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What is the first thing you should do when you are handed a political science research assignment? Political science papers can become overly complicated or too shallow to impress your instructor. By carefully going through well-thought-out political science research topics you stand a chance to write an exceptional paper.
In this article, we will highlight several research paper topics for presentation. Additionally, we will offer a simple guide on how to write a political science research paper.
Political science research questions examples
A research question, develops from broad topics to a more focused question. Conducting preliminary research on your proposed topic helps distinguishing what content is already available for it before deciding to write on it.
Here are some tips to craft a good research question:
- Make use of background knowledge
- Navigate from empirical research questions
- Go beyond basic facts
- Have a discussable topic with no single right answer
Here are a few research question examples:
- What are the elements of a communist country?
- What are the drawbacks of anarchism?
- What is the difference between representative and direct democracy?
- Is a monarchy the same as a dictatorship?
- What are the elements of a nation under a dictator?
- What is the influence of social change on politics in your country?
- What are the elements of a totalitarian government?
- Where does political power come from in the percolation model?
- What is comparative politics?
- Why is political science included in the education system?
- What is the difference between presidential and parliamentary democracy?
- Compare pay amounts among men and women in politics
Political science research paper topics
Political science is one of the most complicated social sciences, but you don’t need to have a difficult time writing one. Here are a few topical ideas:
- The rise of political awareness by meme culture
- Corporate lagging due to late-stage capitalism
- Key figures and events that led to Nazism
- Discuss the necessity of politics
- The role of the internet in shaping politics
- Voter rights versus voter obligations
- What is the effect of voter failing on politics?
- What makes communism such an unstable way of economically governing a country?
- Discuss what the future of the Middle East and the U.S.A look like
- The correlation of modern politics and civil societies
- The elements of geopolitics in the 21st century
- An account of sovereignty on Jean Bodin’s perspective
- The causes of the Iran oil conflict
- Discuss various methods of settling political disputes
- Differentiate between codes of honor and loyalty oaths
- Do retired military officials make good politicians?
Comparative politics research questions
A lot of comparison takes place in politics. Here are a hot research topics that may appeal to you:
- Discuss the difference in educational policies between Australia and the U.S.A
- A comparative review of female education in Afghanistan
- The effects of the economic battle between China and the U.S.A
- A comparative analysis of democratic laboratories on modern federalism
- The comparison of nationalism and other philosophies
- Regional versus national governance
- Politics of drawing up and implementing international treaties
- Models of democracy: a comparative analysis
- The influence of social media on political discord
- Classification of political messages conveyed through American commercial films
- Comparative analysis of electoral systems around the world
- Does a government reserve the right to bar certain people from a country?
- Discuss Islamic and Christian influence on government leadership
Political science research topics
Political science is the study of governance systems, policies, and constitutional laws. Here are several available topics for research:
- The genesis of politics: from ethnic groups to nations
- How do socialites end up being politicians?
- Segregation and apartheid in modern America
- An examination of the fall of the Roman Empire
- The thin line between distinguishing a dictator and a president
- Saviors or traitors: political whistleblowers
- The impact of negotiation on alleviating international conflict
- The influence of negotiation during wartime
- An examination of inequalities in post-conflict justice
Hot Political science research topics
Current events define local and global politics. Applying what you have learned in your political science course on modern trends shows your astuteness as a student. Here are a few ideas to write on:
- Consumerism in Asia: changing aspects
- Rising of terrorist activity in West Africa
- A review of Donald Trump’s proposed impeachment
- The impact of withdrawal of USA, British, and NATO troops from Afghanistan on international politics
- Climate change, migration, and politics
- Is censorship in China tampering with people’s rights
- Discuss the relevance of adopting an international minimum wage
- The political implications of publicly discussing abortion
- The perception of the death penalty among political circles
- The next minority president of the U.S.A
Political science essay topics
An essay is a piece of writing that outlines the perception of the writer on the subject. In political science, it is important to have an objective perception of the various issues you might need to write about. Below are a few essay topics ideas:
- Discuss terrorism as a political instrument
- The relationship between power and morality
- The philosophy of politics
- Discuss the most influential political figures if the 21st century
- Discuss the influence of postmodernism on contemporary politics
- The risks involved in running a neopatrimonialism society
- The main causes of the American revolution
- Is religion a strong political instrument in contemporary politics?
- Compare and contrast between liberalism and republicanism
- Controversy and trouble surrounding amnesty international
- The effect of national security on civil liberty
Interesting political science research topics
Since political science is a social science it may come across as a boring discipline. There are, however, interesting and controversial issues that happen around political science. Take a look at the topical ideas:
- Utilitarianism versus egalitarianism: a comparative analysis
- Discuss the relationship type between the government and the public
- The republic by Plato: analytic analysis
- The alteration of the voting process by technology
- Is contemporary politics too dependent on technology?
- The correlation between environmental issues and modern politics
- The use of fascism after world war II
- Describe the genesis of the Afghanistan war
Political science senior thesis topics
A senior thesis is a project that students undertake during their final year to fulfill their graduation requirements. Below are a few political science research topics for senior thesis papers:
- What should countries focus more on to improve their economies, regional or international trade?
- How do interest groups influence political decisions and public policy?
- How will the large number of African countries influence politics through voting?
- The effect of pardoning violent criminals on society
- Discuss the elements of psychological politics in the contemporary world
- What was the effect of the Biden vs. Trump election on foreign politics?
- What is the single most controversial political decision that has impacted international politics?
- Research on the conflict caused by water scarcity in China
- The influence of public opinion on policies surrounding the disposal of nuclear waster
- The role of political controversy in fueling mass shootings
- Using language to fulfill political agenda: an overview of political propaganda
- An empirical evaluation of the liberty of contract
- Media coverage and framing public opinion of American politics
Political science research topic ideas
A lot of research is needed in political science since getting accurate facts and data is imperative. The following are a few political science research topics available for research on the field:
- What is the correlation between good financial policies between countries in strengthening their political relations?
- Discuss the role of political governance in the proper government of a country faced with unemployment, population explosion, and limited resources
- Discuss the impact of global politics in education around the world
- What circumstances lead to the outbreak of civil war?
- Is it possible for governments to equally distribute economic resources and reduce the gap between the rich and the poor?
- Discuss how the political psychology of a leader is reflected in a leader’s leadership style
- What is the role of a political system in maintaining stability and peace in a nation?
- Discuss the most pressing agendas of global politics that need to be addressed by both poor and rich nations
- Why is it important for a politician to study ground situations before ascending to a rule or law?
- Discuss the importance of a political leader evaluating the mistakes of his predecessors for them to be a better leader
- What is the influence of English as an international language on global politics?
Political science term paper topics
A term paper is an academic paper written by a student over the course of a term or semester on a certain course. A student could write a term paper based on political development, social evolution, and the role of politics in their society. Below are a few political science research topics ideas:
- The failed social experiment of Cuba
- Pros and Cons of the electoral college
- A political analysis of the People’s Republic of China
- The correlation between politics and human evolution
- The political achievements of Barrack Obama
- Empirical research on the U.S and North Korean relations
- Racial and religious profiling in post 9/11 U.S.A in mass media
- Doctrine and reapportionment: The political question
- Comparative legal analysis in sexual harassment
- The correlation between civil society and truth commissions
- Amendments to the equal rights doctrine
Political science literature review topics
A literature review reviews the state of knowledge on a topic or a research question. The relevance of literature review in political science is to analyze the relevance of scholarly material and its contribution to the field.
- An analysis at political diversity among leaders
- Elements of socialism among developing nations
- The correlation between globalization and complex interdependence
- What is the relationship between religion and comparative politics?
- Compare and contrast structural functionalism and systems theory
- Discuss the principal-agent theory
- Evaluate the impact of international organizations and regimes on global politics
- Discuss the correlation between political conflict and resource scarcity
- Discuss the elements and correlation between dependency and development
- Empirical research on feminist international relations
- Political culture
Political science dissertation topics
A dissertation is a piece of academic writing based on original research. The selection of a good research topic is the first step to writing a good dissertation. Here are a few ideas:
- The impact of COvid-19 on global politics
- What is the impact of political extremism?
- Discuss the use of poverty as a political instrument by various political regimes
- What effect does the nuclear threat have on political systems around the world?
- Should political leaders engage in social media?
- Discuss the most significant causes of global poverty
- The impact of anti-corruption agencies in democratic nations
- Elements of ethnicity and racism in international trade agreements
- The role of women in modern war
- Define and expound on the deterrence theory
- Analytical research on spatial modeling
Political science research topics
Research is eminent in a broad social science field such as political science. As such, here are a few suggested topics for exploration:
- Theory of rational choice
- Civil law court versus mediation policies
- Power distribution in the Arctic
- History of European legislators
- Ethics in NGOs
- Analysis of war doctrines: Bush, Clinton, and Obama
How to write a political science research paper
The technical aspect of writing a research paper is usually very challenging for most students. A step-by-step plan of how you will write your paper is the best way to ease the writing process:
1. Choose a research paper topic
Find a topic or event in political science that interests you. Next, browse all available resources that contribute to your topic. If there is not enough material for your topic, then it’s best to find another topic.
Come up with a precise question that you wish to investigate. A good question is the foundation of your paper and will guide your research.
2. Develop a research design
Think through exactly what you need to know during your research. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What data do I need for my research?
- What actions do I need to take to collect data and fulfill my research?
- What events affect my topic of research?
- Where will you collect all the data needed?
- Develop a thesis
A thesis presents the main argument of your research question. The answer to your research question forms the basis of your thesis. The research paper must validate or refute your thesis statement through your arguments. Your research should present the evidence needed to persuade your reader.
3. Cite all your sources
Proper citations prove the legibility and originality of your paper. All academic papers must have references and a bibliography.
4. Write the paper
The final step is to write the political science paper based on your research providing all the needed evidence. To write a well-refined paper, investigate important political science theories. Proofread your paper, and adjust all the corrections needed.
Generally, a political science research paper format is as follows:
- Introduction
Identify your research question and thesis statement at the introductory part of your paper. Explain why your research is relevant to the political science field.
- Literature review
This refers to the scholarly literature that is relevant to your research. Your research should fulfill the literary gaps left out by your scholarly sources. Provide a review of the conceivable explanations for your research question.
- Data
Data is a presentation of the evidence to support or refute your thesis statement. All your arguments should be backed up by evidence.
- Conclusion
The conclusion is a summary of your findings. Be sure to restate your thesis statement in the conclusion. Do not add any new information to your research paper in the conclusion.
Sample political science research paper
Below is a sample of a political science research paper. Follow the structure of the sample to write your research paper.
Covering the split between the state and market
Globalization is the worldwide interaction between people, organizations, and governments. The big question lies, is globalization good for the world economy or not? Different views and opinions have been contributed towards this controversial issue.
It is clear that some countries benefit more than others. Developed countries have a market for their products and services while developing countries enjoy improved infrastructure through foreign investments. The trick is to figure out how gains most from globalization economically and who is being exploited. It is up to a country’s government to reap all the benefits that come from globalization.
The greatest contributing factors to globalization are the internet and computers. The evolution of technology has seen computers turn into portable and mobile devices making access to the internet ubiquitous than ever before.
As globalization has taken foot over the years, it comes with its fair share of problems. Increased investments and economic advancement in a country attract a lot of attention to it. This attention could be both detrimental or warranted to the country in question.
Globalization is not a zero-sum game where some countries win and some come out with nothing. It is worth noting that developed countries have not lowered tax barriers in certain sectors against developing countries. Information technology, intellectual property, and ant-dumping policies have been set up to discriminate against developing countries.
When foreign investments are made, host countries should ensure to cushion against external economic variations that may adversely affect them. For example, when multinationals set up a branch in a developing country changes in policy, organizational structure, and economic conditions could occur at the headquarters. These changes may in turn lead to changes such as layoffs in the branch countries.
One of the strategies to balance state and market splits is regionalization. Regionalization is globalization within a country’s region. Trade agreements between countries that are close together are more likely to work due to their proximity to each other.
Multilateralism, organizing relations between groups of nations, is another way of mending state-market splits. Organizations such as the United Nations and the African Union are examples of such an arrangement. It acts as a great platform for ensuring each member state gets its fair due in a trade agreement and conflict resolution.
In conclusion, globalization has taken root in the contemporary world. The biggest concern however lies in whether globalization contributes negatively or positively towards the world economy. Instances of discrimination have been seen against developing nations instigated by developed nations. There are however solutions such as regionalization and multilateralism that could combat the adverse effects of globalization.
In summary
Political science paper may be complicated or shallow when a wrong topic is chosen. Browsing through well thought-out political science research topics and picking one that appeals you might be your gateway to a good grade. You may pick topics suggested in this article. Use one to write a research paper or use it as a building block to create your topic.