The Department also offers a graduate program in Political Science with 70 active PhD students.
Welcome to the Department of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, home to the Legal Studies and Political Science baccalaureate programs and the MA, Accelerated MA, and PhD in Political Science. The Department of Political Science and Program in Legal Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is comprised of 36 full-time faculty and two undergraduate majors, Polit
12/04/2023
Political scientist Charli Carpenter traveled to New York this week, accompanied by a group of former and current UMass students affiliated with Human Security Lab, to present research findings on the impact of the nuclear ban treaty on the strength of the nuclear taboo.
11/28/2023
Charli Carpenter, Director of the Human Security Lab and Professor of Political Science, is quoted in a commentary on international law in the context of the Israel-Hamas war. However imperfect, international law helps to distinguish “between ‘civilized’ violence and outright barbarity,” Carpenter says. (Bloomberg, 11/16/23; redistributed by Portland Press Herald [Maine], 11/21/23)
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11/28/2023
“The language in the Code of Conduct is exceedingly vague. Most importantly, there appears to be no enforcement mechanism. So, I read this code of conduct as an acknowledgement of the criticisms the Court is currently facing – which has resulted in historically low public approval – but not as a serious effort to address the ethical issues facing the Court.” Paul Collins, Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, comments on the new code of ethics released by the U.S. Supreme Court on November 13. (Miami Herald, 11/14/23)
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11/28/2023
Paul Musgrave, Professor of Political Science, describes how global brands are often forced to pick sides in times of war. “The more global a brand becomes, the more likely it is to be entangled in international disputes, and the more picking a side comes with costs, even for the softest of products like fizzy drinks or ice cream,” he writes. (Foreign Policy, 11/24/23)
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11/17/2023
Paul Musgrave, Professor of Political Science, penned an analysis of the Nov. 8 Republican presidential debate, noting differences and agreements between "the hawks and the isolationists." "This degree of intraparty division about the purpose of foreign policy is reminiscent of earlier eras," writes Musgrave, highlighting transformative historic events. "The Debate Reveals a Brutal Reality About Republican Foreign Policy - The party is headed toward a belligerent place, no matter who wins the nomination".
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11/17/2023
“The language in the Code of Conduct is exceedingly vague. Most importantly, there appears to be no enforcement mechanism. So, I read this code of conduct as an acknowledgement of the criticisms the Court is currently facing – which has resulted in historically low public approval – but not as a serious effort to address the ethical issues facing the Court,” Professor Paul Collins, Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies.
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11/17/2023
“Voter turnout in the U.S. continues to be skewed by socioeconomic status — more money, education — and the frequency of elections predicts the likelihood of political engagement. There is a need to attend to the factors that drive that reality, including the ease of registering and voting and the limits of a two-party system.”
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10/26/2023
A 2022 UMass Poll measuring voters’ belief in the “great replacement” theory is cited in an article laying out former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s potential path to the Republican presidential nomination. The poll found that two-thirds of Republicans endorse some form of the tenets of the theory, which claims that the growth in the number of immigrants in the U.S. means the country is in danger of losing its culture and identity.
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10/26/2023
There is ongoing coverage reporting results of a new UMass Poll that assessed the approval of Massachusetts elected officials and also measured opinions about the housing shortage in Massachusetts and the state of the MBTA. Ten months into her term, 58% of all respondents – including over 25% of Trump voters – approve of Gov. Maura Healey’s performance, while more than half say she has not handled the housing shortage well.
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10/26/2023
Paul Musgrave, Professor of Political Science, is quoted in an article examining the predicament McDonald’s finds itself in as franchises in the Middle East have weighed in on opposing sides of the Israeli-Hamas conflict, with branches in Muslim countries disavowing a decision by McDonald’s Israel to provide free meals to the Israeli military. “We’re in a post-‘Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention’ world now for sure,” Musgrave says, citing the idea that two countries with McDonalds would never go to war with each other. “Even though Russia and Ukraine both had McDonald’s in 2022, they still went to war. Now, conflicts within the McDonald’s empire mirror the real stresses and passions of the region.”
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10/18/2023
‼️CAREER BLAST‼️
(Well not literally…)
🗓:Tuesday October 24th
⏰: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
📍: Campus Center Auditorium
See you there!
10/18/2023
Mark your calendars for November 8! It’s the Legal Studies BIPOC OPEN HOUSE for BIPOC majors and prospective majors!
A great opportunity to connect with peers, the faculty, and eat goood food🙌🏾
🗓: Wednesday, November 8
⏰: 4-6 p.m.
📍: Legal Studies Lounge (2nd Flr Thompson Hall)