Official page for the undergraduate Political Science program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Links/posts do not constitute endorsement.
The political science department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the best political science departments in the country. Members of the faculty are internationally recognized as leading scholars in their respective fields. Just as important, the department takes pride in its strong teaching reputation. Thus, the department reflects an ideal balance between excellence in research an
06/10/2026
In the season finale of 1050 Bascom, Evan sits down with our graduating hosts Heewone Lim and Nama Pandey to reflect on their time at UW and talk about their plans for the future.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3DGYd5m6wReTmDXnwEwDns?si=5d63a663221145b5
Check out this video from Wisconsin Alumni to hear Professor Jon Pevehouse read nice comments from students!
06/02/2026
In this episode of 1050 Bascom, Evan is joined by Professor Michelle Schwarze to learn about Scottish philosopher and political economist Adam Smith amidst the 250th anniversary of his book "The Wealth Of Nations," and to discuss how his work plays into modern political theory.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GLzGfuEmE3paYRf3HQWrd?si=5d6792b779364aa9
05/27/2026
Please join us in congratulating the seven new Doctors of Political Science who completed their Ph.D's this year!
Smiles, tears, and laughs were all shared at our Ph.D. hooding ceremony as each graduating candidate's faculty advisor reminisced over the last five or more years spent with their students, expressing their immense gratitude for the students' hard work, and pride for their accomplishments.
05/26/2026
In this episode of 1050 Bascom, Evan sits down with Laura Miller - poli sci alumna, former mayor of Dallas, and this year's Poli Sci commencement speaker - to discuss her career as an investigative journalist, her transition to city politics, her environmental agenda as mayor of Dallas, and her volunteer work on the Ladder Project - a nonprofit program that works with individuals and families to help them out of poverty and into financial independence.
Listen here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6m8cI50OtVUochDzPC96d8?si=5MPzUISjTouN-_aKpB1OMg
05/20/2026
In one of many graduation week events that we can't stop thinking about, our commencement guest speaker, former Dallas mayor and UW poli sci alum Laura Miller, sat down with poli sci students and members of the GreenHouse Learning Community over lunch to discuss her career at the intersection of politics and environmentalism, and to offer valuable career advice.
05/19/2026
In this episode of 1050 Bascom, Evan is joined by professor Daniel Kapust to discuss his upcoming class on the Declaration of Independence, the document itself, the political theory behind it, and more!
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1PVsOHXmuJfRvE9Q2XOm5M?si=2bf21332bb0b41eb
05/12/2026
In this episode of 1050 Bascom, Evan sits down with Professor Emeritus Dave Weimer to take a look back on his incredible decades-long career, and discuss the challenges faced, the progress in his field, the memories made, and what the future might hold.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rNbY49sHziULhVjzwtWv1?si=ea84da37dce442bf
05/07/2026
Last week, undergraduate honors thesis students had the opportunity to present their research to professors, peers, and TAs in our annual undergraduate poster session. We'd like to extend a huge thank you to all of the thesis students for your hard work and to all the attendees for helping to make this event a success!
05/05/2026
In this episode of 1050 Bascom, Nama and Evan sit down with Professor Benjamin Márquez to reflect on his time at UW-Madison as he prepares to retire at the end of the semester.
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6YjppLqNHTAwrzBVKG8hJX?si=97bca47ed87d4e07