Welcome to the Department of Political Science of Case Western Reserve University.
Please note that most of our courses do not have prerequisites. They are open to all CWRU undergraduates, including transfer and first-year students. And remember, during the first two weeks of classes, students may drop and add courses without penalty. We encourage you to follow your interests and try out our courses – many of which fulfill old GER and new UGER requirements.
It’s hard to think of a better time to be studying politics. Our courses explore political behavior, institutions of government, elections, international relations, political economy, policymaking, protest and revolution, among other topics. They cover politics of the United States and other countries and of regional and global interactions, and our faculty introduce students to a range of methods and approaches that include elite interviewing, survey research, field and archival investigation, game theory, small-n comparison, statistical analysis, and AI-driven techniques.
Political science degrees and courses build foundations for many types of future employment and continued education, and we support our students with internship, research and other career-preparation opportunities.
Current and prospective students are welcome to receive the Department’s weekly newsletter and read the archived ones.
News
What makes the U.S. Constitution unique, anyway? Featuring Prof. Tartakoff
From its frequent references in political speeches to its appearances in popular culture, the United States Constitution is perhaps the best-known document in the country. But beyond possibly having memorized its preamble in middle school, how much do you actually know about the law of the land? In honor of Sept. 17 being Constitution Day, Laura Tartakoff, senior instructor in the Department of Political Science at Case Western Reserve, shared some lesser-known facts about the oldest written national federal constitution in effect today.
Professor Posner’s “Financial Regulatory Conundrums in the North Atlantic”
Prof. Elliot Posner and co-author Lucia Quaglia (University of Bologna) published new article in the European Journal of Political Research. “Financial Regulatory Conundrums in the North Atlantic” explains why post-2008 US and EU financial reforms remained mostly intact.
Professor Lavelle’s “The Arctic Council, the International Maritime Organization, and the Polar Code”
“The Arctic Council, the International Maritime Organization, and the Polar Code” by CWRU Prof. Lavelle and her co-author Liselotte Odgaard was published this summer.
Fall Semester Course Highlights
We want to highlight these exciting courses being taught this semester. We encourage you to use the Add/Drop period to shop around for courses at the beginning of the semester.
Major Spotlight: Xavier Uresti
This summer, political science major Xavier Uresti is attending Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. He is studying in Shinjuku City and is enrolled in courses focusing on contemporary politics and the contemporary culture of Japan. Xavier is going to be a third-year student this fall.
Major Spotlight: Amanda Wu
This summer, political science major Amanda Wu is interning part-time at two locations in Cleveland: Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) and Global Cleveland. Amanda is going to be a junior this fall.
Read on to hear what Amanda has to say about her summer experience.
Department Office
Mather House 111
Scout Weber, Department Assistant
- Email: scout.weber@case.edu
- Phone: 216.368.2424
If you would like to notify our students of internship/job opportunities, please email scout.weber@case.edu.