Political Science

MIT Professor Evan Lieberman, the Total Chair on Contemporary Africa, has created the Department of Political Science's first online course through MITx.

Political science debuts on MITx

New online course takes a deep dive into democracy in Africa.

August 25, 2017

Investigating the dynamics of war and peace

Erik Sand brings a perspective shaped by eight years of service in the U.S. Navy to his doctoral studies.

August 7, 2017

New research finds certain aspects of how state-level renewable portfolio standards are designed and presented can set people’s minds for or against such policies — and that in this arena, public opinion does influence policymaking. For example, learning that a renewable energy policy will likely create several thousand jobs led to a significant increase in supporters of that policy.

Bolstering public support for state-level renewable energy policies

Analysis shows the design and framing of renewable energy policies can strengthen public support — or opposition.

June 30, 2017

Officers surround honorable guest Air Force General Darren W. McDew (at center) and MIT President Rafael L. Reif during the 2017 commissioning ceremony for the MIT’s Reserve Officers Training Corps. More than 12,000 officers have been commissioned from MIT since the program’s origin, and more than 150 have reached the rank of general or admiral.

After MIT, new officers will serve their country

Following their MIT studies, graduates in MIT’s Reserve Officer Training Corps set off on new challenges in the U.S. military.

June 16, 2017

Associate professor of political science Vipin Narang specializes in nuclear security, proliferation, and deterrence.

Vipin Narang: On the brinkmanship beat

Department of Political Science assistant professor studies the strategic use of nuclear force as global tensions threaten to reach the boiling point.

May 24, 2017

"It is remarkable that we do not measure the costs of war in any meaningful way," says John Tirman, executive director and principal research scientist of the MIT Center for International Studies. "I suggest that Congress establish a conflict impact assessment during or after each war to bring home the true costs of armed conflict."

3 Questions: How political science contributes to national policies on immigration and military conflict

Political theorist John Tirman discusses immigration and identity, and measuring the true costs of war.

May 22, 2017

At a recent MIT Mens et Manus America event, scholars presented political science and sociological research about the impact of rumors, falsehoods, and misinformation on America's political process.

Mens et Manus America examines the politics of misinformation

Adam Berinsky and Ezra Zuckerman Sivan present research on rumors and falsehoods in U.S. politics.

May 22, 2017

An ear for political language

Doctoral student Tom O’Grady maps the rise of anti-welfare rhetoric in decades of speeches in the UK Parliament.

May 8, 2017

Left to right: Rich Nielsen, Charles Stewart, and Daron Acemoglu

Three MIT scholars awarded prestigious Carnegie fellowships

Nielsen, Stewart, and Acemoglu receive high-profile grants for research.

April 26, 2017

MIT alumni and faculty have a long history of public policy service. Kathleen Hicks PhD ’10 (left) is director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Samuel Rodarte Jr. ’13 is a legislative aide for U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano.

Shaping public policy in the nation's capital

Alumni continue an enduring tradition of MIT service.

April 12, 2017

Renato Lima de Oliveira in front of a shipyard in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Grounded in geology

PhD student Renato Lima de Oliveira examines how a country's natural resources affect its politics and policies.

April 6, 2017

MIT Asian security studies faculty (left to right) M. Taylor Fravel, Richard Samuels, and Vipin Narang train the next generation of scholars and security policy analysts; counsel national security officials in the U.S. and abroad; and inform policy through publications and frequent contributions to public debates.

Q&A: Meet MIT's experts in Asian security

Influential team counsels leaders, educates students, and informs policy.

April 3, 2017

In a March 31 talk at MIT, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders discussed his experiences as a presidential candidate and his thoughts about the political process.

Bern notice

In MIT speech, Bernie Sanders contends future of U.S. politics “must be” progressive.

April 3, 2017

3 Questions: Lourdes Melgar on Mexico’s energy reform

MIT alumna, Robert Wilhelm Fellow, and former Mexican government official discusses opportunities and challenges of recent reforms.

March 22, 2017

"This initiative is something that is right at the heart of what MIT stands for," said Professor Thomas Kochan, moderator for the launch event of a new project known as Mens et Manus America. "We believe in solving important problems, contributing collectively wherever we can."

Mens et Manus America initiative launches with documentary event

Over 200 students and faculty attend kickoff as SHASS and Sloan begin an exploration of current U.S. social, political, economic challenges.

March 3, 2017

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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