Ever wonder how elections actually work? The answer lies in electoral systems. Not to be confused with the Electoral College, an electoral system is a set of rules for casting and counting votes and determining who wins. Different countries use different methods to choose their leaders. Some systems can declare a winner with just 34%…
Currently Viewing: Political Science
Not long ago, political campaigns leaned heavily on televised debates, newspaper ads, and a whole lot of door-knocking. Messages were filtered through journalists, press secretaries, and news anchors: carefully curated and often one-sided. Today, platforms like X, Instagram, and Facebook have flipped that script. Candidates now speak directly to voters in real time, shaping their…
Political science examines the societal, cultural, and psychological elements that collectively impact governance and political systems. With such a richly layered subject, it’s beneficial to divide formal studies into focus areas that enable students to concentrate on those topics corresponding to their personal and professional interests and goals. The University of Texas Permian Basin’s online…
If you’ve ever wondered, “what can you do with a political science degree?”, you’re in the right place. We’re here to talk about seven influential people who majored in political science. While their success can’t be solely credited to their degrees, it’s fair to say that the knowledge and skills they gained through their education…
Convenience. Fear. Legal obligation. Apathy. There are many factors that impact participation in the democratic process of voting in global elections. Let’s explore some of the complex dynamics that influence voter turnout throughout the world. Voter Turnout Boosters and Barriers Holidays and Weekends Countries like South Korea have declared election day a public holiday, making…
Political parties play a central role in how American policies are created, debated, and carried out. At their core, each party contains groups of people who share broad viewpoints on major issues and work to turn those ideas into laws. They recruit candidates, organize voters, help the government run, and shape the direction of national…
America’s system of “winner takes all” elections, big‑party mergers, and regional breakups has made it almost impossible for a third party to stick around. First, our single‑winner voting rules push people into the two biggest camps. Second, whenever a smaller party got popular—like the Whigs or Dixiecrats—their ideas and voters ended up inside one of…
“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” -Ruth Bader Ginsburg Becoming a judge takes grit, intelligence, and years of legal work. For women, the path is often even steeper. Despite the barriers, though, trailblazing women have risen to the highest courts…
March 8th marks International Women’s Day (IWD), a “global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women” and a “call to action for accelerating women’s equality.” Here we’ll take a brief look at the history of IWD before exploring the present-day political dimensions of the holiday and their connection to gender equality…
Presidents’ Day (aka Washington’s Birthday) is always the third Monday of February. Labor Day is always the first Monday of September. And Election Day is always the first Tuesday in November. But what is it about that day and that month that led to it being chosen for one of the most important traditions of…
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