Are You Ready to Change the World?

The 2008 presidential election demonstrated that politics matter to millions of people. As a political science major at the University of Oregon, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of how power, politics politics, and people converge. Can you explore how absolute power corrupts? Absolutely. The Department of Political Science can show how our government works—or doesn’t. By understanding how the world works, you can begin to identify ways to make it work even better.

You’ll be pleased to discover a wide range of ideologies within the university community. “We’re not about espousing a political ideology,” says Associate Professor Lars Skalnes. “We want to make people into critical thinkers and to make them into citizens who will participate in politics.”

In the political science major, you will study political theory, United States politics, and world politics. From there, a remarkable range of course topics and approaches to the study of politics allow you to choose a focus according to your interests. For example, you may want to study classic philosophic debates about the meaning and value of democracy. You could choose to study democracy up close with a legislative internship. You might even sign up for a study-abroad program that allows you to investigate the dynamics of democratization in a different part of the world.

The political science faculty strives to make subject matter relevant and exciting. “I love teaching Introduction to International Relations,” says Professor Ron Mitchell. “It provides students with their first opportunity to really begin understanding in greater depth why wars happen, what the benefits and costs of international trade are, why human rights prove so hard to protect, and what the nations of the world are doing (and are not doing) to protect our global environment.”

The department sponsors an annual series of distinguished speakers—experts in fields such as foreign policy, political theory, and international relations—to add depth and context to academic offerings. This level of contact with political leaders makes the UO political science department a unique place to learn and prepare for a variety of careers.

• As a political science major, you will earn credits in each of the following subfields: U.S. politics, world politics, and political theory
• Political science peer advisers offer services such as editing papers and essays. They also can answer questions about internships, major and minor degree requirements, and specific courses
• Upper-level undergraduate students may join Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. Members of the UO’s Beta Theta chapter are eligible to compete for scholarships
• You can earn academic credit by participating in field studies or internships. Opportunities are available at the local level, the Oregon Legislative Assembly, or even in Washington, D.C.

Practical Learning

You’ll have the opportunity to participate in many types of political activities at the UO. You can get involved with local politics by volunteering with a political campaign, an environmental awareness project, or a human rights organization. If you’re interested in international issues, you even can choose an internship or a study-abroad program that will enhance your academic interests.

You might choose to earn academic credit as an intern working in a state or U.S. legislative office, for a government staff member, or with a lobbyist in Salem, the Oregon state capital.

Get in touch with one—or more—of the dozens of student government or activist groups on campus. Your opportunities for involvement are virtually endless.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

You can effectively combine a major in political science with studies in economics, environmental studies, international studies, journalism, sociology, or planning, public policy, and management. No matter where you plan to create change and progress, political science will serve as a valuable and versatile foundation.

Student Work

Jessica Derleth has developed a passion for the historical and political roots of social movements. A double major in political science and history, Derleth has enjoyed learning about the factors that eventually lead to political protests. “The political science major gives you the chance to learn about subjects that truly and deeply affect the world in which we live,” she says. “Politics and government determine what rights we possess, what laws we must obey, how we interact with foreign governments, and who leads the nation. In my eyes, few things are as important as understanding the political system that shapes our daily existence.”

Jessica Ortiz especially enjoys her classes in foreign policy and political theory. “I love the range of subfields the political science department offers,” she says. “I have taken theory classes, classes about foreign and domestic politics, and classes focusing on different social institutions.” Ortiz has stayed active with the UO Democrats, as a peer adviser in the political science department, and worked as an intern with the Barack Obama campaign. “I am really lucky to have seen first-hand the amount of behind-the-scenes work that is involved in running a campaign. Knowing that we started in the most grassroots form and were able to accomplish something so big was really a great feeling.”

Rachel Snyder’s political interests began in the fifth grade when she recognized the civil inequities that are still rampant in our country. “At that moment,” she says, “I decided to start paying closer attention.” Snyder presented her undergraduate research, which explores how the post-9/11 environment has shaped domestic counterterrorism legislation, at the National McNair Conference in fall 2008. “That broader question led me to a curious piece of legislation called the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act of 2006,” says Snyder. “It was (quietly) signed into law in November 2006. My paper conducts a critical policy analysis of the law and makes suggestions for possible modifications.”

Selected Faculty Work

Associate Professor Deborah Baumgold teaches courses in the history of political thought and courses in political power, influence, and control. Her current research focuses on slavery discourse in 17th-century England. Her book, Hobbes’s Political Theory, was published in 1988 by Cambridge University Press and has been excerpted in several academic publications.

Associate Professor Leonard Feldman is interested in how the ideological borders of a constitutional democracy are constructed. His book, Citizens Without Shelter, examines how homeless people become excluded from citizenship in legal and policy discourses. Feldman teaches courses in political ideologies, introduction to political theory, and historical surveys of political theory.

Assistant Professor Joe Lowndes has won numerous teaching awards including the 2006 Colligan Award for Political Science Faculty. He teaches courses in conservatism, racial politics in the U.S., and political culture. His book, From the New Deal to the New Right: Race and the Southern Origins of Modern Conservatism, was published by Yale University Press in 2008.

Associate Professor Craig Parsons’ research interests include the European Union, French politics, comparative political economy economy, and qualitative methods in the social sciences. He teaches courses in European politics and comparative politics. His book, A Certain Idea of Europe, won the Chadwick F. Alger Prize for best book on the subject of international organization and multilateralism.

Associate Professor Lars Skalnes teaches courses in international relations and political economy. His research interests include European politics and geopolitics.

Career Opportunities

With the analytical and communication skills you master while earning your political science degree, you might pursue a career in government at the local, state, or federal level. Or you might find that you’re interested in working with a nonprofit organization, a nongovernmental organization, or a private industry. Many political science graduates decide on graduate education, especially in the fields of law, international studies, business administration, or advanced studies in political science. Your undergraduate degree in political science provides a great foundation for any number of career choices.

Contact Information
(541) 346-4864
(541) 346-4860 fax

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