Political Science is the systematic study of power, authority, and governance that helps us understand and engage in the important processes and institutions that structure lives. Whether we are conscious of it or not, politics affects our lives on a daily basis and in a vast number of ways. How we identify and think of ourselves, the activities they are permitted and encouraged to participate in, and how resources are allocated throughout society are all issues that Political Scientists study. The Department offers a wide range of courses that examine the institutional, historical, ideological, and economic aspects that frame our society.