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Maxwell / Department of Political Science

  • Department of Political Science

    The Department of Political Science is devoted to the study of politics and government, domestically and abroad. This includes the study of political institutions that exercise government authority, including legislatures, courts, and administrative agencies; political organizations through which individuals and groups seek to reshape the political landscape, including parties, interest groups, and social movements; public policies that reflect governmental efforts to regulate the actions of individuals and corporations, including civil rights, immigration, and environmental policy; and the interactions between and among nation-states and transnational organizations that shape patterns of trade and development, conflict and cooperation, war and peace.

    At the undergraduate level, political science majors will be exposed to political inquiry across a broad array of substantive topics, while also concentrating in one of the following areas: American Politics & History, Law & Politics, Political Economy, Political Participation & Mobilization, Global Governance & Foreign Policy, Political Violence & Conflict, Public Policy, Parties & Elections, Comparative Politics, Citizenship & Democracy, or Political Thought & Philosophy.

    At the graduate level, doctoral students receive broad training in quantitative and qualitative methods of social science research, while also concentrating in two of the following substantive fields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, Public Administration & Policy, Law & Courts, or Security Studies.

  • Commitment to Inclusion

    The Maxwell School stands in support of all who are demanding change in the face of racism, violence, and hate speech. We are committed to making our school, our university, and our communities more inclusive and just for all.

    There is absolutely no place for behavior or language that degrades any individual or group’s race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, disability, or religious beliefs.

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  • Political Science News

    McDowell study on capital controls published in the RIO

    "Closing time: Reputational constraints on capital account policy in emerging markets," co-authored by Associate Professor of Political Science Daniel McDowell, was published in the Review of International Organizations. The authors show that capital flow volatility is associated with outflow controls, but only when market peers are already closed, suggesting reputational concerns can limit policy autonomy. The study was featured in the Science X article, "When restricting capital movement, don't go it alone."

     

    Rasmussen's book Fears of a Setting Sun featured in NY Times article

    Professor Dennis Rasmussen's book, "Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America's Founders," was featured in the New York Times article, "George Washington Feared for America and Other Truths About the Founders We’ve Frozen in Time." In his book, Rasmussen discusses the later-in-life correspondence of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, all of who feared for the fate of the American republic following their service in the government they created. The article's author cites the importance of having that perspective, especially now when millions of Americans are fearful for the future of democracy.

     

    Reeher discusses NY congressional redistricting in Daily Star

    In New York, drawing new congressional lines is likely to spark turf battles across political circles, as the state will lose one of its 27 congressional districts. Redistricting in New York, says Professor Grant Reeher, has produced "a paradox of good government goals running up against political realities." If the goal is to flip a seat from control by one party to another, he says, a possible target could be U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford. Because Tenney recaptured her old seat in the last election by a razor-thin margin, "you could make a difference pretty easily there" by modifying the district lines, Reeher says. Read more in the Daily Star article, "New Yorkers get chance to weigh in before new political maps take shape."

     

Department of Political Science
100 Eggers Hall
Syracuse, NY 13244-1020
Phone: +1.315.443.2416