The Department of Government is a community of teachers and students dedicated to the study of politics, defined as the contest for and exercise of power.

At the conclusion of their course of study, majors in government should know (a) the major theoretical arguments about the nature and purpose of political communities, (b) the salient features and the strengths and weaknesses of various political systems and the reasons for those strengths and weaknesses, (c) the principal theoretical frameworks for understanding the causes of international cooperation and conflict,?and (d) the basic research methods used by political scientists.

Our graduates will demonstrate the ability (a) to think critically and creatively, (b) to conduct political science research systematically, identifying and evaluating different sources of information and evidence, and (c) to communicate effectively the results of that research.