Commerce and coercion
When responding to disputes with foreign powers, China does not speak with one voice, political science doctoral candidate Kacie Miura finds.
Department
Political Science
After the Cold War, an uncertain peace
In MIT talk, Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, explores tensions between the two countries.
Ethics, computing, and AI: Perspectives from MIT
Faculty representing all five MIT schools offer views on the ethical and societal implications of new technologies.
Study: Democracy fosters economic growth
Researchers find vast gains in productivity after countries democratize.
Understanding ethnic cleansing by mining a trove of text
With his innovative method for analyzing language, political science student Andrew Halterman maps civilian deaths in Syria.
Looking at justice through the lens of political theory
In Bernardo Zacka’s class 17.01, students explore human values and the many ways of imagining a just society.
A bottom-up view of the state
Embedded with street-level bureaucrats, political theorist Bernardo Zacka reveals the complex moral landscape civil servants must navigate.
3 Questions: Stephen Van Evera revisits World War I
A century after its bitter end, the political science professor calls the Great War a wellspring of the 20th century's horrors and tragedies.
Analyzing the 2018 election: Insights from MIT scholars
SHASS faculty members offer research-based perspectives with commentaries, plus a Music for the Midterms playlist, and an election book list.
The aftermath of violence
Investigating the political and economic consequences of large-scale deadly conflict, Volha Charnysh discovers that community-level interactions make a big impact.
![“Even if you look at a clean study, the [outcome] is usually a composite of multiple components, any one of which could be actually causing the effect,” says Associate Professor Teppei Yamamoto.](/sites/default/files/styles/term_page__news_article/public/images/201810/MIT-Yamamoto.jpg?itok=JQxqhoCS)
Refining the “science” of political science
Teppei Yamamoto examines the methods of his discipline, to help scholars nail down cause and effect.
Why the “solid South” of midcentury U.S. politics was not so solid
Associate Professor Devin Caughey’s new book looks at a massive political shift that took place in a one-party region.
Q&A: Luisa Kenausis ’17 — A passion for policy
Alumna builds on her foundation in nuclear policy through a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship.
Elections management in the U.S. is improving
An updated Elections Performance Index from the MIT Election Data and Science Lab evaluates the 2016 election.
Environmental regulation in a polarized culture
Doctoral student Parrish Bergquist investigates how politics affects environmental decision-making.