Department of Political Science

Political science is the empirical and theoretical study of systems of governance and power, political attitudes and behavior, and public policy and law, both abroad and in the United States. The Department of Political Science teaches students the critical thinking, analytical, and communicative skills needed for understanding how governments and politics function in contemporary and historical contexts. Alumni of the department work in fields related to government, public administration, business, law, and policy research and advocacy.

Major Courses

Faculty Highlights

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Scholarship Repository Readership

The University of Richmond's Scholarship Repository shares faculty publications with a world-wide audience. The map below shows where articles from political science faculty are being read around the globe.

Feature Stories

University of Richmond Professor Receives Grant Support to Study Political and Cultural Power of Standup Comedy in China

Political Science professor Dan Chen’s research examines the degree to which standup comedy moves beyond entertainment to influence public opinion about key social and political issues among Chinese audiences.

August 23, 2023

Trevin Stevens, ’24

Virginia Governor's Fellow focuses on city revitalization initiative during his summer internship.

May 1, 2023

University of Richmond Student Honored as Newman Civic Fellow

UR junior Anum Merchant, of Bengaluru, India, has been announced as a 2023 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a national coalition of more than 1,000 colleges and universities.

February 2, 2023

Nico Ellis, '23

Senior embraces myriad opportunities to explore democratic social policies and governance

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Political Science in the Media

November 19, 2023

Voter frustration could be key to turnout in 2024, experts say

Political science professor Ernest McGowen, a voter behavior expert, is quoted in this article, which was republished by more than 100 media outlets, including in The Charlotte Observer.