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Department of Political Science
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Department of Political Science

Department of Political Science

The Department of Political Science is dedicated to the creation and transmission of knowledge about politics and political science. Read more »

News & Research Highlights

  • Poli Sci Alumna Honored by White House

    An alumna of the University of Minnesota's Political Science Ph.D program has been named a "Champion of Change" by the Obama administration. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg was honored at the White House on Monday January 30th.
    She was recognized at an event celebrating the achievements of trailblazers in American diaspora communities with roots int he Horn of Africa-- leaders who build strong communities and mobilize networks across borders to address global challenges. The event was hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement in collaboration with the Secretary of State's Office of Global Partnerships and allowed White House officials and agency representatives to participate in discussions with the Champions about the work they are doing. More information can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/champions.

     January 31st, 2012

  • Professor Cathy Cohen

    Cathy Cohen, the David and Mary Winton Green Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, will be on campus January 19, 2012. Professor Cohen will present a talked titled "Politics, New Media and Inequality: From the Occupy Movement to the 2012 Elections" at 4pm in the Cowles Auditorium in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. This event is co-sponsored by the Gender, Sexuality, Power and Politics Colloquium; the Interdisciplinary Workshop on Inequality and Politics; the American Politics Proseminar; the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies; and the Department of Political Science. The event is free and open to the public; a reception will follow Professor Cohen's lecture. Any questions about the event can be directed to Libby Sharrow at shar0139@umn.edu.

    January 3rd, 2012

  • The Political Psychology of Misinformation

    The Political Science Department and the Center for the Study of Political Psychology will be sponsoring the Political Psychology Fall Symposium: The Political Psychology of Misinformation. It will be held on December 9, from 2-4pm in room 1-149 in the Carlson School of Management.
    From persistent doubts about President Obama's birthplace to the tenacity of 9/11 conspiracy theories, contemporary political discourse seems to be marked by a proliferation of demonstrably false beliefs that nevertheless resist disconfirmation in certain quarters. Research has increasingly drawn attention to the underlying psychology of these and other forms of political "misinformation," implicating factors such as the desire to adopt beliefs that are consistent with prior cultural values, information processing biases that support this desire, and cues provided by trusted political leaders. In this symposium, Dan Kahan (Yale Law), Brendan Nyhan (Dartmouth University) and Dhavan Shah (University of Wisconsin-Madison) will discuss this phenomenon from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Paul Goren (University of Minnesota) will serve as a moderator for this panel discussion.

    November 17th, 2011