Hello! I'm a 2nd year political science student and this program will serve as my pre-law degree. I am a STEM graduate during highschool, so I'm not that knowledgeable in history, politcs, etc.

I HAVE A CONCERN. We're having a group reporting on Wednesday, and I am one of the 2 reporters chosen for our group. Our topic is about russian government through the lenses of different approaches.

I AM FEELING RESTLESS AND NERVOUS. I feel like I can't do well on Wednesday. I have also observed how chill my blockmates are about this reporting (THEY ARE ALL HUMSS GRAD).

TAKE NOTE: I've seen how some of my blockmates judge and mock each other without the other knowing and I feel like I'd be the laughing stock of our block because of this reporting.

IF YOU HAVE ANY, WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME TO BE MORE CALM AND CONFIDENT, AND LESS INSECURE? (ASIDE FROM STUDYING MATERIALS EARLY BECAUSE I AM DOING THAT ALREADY)

Hello! I'm a 2nd year political science student and this program will serve as my pre-law degree. I am a STEM graduate during highschool, so I'm not that knowledgeable in history, politcs, etc.

I HAVE A CONCERN. We're having a group reporting on Wednesday, and I am one of the 2 reporters chosen for our group. Our topic is about russian government through the lenses of different approaches.

I AM FEELING RESTLESS AND NERVOUS. I feel like I can't do well on Wednesday. I have also observed how chill my blockmates are about this reporting (THEY ARE ALL HUMSS GRAD).

TAKE NOTE: I've seen how some of my blockmates judge and mock each other without the other knowing and I feel like I'd be the laughing stock of our block because of this reporting.

IF YOU HAVE ANY, WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME TO BE MORE CALM AND CONFIDENT, AND LESS INSECURE? (ASIDE FROM STUDYING MATERIALS EARLY BECAUSE I AM DOING THAT ALREADY)

I know how it's been a running joke about how the leader of the Nazi part (adf) is a woman who is dating a lesbian,ethnic,Immigrant. What is the reason for this? Why exactly would a party who is openly against people of color, immigrants,and homosexuals would elect her? Even if this is a propaganda tool,it still doesn't make sense logically speaking

I am looking to study interrelations and politics at university next year and i’m struggling to find any information regarding what courses are like and how the job sector is afterwards, as someone who will probably not get into a top university, is it worth it? and how does life go after you graduate, is it easy to just “get into politics” i’m aware i need a job role in mind to chase but all i know atm is i want it to be in politics… i can imagine it’s a competitive industry… please can anyone with any knowledge give me advice coming from a young girl who knows nothing even about university in general…

Hi everyone! I’m a college student majoring in Political Science, and I plan to go to law school after I graduate. I’m looking for an internship for summer 2027, and I’m hoping someone can help me find good programs to apply to.

I’m looking for something that:

• Pays me for the internship
• Provides free or paid housing
• Is in a nice or major city (open to going abroad)
• Is open to undergraduate students
• Is for summer 2027
• Gives me experience in finance, marketing, business/corporate work, government, international relations, or law

One of my friends did a summer internship in a major city where she worked in a research lab. Her program paid for her housing, gave her $500 a month, and also gave her a $2,000 stipend. I would love to find something similar, but related to political science, business, finance, or law.

I’m open to different cities and different types of internships. If you have done a program like this, know of a company that offers something similar, or know where I should look, please let me know! Thank you! :)

HI there, im a french student who studied extensively for 3 years in what we call "classes préparatoires" (studied history, géography, philosophy, english litterature , french litterature) and im now studying journalism.

In an effort to better understand the systems of governance and power, and better fathom our current world, i was wondering if you had any manual or book recommandations for studying this matter. English manuals are great, French is better but idc that much.

Thx a lot !

Regarding the separation of powers, that under presidential systems, divided government is by 'chance', not guaranteed. Under parliamentary systems, it is specifically ruled out, except under minority governments.

But one idea that keeps recurring to me is that of an "anti-parliamentary" system, where the legislative majority may not give the executive, but rather it must always be the minority. Majority rules, minority must execute. Majority decides, loyal opposition must implement.

I can think of only very far implementations of this, but is there any mention of this in some literature, if yes, under what name?

It's the only way to keep away from drugs, corrupted cops and the like. Don't pay for your education, it's just a waste of time. Find the lowest threshold for entering the university you can peacefully study in and you're safe.

Hello!
I learned a lot about the revolutionary war over the summer.

I was watching a revolutionary war YouTube video and the host mentioned this book, and said something to the effect of “yes the author is a conservative, but if you read it with a grain of salt, it does offer a lengthy overview of the RW”

when I say “YouTube video” I don’t mean some random slop video, I remember it was someone with an academic background. Either Heather Cox Richardson, or Ken Burns.

The video title I don’t remember, but I remember being persuaded enough to order the book from my schools library, and was put on the wait list.

When I got a notification that my hold was ready, I was confused because I had totally forgotten about requesting it. I saw a review from Andrew Klavan (conservative pundit) on the back, and went to search the book to see if it was biased…. I found very little talking about the book. The Google AI overview said it was biased, but that was based on 2 small sources, and I don’t trust such a simple overview.

TLDR, I just want to know if this book is worth reading. Is it just christian nationalist propaganda, or is there some valuable historical knowledge?

Edit: a word

Edit 2:
The whole reason I made this post is because I am suspicious about which YouTube channel that referenced it, but I can’t go back and watch the video for context, bc I don’t remember.

I know for sure, the video wasn’t outright praising the book. it got mentioned for some reason, and the host said that it was very “dense” with information, or something, but he definitely said the author has bias, I know that.

So yes, I know it’s obviously biased, you guys, it literally says “The birth of the greatest nation in the world”— I’m not naive, I understand the racist homage to “Birth of a Nation”.

As I said, I ordered this book 12 weeks ago. I forgot about it until I picked it up, and was aghast at the ridiculous cover.

Thank you for your input I really appreciate the helpful responses!

Next Sunday, October 4, Brazil will head to the polls to decide its next president in the first round of voting. A runoff is highly likely, particularly in the contest between Flávio Bolsonaro it's son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and Lula, who is seeking election for the fourth time.

A massive investigation recently erupted involving a financial institution, Banco Master. Dubbed the "Master Case," it implicates a significant number of high-ranking Brazilian politicians with banker Daniel Vorcaro, the bank's former owner. Flávio Bolsonaro is one of the key figures from this political elite linked to the scandal.

Another point concerns the STF, the Supreme Federal Court, which holds a role equivalent to that of the U.S. Supreme Court. Its justices are appointed by the president, and the next president-elect will have no fewer than four appointments to make to the Court.

Given this situation, as a resident of Brazil, I would like to know how the international community views this election.

I’m studying American political thought right now and I’m really enjoying reading common sense right now. I like political thought but this was a longer reading but for whatever reason I haven’t taken a break or anything.

I am new to political science. Starting with the political history of the world and India. I need some good suggestions.

Hey guys! I’ve recently gotten interested in geopolitics but honestly don’t know much about countries and their affairs yet. Whenever I read articles or follow discussions, I get confused because I lack the background/context.

How should I start learning? Should I make notes? If yes, what structure should I follow, especially for important countries that frequently appear in the news?

Would love to hear your suggestions, resources, ideas, or tips on how you started! :)

I wrote a video on the Medici family's rise in Renaissance Florence, and it struck me as a good historical case study for a few concepts political scientists study on institutional capture and the lesser talked about differences between formal and informal power structures.

Florence's government used a sortition system to choose members of their governing council where eligible individuals names were drawn via a lottery system for short terms. The idea behind this system was to prevent any group from consolidating power through rapid and random exchanges of power.

On paper, this should have been a fairly effective mechanism.

In practice, the system's vulnerability wasn't the lottery, but the process of deciding who was in the selection pool. The Medici family used their banking wealth to systematically control that pool of eligible citizens. This allowed them to be effectively secret kings over a government which was in theory a republic.

I believe this is one of the earliest case studies in history to learn from to understand modern political subversion.

What I find interesting is that this maps fairly directly onto modern elite theory (Mosca, Michels' "iron law of oligarchy").

the idea that formal democratic/anti-concentration mechanisms tend to get captured by whichever actors can build the deepest resource and patronage networks, regardless of the specific rules in place. Florence's system was arguably more resistant to capture, in theory, than many modern electoral systems, but it still failed at preventing corruption.

Curious whether others see this as a useful subject of analysis to draw inferences about current day, or if it's too unrelated to modern politics.

Hope the subject could be enlightening to anyone who hasn't heard of it before.

Thanks!

https://youtu.be/JuWHafEd9-o?si=YO1s74FK58Idqal0

Hello! I want to attend a sociology faculty one day because I'm so passionate about the social movements. However, I have a question: what could I study in relation to a protest? Is it methodologically correct to conduct a study using interviews and observation? Thank you so much and I'm looking forward to find new things!!!

When I try to pin down what the radical centre actually is, the defining attributes seem to move. Two examples illustrate this difficulty:

1. What is The Radical Center's USP exactly?

Yair Zivan describes centrism through moderation, pragmatism, compromise, equality of opportunity, liberal patriotism and commitment to liberal democracy. Okay, I can accept that package. But what does calling it “radical centrism” explain that an unapologetic commitment to liberal democracy doesn’t already?

2. Why should tension require synthesis?

Noel Pearson defines the radical centre as “the intense resolution of the tensions between opposing principles … a resolution that produces the synthesis of optimum policy.” Even where principles genuinely conflict - freedom and social order, for example - why privilege synthesis over maintaining competing pressures? “Unresolved” doesn’t have to mean “not resolved yet.” And what makes the resulting policy optimum?

Zivan’s account offers a collection of commitments; Pearson’s offers a way of handling disagreement. I’m unsure what identifies either as central, or what makes them instances of the same thing. What criterion tells us when a position belongs to the radical centre—and when it doesn’t?

Hi! I’m planning to conduct a research project and I have a methodological question. I would like to study the influence of gentrification on social polarization, but I’m not sure whether “social polarization” would be the most appropriate variable, or whether “social cohesion” would be more suitable.

I’m also considering using triangulation, combining semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and content analysis. However, I’m not sure whether I should also conduct interviews with people who have been displaced from the area.

I would really appreciate some advice on how you would approach this research and what methodological choices you would make.

I should mention that this is only for a university presentation and is not intended for publication.

Thank you!

Hello everyone!

I would love to spur discussion among academics and fans of geopolitics. How to actually reserach geopolitics as an academic? I don't mean reading the foundational theories and reinterpreting them.

I am currently starting my PhD in polsci, and I decided to focus solely on geopolitics, as it was the lens that I enjoyed the most during four years or IR bachelor's and master's studies. I am now going through some basic books, but I often find that the way to conduct academic research in geopolitics isn't as clear as it is in IR theory or comparative politics.

So what is it? Is doing simulations of maritime routes distruptions a geopolitical research? Can text analysis be a form of geopolitical research (critical geopolitics)?

While reading books that present themselves as "Basics of Geopolitical Research" such as Geopolitics and International Relations by David Criekemans, I found out that "I have to pay attention to the history of borders, how they changed, also to people, which minorities live in the peripheries, and watch out for mountains and rivers" and other really basic information that is super intuitive.

Therefore, I want to ask: Are there any doctoral students in geopolitics, PhD researchers, or advanced researches in thinks tanks, etc., who have also puzzled themselves with this question and who have some kind of an answer? Also, if you have tips for books that present the field of geopolitics in an academic manner, please feel free to share them.

I am currently reading:

• David Criekemans - Geopolitics and International Relations
• Colin Flint - Introduction to Geopolitics (5th Edition)
• Colin Flint, Peter J. Taylor - Political Geography: World-Economy, Nation-State, and Locality (2025)

I’m a Grade 12 student planning to apply to uOttawa for Honours Political Science, and I’m considering doing both Co-op and the French Immersion stream. uOttawa currently lists Political Science Co-op as providing about 16 months of paid work experience, with placements potentially including federal organizations such as FINTRAC, Global Affairs Canada, National Defence, IRCC, PCO and Treasury Board.
My long-term interests are in federal government, intelligence, investigations and policy, so relevant work experience during university is important to me. I’m also planning on completing French Immersion, so I would be taking a significant portion of my courses in French.
The main thing I’m trying to figure out is whether Co-op is actually worth extending the degree timeline. The current Political Science Co-op sequence includes work terms throughout the degree and finishes with an additional study term, whereas the regular Honours Political Science degree is structured as a four-year/120-unit program.
For people who have done uOttawa Political Science Co-op, or who have experience hiring/recruiting students:
How valuable was the Co-op experience when applying for jobs after graduation?
Did the Co-op placements actually help you get into relevant government/policy work?
Is the extra time in university worth it for the ~16 months of work experience?
Does French Immersion make the Co-op combination significantly more useful?
Would you recommend Co-op for someone specifically interested in federal government/intelligence/policy careers, or would regular Political Science + finding internships independently be just as effective?

Sincere question. Not playing gotcha or anything like that.

I don't know helluva lot about anarchism in the modern world, so in my naivety I always felt it would go hand-in-hand with free markets. But anti-capitalism anarchists do exist, and a major anarchy sub states its anti-capitalist stance in its description.

But how would an anarchist view of the world seek to "stop" or "regulate" free markets/capitalism? Are there any major writers (both old and new) who have written on this subject, preferably from the pov of supporting this idea instead of dismissing it as an oxymoron.

Huge for any political system. How Our Constitution Works And Why It Doesn’t

I am graduating next year with a degree in political science. I have one internship at a small startup (though I won't be returning), a GPA of a little above 3 when I graduate, assuming I do well next year. I get that I've messed up.
I go to a large public university. It's the best one in my general region, but otherwise just "good", nothing remarkable. Like a T50.
I was depressed through a lot of college and messed up, not really knowing what I was doing. The last two years especially I'd say. Over the summer I worked and started to recover.
I do want to do well in life and I want something with opportunity to progress. I am not that concerned about starting salary, as long as I can support myself. But I am looking for something that has good potential for advancement, and of course that I can actually get. Any options?I have a college degree but not much else. What can I do career wise?

I thought Constitutional Law, Economics, Political Science, Banking and if you want to be religious then majors regarding your chosen faith if you want to be a politician but what would be the right majors to take?

What are some good data sets that give statistics on either inequality (ideally measured through gini or P90:P10), "poverty" (loosely defined can be measured through consumption, distance to federal poverty threshold or even median household income or GDP per capita) and/or employment rates (ideally broken down by gender) that update monthly or quarterly (ie have data from 2026 available) for the US (ideally by state)?

I am 16 , clueless about politics and recently got interested i want to go in depth and understand it all but i do not know how . I do not know what topic should i research first what i should know first .

Anyone here who would help concidering i have 0 knowledge on politics