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October 10th, 2005

If you are an excellent debater who has a passion for standing up for what you believe in and a desire to serve the public, you may want to consider a career in politics. While there is no specific educational path that will get you into this field, there are a few majors that can help you begin your journey.

As the study of political systems and government operations, political science is an ideal major for those who want to learn about the ins and outs of how the government is run. Students learn about the justice system, legislative process, and political theories and affiliations. They also learn how to be analytical thinkers by critically evaluating politics and developing their own ideas about it. Through courses like contemporary political ideologies U.S. intelligence and policy making, public policy analysis, and U.S. foreign policy, students learn about the American government and how it operates. Courses also focus specifically on the politics of certain issues like ethnic and racial politics, politics of ecological crisis, and politics of developing areas.

History is another good major to pursue. By studying past events, people, and cultures, these majors gain a strong understanding of the world and how it is affected by change. This major is beneficial to students interested in politics because the history of America and the development of its government are so closely related. Since it is such a broad subject, majors have a variety of choices when it comes to course selection. There are many courses they can take that focus on American history like U.S. constitutional history, U.S. economic history, and civil war and reconstruction. Courses also address topics in a historical context that are important issues for politicians like socialism, race relations and gender roles. Majors develop important analytical skills as they read through historical documents and evaluate historical events, ideas, and politics.

Finally, public administration is a major to consider. As the study of administrators and how they implement policy at local, state, and Federal levels, this is ideal for students who want to learn about the government and the people it serves. Students learn about how policy is made and acted upon, as well as how policy makers recognize the needs of different groups. They also study issues that policy makers face like crime, health care, welfare, and environmental quality. Courses typically include community analysis, economic development, organization theory, and public budgeting and financial administration. Most importantly, majors develop the skills they need to positively change communities, bring diverse groups together, and find the middle ground when it comes to opposing viewpoints.

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