Political science is a highly diverse field united around a core interest. Political scientists study power, and especially power used for public purposes: how it is created, organized, distributed, justified, used, resisted, and sometimes destroyed. They study power both normatively and empirically. They study it in different settings: within states, among states, and in spaces that states do not (or no longer) control. They consider past as well as contemporary patterns. They use a wide array of approaches and methods to gain leverage on the even wider array of questions they pose.
Choosing your major advisor:
We do not assign advisors to our majors. Instead, we encourage all interested students and declared majors to review the current list of our faculty and contact someone whose research interests align with your own. Further information about each professor may be found under people.
The field of Government, or Political Science, is divided into four main "subfields." These are American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory/Public Law. We also have courses that cover Political Analysis. The course numbers for these areas are as follows:
To plan your Government Major or Minor, please use the following Major Plan of Study Forms:
You are welcome to see a faculty member for guidance on selecting courses.
For classes of 2016 and beyond - Enter your major plan in Degree Works for review and approval.
The Department of Government offers three Modified Government Majors:
In order to plan your Government Modified Major, please use the following study forms:
You cannot declare a PPE modified major on DartWorks until you first do the following:
1) Complete one of the study forms above, listing all past, present, and future courses. For the most up-to-date listings of future course offerings, see the Philosophy, Economics, and Government websites. Your future course selections may change, but you must show a complete path through the modified major. ATTENTION: Only study forms currently posted on the Government Department website will be approved.
2) Do not forget to circle one of the "10" courses as a prerequisite.
3) Once your modified major study form is complete, please submit it to Professor Murphy via email for approval: James.B.Murphy@Dartmouth.edu
4) If approved, Professor Murphy will forward your study form to the Department Administrator who can help you declare your PPE major on Dartworks.
5) If you have further questions about these PPE majors or about how to complete your study form, please email Professor Murphy. We can arrange a meeting if necessary.
Apart from these three pre-set modified majors, no other modified Government majors will be approved under any circumstances. This includes both Modified Majors in which Government is the primary component (e.g., Government Modified with History) and those in which it is the secondary component (e.g., History Modified with Government). Students who seek to modify a Major in another department with courses in Government may do so by using the option of a Modified Major without indication of the secondary department (e.g. History Modified).