full-time faculty teaching and conducting research in political science
of Maxwell faculty conduct research focused outside of the U.S.
graduate students in residence; fewer than 12 admitted each year
Undergraduate Studies
Graduate Studies

I am Maxwell.
My time as a student at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School prepared me for my career in the music business in ways I never could have imagined. My passion for utilizing political and legal systems and structures to advocate for and protect people’s rights guides many of the most important decisions I make.”
Jacqueline Saturn ’90 B.A. (PSc)
President of Virgin Music Group North America, 2026 Maxwell | A&S Undergraduate Convocation Speaker
Recent Faculty Books
Maxwell's Political Science Department faculty members publish award-winning books on a wide range of topics. Scroll a sample of recently published works below, or visit the Maxwell Faculty Bookshelf for more.
Barkun quoted in Business Insider piece on QAnon's Trump conspiracy theory
March 1, 2021
Business Insider
QAnon followers, unable to cope with Joe Biden's elevation to president in January, have now coopted a new belief to argue that the next legitimate inauguration date will be on March 4, 2021. The belief is rooted in theories promoted by the obscure sovereign citizen movement, a highly-fragmented grouping of Americans who believe taxes, U.S. currency, and even the U.S. government to be illegitimate. "You really feel like you're in an Alice in Wonderland world when you start going through the ideas of the sovereign citizens," says Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science. "They will construct more and more complex rationalizations that push the events that they wish for farther and farther into the future." Read more in the Business Insider article, "Why QAnon are pinning their last desperate hopes on Trump emerging as president on March 4."
Related News
Media Coverage
May 22, 2026
School News
May 22, 2026
Research
May 21, 2026
BaoBao Zhang Joins First Cohort of AI2050 Early Career Fellows
One of only 15 scholars chosen from across the U.S., Zhang will receive up to $200,000 in research funding over the next two years. Zhang will use the funding to partner with the nonprofit, non-partisan Center for New Democratic Processes to test whether public participation in AI governance is increased through the creation of public assemblies, known as “deliberative democracy workshops.”
Baobao Zhang
Assistant Professor, Political Science Department

Barkun quoted in Business Insider piece on QAnon's Trump conspiracy theory
March 1, 2021
Business Insider
QAnon followers, unable to cope with Joe Biden's elevation to president in January, have now coopted a new belief to argue that the next legitimate inauguration date will be on March 4, 2021. The belief is rooted in theories promoted by the obscure sovereign citizen movement, a highly-fragmented grouping of Americans who believe taxes, U.S. currency, and even the U.S. government to be illegitimate. "You really feel like you're in an Alice in Wonderland world when you start going through the ideas of the sovereign citizens," says Michael Barkun, professor emeritus of political science. "They will construct more and more complex rationalizations that push the events that they wish for farther and farther into the future." Read more in the Business Insider article, "Why QAnon are pinning their last desperate hopes on Trump emerging as president on March 4."
Related News
Media Coverage
May 22, 2026
School News
May 22, 2026
Research
May 21, 2026