grammatical, spelling, or contextual.

Take some time off, relax, and start proofreading after a few minutes or hours. Having a fresh mind will help you review not only grammar but also the arguments. Check if something is missing from your essays about politics, and if you find gaps, provide additional information.

You had to spend a lot of time on them, don't give up now. Make sure they are in perfect condition.

Effective Political Essay Topics

We would be happy if our guide on how to write political essays helped you, but we are not stopping there. Below you will find a list of advanced and relevant political essay topics. Whether you are interested in global political topics or political science essay topics, we got you covered.

Once you select a topic, don't forget to check out our politics essay example! It will bring even more clarity, and you will be all ready to start writing your own paper.

Political Argumentative Essay Topics

Now that we know how to write a political analysis essay let's explore political argumentative essay topics:

• Should a political party take a stance on food politics and support policies promoting sustainable food systems?
• Should we label Winston Churchill as the most influential political figure of World War II?
• Does the focus on GDP growth in the political economy hinder the human development index?
• Is foreign influence a threat to national security?
• Is foreign aid the best practice for political campaigning?
• Does the electoral college work for an ideal political system?
• Are social movements making a real difference, or are they politically active for temporary change?
• Can global politics effectively address political conflicts in the modern world?
• Are opposing political parties playing positive roles in US international relations?
• To what extent should political influence be allowed in addressing economic concerns?
• Can representative democracy prevent civil wars in ethnically diverse countries?
• Should nuclear weapons be abolished for the sake of global relations?
• Is economic development more important than ethical issues for Caribbean politics?
• What role should neighboring nations play in preventing human rights abuse in totalitarian regimes?
• Should political decisions guide the resolution of conflicts in the South China Sea?

Political Socialization Essay Topics

Knowing how to write a political issue essay is one thing, but have you explored our list of political socialization essay topics?

• To what extent does a political party or an influential political figure shape the beliefs of young people?
• Does political influence shape attitudes toward environmental politics?
• How can individuals use their own learning process to navigate political conflicts in a polarized society?
• How do political strategies shape cultural globalization?
• Is gender bias used as a political instrument in political socialization?
• How can paying attention to rural communities improve political engagement?
• What is the role of Amnesty International in preventing the death penalty?
• What is the role of politically involved citizens in shaping minimum wage policies?
• How does a political party shape attitudes toward global warming?
• How does the federal system influence urban planning and attitudes toward urban development?
• What is the role of public opinion in shaping foreign policy, and how does it affect political decision making
• Did other countries' experiences affect policies on restricting immigration in the US?
• How can note-taking skills and practice tests improve political engagement? 
• How do the cultural values of an independent country shape the attitudes toward national security?
• Does public opinion influence international intervention in helping countries reconcile after conflicts?

Political Science Essay Topics

If you are searching for political science essay topics, check our list below and write the most compelling essay about politic:

• Is environmental education a powerful political instrument? 
• Can anarchist societies provide a viable alternative to traditional forms of governance?
• Pros and cons of deterrence theory in contemporary international relations
• Comparing the impact of the French Revolution and World War II on the political landscape of Europe
• The role of the ruling political party in shaping national policies on nuclear weapons
• Exploring the roots of where politics originate
• The impact of civil wars on the processes of democratization of the third-world countries
• The role of international organizations in promoting global health
• Does using the death penalty in the justice system affect international relations?
• Assessing the role of the World Trade Organization in shaping global trade policies
• The political and environmental implications of conventional agriculture
• The impact of the international court on political decision making
• Is philosophical anarchism relevant to contemporary political discourse?
• The emergence of global citizenship and its relationship with social movements
• The impact of other countries on international relations between the US and China

Final Words

See? Writing an essay about politic seems like a super challenging job, but in reality, all it takes is excellent guidance, a well-structured outline, and an eye for credible information.

If you are stressed out from juggling a hundred different course assignments and have no time to focus on your thesis, our dissertation writing services could relieve you! Our team of experts is ready to take over even the trickiest tasks on the tightest schedule. You just have to wish - ' write my essay ' out loud, and we will be on it!

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Political Science Subject Guide: Literature Reviews

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More Literature Review Writing Tips

• Thesis Whisperer- Bedraggled Daisy Lay advice on writing theses and dissertations. This article demonstrates in more detail one aspect of our discussion

Books on the Literature Review

What is a literature review?

"A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. [...] In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. As a piece of writing, the literature review must be defined by a guiding concept (e.g., your research objective, the problem or issue you are discussing, or your argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the material available, or a set of summaries."

(from "The Literature Review: A Few Tips on Writing It," http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/literature-review )

Strategies for conducting your own literature review

1. Use this guide as a starting point. Begin your search with the resources linked from the political science subject guide. These library catalogs and databases will help you identify what's been published on your topic.

2. What came first? Try bibliographic tracing. As you're finding sources, pay attention to what and whom these authors cite. Their footnotes and bibliographies will point you in the direction of additional scholarship on your topic.

3. What comes next? Look for reviews and citation reports. What did scholars think about that book when it was published in 2003? Has anyone cited that article since 1971? Reviews and citation analysis tools can help you determine if you've found the seminal works on your topic--so that you can be confident that you haven't missed anything important, and that you've kept up with the debates in your field. You'll find book reviews in JSTOR and other databases. Google Scholar has some citation metrics; you can use Web of Science ( Social Sciences Citation Index ) for more robust citation reports.

4. Stay current. Get familiar with the top journals in your field, and set up alerts for new articles. If you don't know where to begin, APSA and other scholarly associations often maintain lists of journals, broken out by subfield . In many databases (and in Google Scholar), you can also set up search alerts, which will notify you when additional items have been added that meet your search criteria.

5. Stay organized. A citation management tool--e.g., RefWorks, Endnote, Zotero, Mendeley--will help you store your citations, generate a bibliography, and cite your sources while you write. Some of these tools are also useful for file storage, if you'd like to keep PDFs of the articles you've found. To get started with citation management tools, check out this guide . 

How to find existing literature reviews

1. Consult Annual Reviews.  The Annual Review of Political Science consists of thorough literature review essays in all areas of political science, written by noted scholars. The library also subscribes to Annual Reviews in economics, law and social science, sociology, and many other disciplines.

2. Turn to handbooks, bibliographies, and other reference sources. Resources like Oxford Bibliographies Online and assorted handbooks ( Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics , Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior , etc.) are great ways to get a substantive introduction to a topic, subject area, debate, or issue. Not exactly literature reviews, but they do provide significant reference to and commentary on the relevant literature--like a heavily footnoted encyclopedia for specialists in a discipline. 

3. Search databases and Google Scholar.   Use the recommended databases in the "Articles & Databases" tab of this guide and try a search that includes the phrase "literature review."

4. Search in journals for literature review articles.  Once you've identified the important journals in your field as suggested in the section above, you can target these journals and search for review articles. 

5. Find book reviews.  These reviews can often contain useful contextual information about the concerns and debates of a field. Worldwide Political Science Abstracts is a good source for book reviews, as is JSTOR . To get to book reviews in JSTOR, select the advanced search option, use the title of the book as your search phrase, and narrow by item type: reviews. You can also narrow your search further by discipline.

6. Cast a wide net--don't forget dissertations.  Dissertations and theses often include literature review sections. While these aren't necessarily authoritative, definitive literature reviews (you'll want to check in Annual Reviews for those), they can provide helpful suggestions for sources to consider.

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Category: political science essay examples.

See our collection of political science essay examples. These example essays are to help you understanding how to write a political science essay . Political science is not merely an academic discipline, and political scientists do not just study the anatomy of politics. Political science is renewed with every political administration and with every major political event and with every political leader. Influential political leaders construct their own -isms (Fidelism/Castroism, Maoism, Gandhism, Reaganism, and so on) so that the political philosophies and ideologies that undergird the discipline have to be reinvented constantly. Also, see our list of political science essay topics to find the one that interests you.

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You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

In politics, sociological cleavages influence the choice of voters and are defined as perspectives emphasizing decisions made by voters during the voting process. This decision triggered by factors such as membership of individuals to certain groups. This is so because members of the said group are interested and concerned about issues relating to their group. Therefore, these members present similar choices during voting. For instance, members of the same social class, ethnic and religious group vote for the same person due to their shared interests and analogous affiliations. Additionally, this perspective has helped in explaining New Deal Coalition patterns of voting. Sociological cleavages for instance include royal families voting for their relative in order to pass the throne to their lineage. In this case, an example relates to Bush’s family. Most of those who voted for Bush belonged to the same social class as him and strived to make him stay in office. This is because they are inclined to the same social group and hence, share the same thoughts, feelings and imagination.

Nevertheless, not all people are influenced by the voter’s decision when it comes to voting patterns. These individuals follow the retrospective voting pattern, where they link their decision to the performance levels of both the past and present of their candidates. The decision made depends on penalties or rewards awarded to candidates’ level of performance. This model mostly applied by the middle and lower caste members of the society. Before making their decision, they reflect back at the benefits accorded to them by the said candidate. This model is suitable because it gives leaders a chance to explain and elaborate further on ways and means used during their sovereignty in office, if chosen. Leaders will be given an assignment of exploring pragmatic and unrealistic options to present to the public on why they should choose him or her over the other individual. Retrospective patterns of voting give candidates the opportunity of interacting with the public and learning more on their problems.

Many Western countries employ social cleavages in their voting patterns because they stabilize voting behavior and thus, reduce volatility during the election process. Social cleavages emphasize social structure impacts on voting behaviors by looking at the influence on membership of social groups to vote choice. In today’s society, voters are instrumental because they choose parties that best reflect their interest groups.

When voting, voters use cleavages by reflecting on social differentiation, which looks at material or symbolic, political policies for different groups in society. They also need to appoint a government that transmits conditions from one generation to another. Lastly, they employ physical and social conditions emphasizing proximity for long-term contact for generations to succeed. Political scientists argue that social paradigms not only affect group identities behavior of voting, but social cleavages structure also determines the number of parties in a political state. In short, in response to social cleavage interests, political parties build their theories. In addition, this sociological approach influences attitudes and interests of identity group, which affects voting behaviors of people.

Retrospective patterns also contribute significantly to 2012 elections because they have positive impacts. Voters will choose leaders who positively impact their lives and pass a bill that affects them directly and positively. Leaders making rush decisions during their term will not be voted for again because they risked people’s lives at some point. For example, Obama’s decision to go into war with Iraq posed as a threat to many Americans and other developing countries and thus, many voters are not convinced of his leadership styles and techniques employed. Voters need leaders who bear in mind their well being and accommodate them in all their decisions and plans. True leaders interact with people in order to gain an insight on problems and challenges faced by people of different states in the country. Americans will choose a leader who will pass bills that improves their living standards and looks into their problems.

In conclusion, retrospective voting patterns and social cleavages are approaches inclined to current patterns and behaviors of voting. People emphasize on social groups reigning in order to keep the generation going and benefit from it with the rise of globalization aspects. Social cleavages are factors contributing substantially to voting behaviors displayed by voters. Retrospective patterns are a challenge to leaders because people want to see results and actions implemented. Voting behaviors should accommodate people’s views, opinions and living standards because it spills down to development and productivity in a country.

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Political Science - Essay Samples And Topic Ideas For Free

Political Science studies systems of governance and the analysis of political activity and political entities. Essays could delve into political theories, compare different systems of governance, or discuss contemporary political issues and how they reflect broader political principles. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Political Science you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Political Problem

The rapid development of the modern world in regards to political growth and independence has resulted in political problems and particular political terrorism and state-sponsored violence. Nations together with their governments are faced with security problems caused by the nuclear proliferation leading to misuse of this materials through wars and violence and terrorism. State-sponsored terrorism occurs when government regime forces or oppresses the minority group. Terrorism is the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror to […]

Role of Newspapers for Society Today

Newspapers have an important place in the world today. The presence of newspapers is must on the breakfast table. They are the mirrors of the world. The press is referred to as the fourth pillar of democracy. Newspapers are the mightiest of the mighty. They are the custodian of truth and human rights. They serve the mouthpiece of the public. They are the link between the people and their government. We are living in an age of space ships and […]

Social Movements – Research

In this research paper, we look at the wonders of social developments, starting with a short discussion of the historical significance of the subject in sociology. We plot the interactions within developments, among movements, and with the environment outside of the developments, including both the government and whatever is left of society. Now offering a working meaning of ""social development"" distinguishing key issues in understanding the beginnings, improvement, and extreme effects of social developments. The study of different types of […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

The Role of Political Parties

The political system is an assembly that consists of organizations and activities that involve the government, politics and the public policy. There are many components involved in a political system. When political issues develop citizens don’t always agree on the course of action that needs to be taken. As a result of the disagreement political parties were formed. Political parties provide an important function known as a linkage institution. Linkage institutions are responsible for providing candidates for citizens to vote […]

Corruption in Political System

469 Illinois politicians convicted for corruption in a span of 9 years between 1995 and 2004 (Corruption in American Politics). It sounds like something out of a movie but it is the reality of the corruption struck state of Illinois. Most people are only aware of the most recently convicted Illinois Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached, convicted, and removed from office in 2009 for 17 corruption charges, one of which was the solicitation of Barack Obama’s senate seat […]

Is Donald Trump a Good President?

You express the truth of your character with the choice of your actions. On November 8, 2016, Donald J. Trump became the 45th president of the United States of America. From the beginning of his campaign, Trump demonstrated a clear conservative and Pro-American stance. While making an attempt to speak to the American people, he subsequently created a narrative of privilege, discrimination and irresponsibility. Donald Trump's actions are that of an immoral and inadequate president. One of the main issues […]

Distorted Equality in “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

The governments of the USA and other most developed countries of Europe take various measures to protect democracy and cultivate democratic principles, ideas and values among their citizens. These measures include ensuring equality and justice for all the people and creating equal opportunities for the favorable and comprehensive personal and professional development of humans and economic, political, and social prosperity and welfare of the whole society. However, sometimes numerous members of different parties and political elites of different countries declare […]

Immigration Reform

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How to Write an Essay About Political Science

Understanding political science.

Before you start writing an essay about political science, it's essential to understand the breadth and depth of this field. Political science is the study of politics, government systems, political behavior, and political thought. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including the analysis of political systems, the study of political activities, political thoughts, and political entities. Your essay should begin with a clear explanation of what political science entails, its significance in understanding the functioning of societies, and the various subfields such as comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public administration.

Developing a Thesis Statement

A strong essay in political science should be centered around a clear, concise thesis statement. This statement should present a specific viewpoint or argument related to political science. For instance, you might explore the impact of electoral systems on democratic outcomes, analyze the role of international organizations in global politics, or assess the effectiveness of a particular public policy. Your thesis will guide the direction of your essay, providing a structured approach to the subject matter.

Gathering Supporting Evidence

To support your thesis, it is crucial to gather evidence from credible sources. These sources can include academic journals, books, reputable news outlets, and case studies. For example, if your essay is about the impact of social media on political mobilization, you might include data from recent studies, examples of political movements influenced by social media, or historical precedents. This evidence will bolster your argument and provide a solid foundation for your analysis.

Analyzing Political Concepts and Theories

Your essay should include a detailed analysis of relevant political concepts and theories. Discuss how these theories apply to the topic at hand and use them to interpret your evidence. For instance, if writing about international relations, you might apply theories like realism or liberalism to current global events. This analysis not only demonstrates your understanding of political science theory but also shows your ability to apply these theories in practical scenarios.

Concluding the Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points of your analysis and restating your thesis in light of the evidence and discussion presented. Your conclusion should provide a clear and concise wrap-up of your findings and underscore the importance of your topic within the field of political science. You may also wish to suggest areas for further research or implications of your findings for political practice or policy.

Reviewing and Refining Your Essay

After completing your essay, review and refine it for clarity and coherence. Ensure that your arguments are well-structured and supported by evidence. Check for grammatical accuracy and ensure that your essay flows logically from one point to the next. Consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors with expertise in political science to further improve your essay. A well-written essay on political science will demonstrate your grasp of the topic and your ability to critically engage with complex political issues.

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Political Science Essay Topics

Get Inspired by 200 Political Science Essay Topic Ideas

15 min read

Published on: May 8, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Political science is a fascinating and ever-evolving field that seeks to understand the complex workings of politics. As a student of political science, writing essays on political science topics can be an excellent way to deepen your knowledge.

But finding an excellent topic for your essay is often the most difficult part. Don’t worry if you’re stuck at choosing a topic - delve into our list of topics to find inspiration!

In this blog, we've compiled a list of almost 200 political science essay topics. This list covers a wide range of topics and subfields within political science. These thought-provoking essay topics will inspire you to explore new ideas and develop a deeper understanding of the subject. 

So let’s delve into it!

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Public Policy and Administration Essay Topics

• The role of public policy in promoting sustainable development.
• An analysis of the impact of social media on public policy decision-making.
• The challenges of implementing public policy in diverse cultural contexts.
• A comparative study of public healthcare policies in different countries.
• The role of public-private partnerships in promoting economic development.
• An evaluation of the effectiveness of public policy in addressing climate change.
• The impact of globalization on public policy and administration.
• The challenges of balancing individual rights and public safety in policy-making.
• An analysis of the role of bureaucracy in public policy administration.
• The ethical challenges facing public policy decision-makers and administrators.

Political Theory and Political Philosophy Essay Topics

• The concept of justice in political philosophy
• The views on power in political philosophy
• The relationship between democracy and capitalism in political theory.
• The role of civil disobedience in democratic societies: a philosophical perspective.
• The relationship between individual freedom and social responsibility in political theory.
• The role of the state in ensuring social justice in modern democracies.
• A critical analysis of the concept of sovereignty.
• The relationship between ethics and politics in the work of Aristotle.
• A comparative study of the political thought of Plato and Machiavelli.
• Feminist political theory and its role in promoting gender equality in democratic societies.

Comparative Politics Essay Topics 

• What are the different electoral systems used in democratic countries?
• The role of political parties in democratic governance: a comparative analysis.
• The impact of religion on politics in different countries: a comparative study.
• The challenges of democratic consolidation in transitional societies: a comparative perspective.
• A comparative analysis of the welfare state in different countries.
• The role of civil society in democratic governance: a comparative study.
• A comparative study of the political systems of federal and unitary states.
• The impact of historical legacies on contemporary political systems: a comparative analysis.
• A comparative analysis of the parliamentary and presidential systems of government.
• The impact of globalization on political systems: a comparative study.

Political Economy Essay Topics

• The impact of globalization on economic inequality: a critical analysis.
• The role of the state in economic development: a comparative study.
• A comparative study of capitalist and socialist economic systems.
• The relationship between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
• The impact of technological innovation on economic development.
• The role of multinational corporations in shaping global economic governance.
• A comparative study of the economic policies of different political regimes.
• The impact of financialization on the global economy.
• The relationship between trade liberalization and economic growth: a critical analysis.
• The role of international organizations in shaping global economic governance.

American Politics and Government Essay Topics

• The impact of political polarization on American democracy.
• Government influence in the economics of the US.
• Culture wars as the most important political issue in contemporary United States
• The challenges of federalism in a diverse and complex society.
• A critical analysis of the role of interest groups in American politics.
• The impact of media on American politics and public opinion.
• A comparative study of the voting systems used in different American states.
• The role of the Electoral College in American presidential elections.
• The impact of money on American politics: a case study of a recent election.
• A critical analysis of the role of the Constitution in shaping American politics and society.

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International Relations and Diplomacy Essay Topics

• The impact of globalization on international relations.
• A comparative study of the foreign policies of major powers.
• The role of diplomacy in conflict resolution: a case study of a recent conflict.
• The impact of economic interdependence on international relations.
• The role of international law and diplomacy in global governance.
• The role of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security.
• The role of soft power in shaping international relations
• The impact of nationalism on international relations. 
• The relationship between technology and diplomacy in the 21st century.
• The threat of nuclear weapons and nuclear war

Essay Topics About Regional Politics

• How has the European Union navigated the challenges posed by Brexit and the rise of right-wing populism?
• What role does the African Union play in promoting regional integration and economic development on the continent?
• How successful has ECOWAS been in promoting peace and security in West Africa?
• What challenges does ASEAN face in promoting economic integration and regional cooperation in Southeast Asia?
• How has SAARC contributed to regional stability and economic development in South Asia?
• What impact has the BRICS group had on global economic governance and geopolitics?
• What are the implications of China's increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific region for regional stability and security?
• How have the member states of Caricom worked together to promote economic integration and development in the Caribbean?
• The evolution of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its role in the Middle East?
• How have regional organizations and powers responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, and what lessons can be learned from their experiences?

Political Science Education and Career Essay Topics

• The benefits of studying political science for a career in public service.
• The job prospects for political science graduates.
• The impact of technology on the future of political science careers.
• A comparative analysis of political science programs offered by different universities.
• The role of internships in preparing political science students for a career in public service.
• Diversity and inclusion in political science education and careers.
• The salaries and benefits of political science professionals.
• The role of professional associations in supporting political science education and careers.
• The skills required for a successful career in political science.
• The impact of globalization on political science education and careers.

Essay Topics About Political Parties and Elections 

• The impact of financial influence in politics on democratic elections.
• The role of political parties in shaping democratic elections.
• The impact of social media on political campaigns and elections.
• A critical analysis of voter suppression in recent elections.
• The role of interest groups in shaping election outcomes.
• A comparative study of primary election systems used in different states.
• The impact of political advertising on voter behavior.
• A critical analysis of the role of political action committees in shaping election outcomes.
• The impact of gerrymandering on democratic representation.
• The role of charismatic leadership in elections

Essay Topics About Political Ideologies

• An analysis of the major political ideologies: liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and fascism.
• The role of ideology in shaping public policy.
• A critical analysis of the relationship between democracy and different political ideologies.
• The impact of globalization on the spread of political ideologies.
• A comparative analysis of feminist and gender-based political ideologies.
• The role of religion in shaping political ideologies.
• A critical analysis of the intersection of race and political ideologies.
• A study of the political ideologies behind different social movements.
• The role of political ideologies in shaping political parties and elections.
• The impact of political ideologies on political violence and terrorism.

Essay Topics About Human Rights and Justice

• A critical analysis of the role of international law in promoting human rights and justice.
• The impact of globalization on human rights and justice.
• A comparative study of the human rights and justice systems in different countries.
• The role of the United Nations in promoting human rights and justice.
• A critical analysis of the intersection of human rights and social justice movements.
• The impact of human rights abuses on democratic governance.
• The role of civil society organizations in promoting human rights and justice.
• A comparative study of restorative and retributive justice systems.
• The impact of technology on the promotion and protection of human rights.
• The role of the media in promoting human rights and justice.

Essay Topics About Gender and Politics

• Representation of women in politics in different countries.
• The impact of gender on voting behavior and political participation.
• A critical analysis of the intersection of race and gender in politics.
• The role of gender in shaping public policy.
• A comparative analysis of the political representation of women in different regions.
• The impact of social media on the gendered nature of political discourse.
• A critical analysis of the gendered dimensions of political violence and conflict.
• The role of gender in shaping political leadership styles.
• A comparative study of the impact of gender quotas on political representation.
• The role of feminist movements in shaping political agendas.

Essay Topics About Environmental Politics

• The impact of climate change on global politics.
• The role of international organizations in shaping environmental policies.
• A comparative study of the environmental policies of different countries.
• The impact of environmental policies on economic development.
• The relationship between environmental justice and social justice.
• The role of civil society organizations in shaping environmental policies.
• Market-based vs command-and-control environmental policies.
• The impact of the media on shaping public opinion on environmental issues.
• A critical analysis of the relationship between environmental politics and global governance.
• The role of science in shaping environmental policies.

Essay Topics About Media and Politics 

• The role of media in shaping political discourse.
• The impact of social media on political communication and participation.
• A comparative analysis of media systems and their impact on political outcomes.
• The role of media in shaping public opinion and electoral outcomes.
• An analysis of the relationship between media ownership and political bias.
• The impact of fake news and disinformation on political processes and outcomes.
• A comparative study of media regulation in different countries.
• The role of investigative journalism in holding political leaders accountable.
• The impact of media consolidation on political diversity and representation.
• The relationship between media and democracy.

Essay Topics About Political Culture and Identity

• The relationship of political culture on democratic governance.
• The role of cultural identities in shaping political behavior.
• The impact of cultural diversity on political processes and outcomes.
• A critical analysis of the role of nationalism in shaping political identities.
• The impact of populism on political culture and identity.
• The role of gender and sexuality in shaping political identities.
• A critical analysis of the relationship between religion and politics.
• The impact of migration on cultural identities and political participation.
• The role of art and culture in shaping political identity and activism.
• The relationship between language and political identity.

Essay Topics About Political Geography and Geopolitics

• A study of the impact of geography on political boundaries and territorial disputes.
• A comparative analysis of political systems in different regions of the world.
• The impact of natural resources on geopolitical relations and conflicts.
• A critical analysis of the role of global institutions in shaping geopolitical outcomes.
• The impact of infrastructure development on geopolitical relations.
• A comparative study of the influence of colonialism on modern political geography.
• The role of geography in shaping economic development policies.
• The impact of migration on political geography and geopolitics.
• The impact of climate change on political geography and geopolitics.
• The role of technological innovation in shaping political geography and geopolitics.

Essay About Political Leadership and Decision-making

• A critical analysis of the qualities and characteristics of effective political leaders.
• The impact of leadership styles on decision-making in politics.
• A comparative analysis of leadership styles and their impact on political outcomes.
• The role of emotions and intuition in political decision-making.
• The relationship between power and leadership in politics.
• The impact of charismatic leadership on political influence.
• The decision-making process in crisis situations in politics.
• The role of communication skills in effective political leadership and decision-making.
• A comparative analysis of the decision-making process in democratic and authoritarian systems.
• The rise of global populist leadership.

Essay Topics About War and Peace

• The causes and consequences of war in the modern era.
• The effectiveness of different conflict resolution mechanisms.
• The role of international law in regulating armed conflicts and promoting peace.
• The role of peacekeeping operations in managing conflicts.
• The impact of new technologies on the dynamics of modern warfare.
• A comparative study of different approaches to peacebuilding and their effectiveness.
• The role of diplomacy in preventing and resolving conflicts.
• A study of the relationship between economic interdependence and peace.
• The role of media in shaping public perceptions of war and peace.
• The impact of environmental factors on the risk of conflict and the prospects for peace.

Political Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the United Nations have the authority to intervene in sovereign nations to prevent human rights abuses?
• Is democracy the best form of government, or are there other viable alternatives?
• Should the government have the right to regulate free speech in order to protect against hate speech and incitement to violence?
• To what extent should the government be involved in regulating the economy?
• Should the electoral college be abolished in favor of a popular vote for presidential elections?
• Is democracy the ideal political system for every country in the world?
• Should political candidates be required to release their tax returns in order to run for office?
• Is political correctness a threat to free speech and academic freedom?
• Should the government be responsible for ensuring access to affordable healthcare for all citizens?
• Should the right to bear arms be protected, or should gun ownership be more strictly regulated for public safety?

Political Science Persuasive Essay Topics

• The government should provide universal healthcare to all citizens.
• Elected officials should be required to disclose their financial interests and conflicts of interest.
• Renewable energy sources should be prioritized over fossil fuels to combat climate change.
• The electoral college should be abolished in favor of a popular vote for presidential elections.
• Voter ID laws should be eliminated to ensure fair and equal access to the ballot box.
• The United States should increase its investment in education and reduce its military spending.
• The minimum wage should be raised to a living wage in order to combat poverty.
• The United States should adopt a policy of open borders and allow for more immigration.
• The government should regulate social media platforms to combat the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
• The United States should take a more active role in combating human rights abuses and promoting democracy around the world.

How to Choose a Political Science Topic for Your Essay

Now that you have read some good political science essay topic ideas, you must be wondering which one to choose. This is because with so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the right topic.

Here are some tips to help you choose a topic:

• Choose a Topic that Interests you: 

It is essential to choose a topic that you are passionate about. This will make the research and writing process more enjoyable and engaging. 

• Do Your Research: 

Conduct preliminary research on each of your potential topics to see if there is enough literature and data available. You can use academic databases, books, and reputable websites to gather information.

• Consider your Audience: 

Think about your audience and what they might find interesting and relevant. Choose a topic that is not only relevant to your course but also to the broader political context.

• Narrow Down your Focus: 

Once you have a list of potential topics, narrow them down to a few that are more specific and manageable. You can do this by asking yourself questions such as, "What is the purpose of my essay?" and "What is my main argument?"

• Keep it Relevant: 

Choose a topic that is current and relevant to the present political landscape or the course you are studying. This will help keep your essay engaging and informative.

• Consult with your Instructor: 

Finally, if you are unsure about your topic or have questions about the assignment, don't hesitate to consult with your instructor. They can offer valuable insights and advice on how to approach your topic and structure your essay.

To Wrap it Up,

Political science is a fascinating field that offers a lot of topics for students to study. It's important to choose a topic that is both interesting to you and relevant to the course material. 

With the list of 200 essay topics provided above, you can get an inspiration for your own essay. Moreover, by following the tips for choosing a topic, you can narrow down your options to find a manageable and engaging topic.

Struggling with your political science essay? Our expert essay helpers are here to assist you every step of the way. Trust our political science essay writing service to deliver top-notch papers tailored to your needs.

And for an even smoother writing experience, don't forget to explore our AI essay writer tool .

Cordon J. (Education)

Cordon. is a published author and writing specialist. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years, providing writing services and digital content. His own writing career began with a focus on literature and linguistics, which he continues to pursue. Cordon is an engaging and professional individual, always looking to help others achieve their goals.

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This course was dedicated to exploring the questions of what politics is and why it’s important. You began to work through these questions by studying a list reflecting some of the more extraordinary political events of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. You also reflected on the more ordinary side of politics and explored the implications of politics for our day-to-day lives.

In Section 2 of the course you were introduced to various definitions of politics and to the idea that politics is an essentially contested concept.

Finally, you listened to audio interviews with four differently positioned individuals to get their perspectives on what politics is and why it is important, and on what they considered to be the most significant political events of the twenty-first century.

During this course, you were introduced to a lot of different interpretations of politics and a variety of views on its importance.

• Has your understanding of politics and its importance changed since you started this course?
• Would you answer the question of what politics is and why it is important differently now than you did when you began your study?

This is the answer you gave at the beginning of this week:

How would you answer this same question now?