• <a href="/live/image/gid/80/width/650/86527_Political_Science_main_image_2.jpg" class="lw_preview_image lw_disable_preview" tabindex="-1"><picture class="lw_image lw_image86527"> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/80/width/500/height/479/crop/1/86527_Political_Science_main_image_2.rev.1607735197.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/80/width/500/height/479/crop/1/86527_Political_Science_main_image_2.rev.1607735197.jpg 2x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/80/width/720/height/690/crop/1/86527_Political_Science_main_image_2.rev.1607735197.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/80/width/720/height/690/crop/1/86527_Political_Science_main_image_2.rev.1607735197.jpg" alt="Political Science students meeting with professor Ben Gaskins. " width="720" height="690" data-max-w="1104" data-max-h="1058" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a><div class="hero-split_image_caption collapsable-caption"> Political Science students meeting with professor Ben Gaskins. </div>

Political science at Lewis & Clark College is small department with significant student-faculty interaction. Unlike other colleges, international affairs is a separate department at LC, allowing our political science department to specialize in the study of American politics, comparative politics, public law, and political theory. We believe in a skills-based approach to education, and our goal is to use foundational and contemporary political theories to hone your skills in analytical thinking, quantitative assessment, writing, and speaking. We pride ourselves on being a rigorous but supporting environment in which you can investigate questions such as: How do democracies become authoritarian regimes? How does religiosity mediate political belief? Is there a constitutional right to privacy? What are the moral responsibilities of citizens in a democracy? How can we best understand and construct public policy?


  • The liberal arts promote being well rounded in a variety of subjects and thinking critically about the world.

    Alys Chang BA ’22
    Political Science | Sunnyvale, California
    More about Alys
  • I have become more open to exploring new subjects, especially with my interdisciplinary education.

    Sabrina Cerquera BA ’20
    Environmental Studies, Political Science (double) | Miami, Florida
    More about Sabrina
  • Engaging in sustainability at L&C helps students build resilience in problem solving.

    Ara Vickers BA ’22
    Political Science | Asheville, North Carolina
    More about Ara

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