Writing in Political Science

Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you.

The American Political Science Association defines Political Science as �the study of governments, public policies, and political processes, systems, and political behavior�. In essence, political scientists study and develop theories that seek to explain how the political world works.

As political scientists often find themselves in debate with competing theories and schools of thought, it is imperative that good political science papers contain strong, complex arguments. Rather than persuading readers with elegant prose, values and beliefs, political scientists strive to persuade through facts, data and empirical statistics. Utilizing evidence to support claims and drawing conclusions from strong arguments are the main goals of both political scientists and good political science papers. Whether the writer is in a 100 level course or a 300 level course, professors care more about the quality of ideas and content than any other aspect of the paper.

There are two dominant types of writing within the political science realm: traditional and theory based. Political scientists generally write in the traditional form and consider the discipline a �hard� science (i.e. Biology, chemistry and physics). As such, they work to write from an objective standpoint that can be backed up by empirical evidence. It follows, then, that hypotheses (theses), preciseness, and logical consistency are essential elements in the traditional type of writing. Generally, third person is preferred although the use of the first person in political science varies from professor to professor. If first person is acceptable, �I� should only ever be used in the thesis and conclusion; otherwise �one� or �they� should be used to refer to vague subjects.

On the other hand, political theorists generally write theory-based papers. Rather than focusing on a scientific measurement of concepts, political theorists concentrate on understanding the individual components of political science and how each impacts the larger discipline. As UNC explains, �They are less concerned with evaluating how things are than in debating how they should be.� In theory-based papers, the quality of evidence is much more important than the quantity because the argument is proved on logical and normative information rather than empirical evidence. Finally, as political theorists often debate definitions of terms and concepts, students would benefit by providing their own definitions within theory-based papers.

The main thing to remember: A strong, objective argument is essential in good political science papers!

Preferred Bibliographic Style

Writers most often use APA and Turabian (similar to Chicago style) citation styles when formatting political science papers and references. It is usually the professor�s discretion to specify a citation style of their preference on the assignment sheet. Visit the Citation Styles page for more Information on APA and Turabian citations.

Common Writing Assignments

Generally, Political Science research papers are not different than research papers in other disciplines. That is, a good research paper will contain an introduction, a thesis, supporting evidence, counterarguments, and a conclusion. The content within the paper should cite its original source, follow an organized structure and persuade the reader in favor of the proposed thesis.

A Literature Review is helpful in terms of organizing information and research; it asks students to read and analyze other researchers� works before engaging in research of their own. Students can learn from research that has already been conducted and build upon the ideas of other scholars. Additionally, literature reviews help students analyze content to select works that both support and counter their theses.

In Political Theory courses, students are likely to encounter theory-based assignments. The most important thing to remember when writing political theory papers is that the thesis is supported with theoretical perspectives rather than empirical data. Additionally, because political theorists spend a lot of time debating the definition of terms and concepts, students should also establish definitions within their papers.

Key Terms

• Comparative Politics is defined by the method of study used to investigate the political systems of other countries rather than the object of study.
• International Relations is the study of politics through an international lens. By studying foreign affairs and global issues, international politics investigates the relationships between countries, international systems, and international organizations.
• National Politics focuses attention on political entities within the United States.
• Political Theory�Also known as Political Philosophy�is the theoretical perspective of politics. Specifically, theories focus and analyze the development of politics and the basic concepts of the field.
• Public Policy investigates the actions taken by the government. Most commonly, public policy is explored through constitutions, legislative acts and judicial decisions.
• Public Administration works to translate and provide political information to the general public. This subsection typically analyzes the impact that political decisions have on the community.

Helpful Resources

DePaul University Department of Political Science provides information for students interested in the political science major at DePaul University.

Guidelines for Writing a Political Theory Essay by Professor Anna Marie Smith at Cornell University (Department of Government) lists the most important aspects of a political science paper.

University of North Carolina�s Writing in Political Science page provides information about how to write a good political science paper.

Writing in Political Science Courses from Marquette University combines advice from faculty members in regards to the types of writing political science students can expect in classes.

Writing A Political Science Essay by Charles King at Georgetown University tackles problems students generally face when writing Political Science essays as well as advice to overcome these problems.

Help sheets and Writing Tips for Political Science Students from Northern Illinois University combines worksheets and handouts suggested by faculty, books and journals in order to help students write better Political Science papers.