Welcome!
The ISU Political Science Department is part of the University's College of Arts and Sciences. The total number of students majoring within the department averages approximately 100, that total usually being rather evenly divided between Political Science majors and Legal Studies majors. Although a mid- sized unit within the University in terms of its total number of majors, the Political Science Department has in recent years had one of the largest contingents of students in the University Honors Program.
What is Political Science?
Political science is the systematic study of politics, including the processes, institutions, and values that govern societies, the material distribution of wealth and resources, the interactions between and among states, and the timeless questions about what “ought to be.” Politics, according to one famous definition, is about “who gets what, when, and how.” Broadly defined, politics is an inescapable part of any human society, and the study of politics is an essential component of any liberal arts education.
As citizens in a democratic society, students should have a thorough understanding of the processes, institutions, and issues that confront democratic choice, or democracy is itself in peril. As citizens of an increasingly interdependent global community, students should understand international relations between states and non-state actors, as well as the causes and consequences of political development and change within diverse political communities. Because courses in political science offer this type of instruction, they are invaluable to students regardless of major or career objective.
