Political Science Research Topics

Political Science Research Topics

Political Science is the study of the relationships between and within individuals, societies, and governments. This study encompasses politics in the local, state, national, and international levels. Political Science itself has various sub-fields, each focusing on a branch of politics. 

Political Theory

Focuses on human nature and morality as it is related to politics, so it dissects the writings of various moral philosophers. The emphasis on this sub-field is on concepts, topics, and political thought.

Comparative Politics 

Is more empirical than theoretical. Its focus is to understand how and why political institutions were established, as well as find the best way to provide order, freedom, equality, and economic security to communities.

International Relations

Studies how state and non-state international actors interact, and why. This sub-field is involved in analyzing behaviors, foreign policies, as well as international finance.

American Government and Politics 

Covers politics as it is practiced in the United States. This field focuses on policy formation, constitutional law, state politics, and American political thought, ultimately trying to infer how American politics can be improved in general.

Political Methodology

Involves empirical research. It attempts to understand political processes and behavior through the use of statistics and other research devices. All topics under Political Science can be covered by research in Political Methodology.

Depending on the sub-field, Political Science research papers will have different requirements from students. For instance, Political Theory research paper topics and Comparative Politics topics may require argumentative essays more often than American Government and Politics essay topics. Regardless of the topic, however, Political Science research papers all require rigor and a critical eye; in writing, it requires nothing less than clarity, conciseness, and objectivity.

What then are the components of a proficient Political Science research paper?

Investigative. Although Political Science involves debates, for the most part, the foundation of a political scientist’s arguments always comes from empirical observation or data. An objective inquiring eye is expected in order to attain objective analysis of events and its underlying political principles. 

Data. Research in Political Science requires rigorous data collection to support claims. Data used in research papers should be current, correct, and from credible sources if not gathered by the researcher. When it comes to data, Political Science is no different from hard sciences. Political Scientists utilize the scientific method in theory-building.

Theories. Political Science students are expected to master and apply Political Science theories, but as soon as they become Political Scientists, they are expected to start with theory-building. The process of building theories involves data collection, analysis, and knowledge of older theories.

Concise and objective writing.The field of Political Science has a set of terminologies that is used to make discussion more concise and precise. However, there are also instances when the researcher must operationalize a term for research purposes. In this case, they must be able to define something in measurable and observable terms. Clear, objective writing is expected of Political Scientists at all instances.

Topics for Political Science Research Papers

In Political Theory

1. Analysis of Plato’s The Republic
2. Comparison of Plato and Aristotle’s political theories
3. The evolution of Democratic thought 
4. Foucault’s analysis of power
5. Human nature in Hobbes' political theory
6. Egalitarianism versus Utilitarianism
7. Pitfalls of Rousseau’s social contract theory
8. Analysis and application of Mill’s Harm Principle
9. Political realism of Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Morgenthau
10. Socialism in the contemporary world

In Comparative Politics

1. The impact of social media in political dissent
2. Transformative potential of civil society in developing countries
3. Comparative analysis of models of democracy
4. Ideology in the Soviet Union 
5. Populism within the European Union
6. Regional governance and national governance
7. Limits on individual liberty and government authority
8. Political and legal antecedents to Affirmative Action
9. Ethnic conflict and the destabilization of states 
10. Politics of designing and implementing international treaties

In International Politics

1. International cooperation in the context of neo-globalization
2. Globalization and the Anti-Globalization Movement

1. Patriotism in times of transnationalism 
2. Negotiating for hostages in foreign countries
3. Impact of UMSCA on international trade
4. Impact of China-Taiwan-Hong Kong relations in international economy
5. Impact of China-Soviet conflict to US-China relations
6. Failures of the UN’s nuclear disarmament efforts
7. Comparison of China’s and Japan’s foreign aid policies
8. Feminist approaches to international relations theory
9. Implications of the US leaving the Paris Treaty on Climate Change
10. Effects of Brexit in the UK and in Europe

American Government and Politics

1. Influence of celebrities on political campaigns
2. The phenomenon of celebrity-politicians
3. Implications of citizen-initiated-campaign
4. Interest-group Pluralism in American politics
5. Stereotypes on Arab-Americans in the US
6. Racial Profiling in US media post 9/11 
7. Criminal Law & Common Morality
8. Ethical dilemmas in the Whistleblower Act
9. Analysis of hate crimes and terminology
10. Effectiveness of Rape Shield Laws

Political Methodology

1. Factors contributing to the persistence of white supremacy
2. Impact of Affirmative Action Initiatives
3. Party identification and its implications
4. Impact of Equal Rights Amendment
5. Significance of civil society in post-conflict settings
6. Damages caused by the US immigration policy
7. Effects of debt crisis in the development of heavily indebted countries
8. Factors contributing to voter suppression in the US
9. Pros and cons of pardoning criminals
10. The role of political socialization on voter attitudes

These are some of the most interesting topics in the field of Political Science. You can either use these as the topic for your Political Science essay or as jumping point for a more specific topic. If you still are undecided about what topic to write in your Political Science research paper, you may consult with writers-corp writers. Our writers can help you select your topic as well as write your essay for you.