Political Science
Every hour of his morning was planned out for him, it was all but scripted. Jesse Lopez just needed to show up. He was a junior from UC Berkeley and visiting Duke as part of the Ralph Bunch Summer Institute program in June 2015. This day was orchestrated to bring together traveling recruiters from prestigious graduate programs alongside students, like Jesse, who were exploring their suitability for graduate level work in political science. The atmosphere of an… read more about Jesse Lopez is set up for more than survival: from grad student to game show contestant »
There’s a lot of talk throughout higher education about how to attract students of color and students without a legacy background into graduate studies and academic careers, particularly in fields such as the social sciences, arts and humanities. While other programs have been seeking solutions, the Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship has been doing this work successfully for several decades, benefiting both Duke faculty and students. Candis Watts Smith Now, Duke is looking to grow… read more about Mellon-Mays Fellows: Building Opportunities for Students, Diversity in the Academy »
Until late June, the midterm election process was chugging along predictably, with voters expected to lean Republican in the course-corrective way voters do between presidential voting cycles. Pundits were forecasting a red wave in federal legislative races to blunt any momentum President Joe Biden, a Democrat elected in 2020, was enjoying. But then came the U.S. Supreme Court’s seismic ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case that criminalized abortion in many states and turned the entire election cycle on its head. “Before… read more about Three Duke Faculty Discuss Unexpected Turns in the Mid-term Elections »
Geoffrey Brennan (9/15/44-7/28/22) at Duke in the Philosophy, Politics & Economics conference, 2019 Long-time Duke faculty member and friend Geoffrey Brennan died in Canberra, Australia of complications from acute leukemia. “Geoff” joined the Duke Department of Political Science in January 2005 as the Nan Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professor, and has served as a Research Professor since. He helped co-found, and staff, the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program, a… read more about In Memory of Geoffrey Brennan »
For 14 eager undergraduates who arrived at Duke from across the U.S. this summer, emotions were running high – but so were their expectations. Everyone gathered in Gross Hall on May 29 was feeling the pressure to make the most of a unique experience: participation in the Ralph Bunch Summer Institute. “I was extremely nervous, especially when you start to compare yourself to others. You start to think, ‘well they go to a quote-unquote better school than me, or that they were the… read more about For Ralph Bunche scholars, nerves give way to an intense and rewarding experience »
read more about Duke's Sunshine Hillygus Among Recipients of $14M NSF Grant to Study 2024 Election »
Set deep within the Blue Ridge mountains, far from Duke’s campus, a group of almost 40 campers huddled around the campfire ready to discuss the day’s activities. Archery, board games and hiking had kept them busy. But now it was evening, and they were tired and ready to eat s’mores and share typical campfire stories — like dealing with academic stress and deciding on a career path. Well, maybe not so typical, as these weren’t just any campers, but Duke sophomores on a meditative retreat. Soon, they would go back to their… read more about Students Explore Life’s Most Important Questions Through New Program for Sophomores »
Our department chair, Kerry Haynie, welcomed everyone to our department commencement and highlighted the resilience of our graduating class. We could not be more proud. Governor JB Pritzker, Class of 1987, received our Distinguished Alumni Award and offered valuable lessons for graduating students. "Don't be afraid to take risks," Pritzker said, "and the corollary: take advantage of lucky breaks, especially when unusual opportunities come… read more about JB Pritzker is our 2022 Distinguished Alumni »
Each year our department awards excellence in scholarship Congratulations to our award winners. In the 2021-22 academic year, our graduate students continued to produce important scholarship in preparation for publication and the job market. OUTSTANDING DISSERTATION Diego Romero. "Connections and Privileged Access: Essays on The Political Economy of Corruption" OUTSTANDING MA THESIS Qi Liu. “Moral Hazard in Hierarchical International Agreements: Bilateral… read more about Congratulations to our department award winners »
Six members of Duke’s Class of 2023 have been named to the second class of Nakayama Scholars. The Nakayama Public Service Scholarship is part of the university’s efforts to encourage students to use their Duke experience to engage with the large challenges facing communities around the world. The students represent multiple disciplines across Duke’s academic departments as well as a variety of future careers. Juniors Alexandra Bennion, Bentley Choi, Garrett Goodman, Shreyas Hallur, Andrew Liu and Nellie Sun… read more about Duke Names Second Class of Nakayama Scholars »
Maria Morrison toured the USS Hopper in Pearl Harbor on her 2022 spring break trip. She is a senior, majoring in political science Going to Pearl Harbor has been a dream of mine for years. Both as a Political Science student studying Security, Peace, and Conflict and as an American with great respect and reverence for the brave young men who fought there, the historic place is something I have wanted to visit for quite a while. The fact that Pearl Harbor happens to be on a beautiful… read more about Going to Pearl Harbor has been a dream of mine: a political science student reflects on her spring break trip »
A new program for Duke sophomores – which launched earlier this year – will include a Political Science course this fall: “Liberalism and Its Critics” (POLSCI 247S). The course is part of the new “Transformative Ideas” program that is designed to promote open and civil cross-disciplinary dialogue on questions and big ideas that change lives, link cultures and shape societies around the world. “Liberalism and Its Critics” – taught by Alfredo Watkins of Political Science and Bruce Caldwell of Economics – focuses on the… read more about Political Science Course Among Fall “Transformative Ideas” Offerings »
