University of Minnesota Political Science

Join the Department of Political Science for Views from the U: The Political Science of Election 2024. Experts from our department will discuss and answer your questions on modern politics, the state of the election, political polarization, changing demographics, domestic & foreign policy implications of this election, and more!

This free event will take place on October 29, 6:30-8:00pm, at the Humphrey School and online via Zoom.

Learn more and register at z.umn.edu/Views2024.

The Ukrainian-American Community Center in Minneapolis shared Professor Kathleen Collins' recent piece on the moral necessity to support Ukraine. Check out the center if you're interested in informational events about Ukraine, and check out Kathleen's piece!

Kathleen Collins: Support Ukraine’s victory out of moral necessity and for national security A dictator’s genocidal war for empire.

Born after the 1979 Iranian Revolution in a politically charged environment, Arash Davari believes that pursuing political science helped him to “make sense of (his) place in the world.” Now an assistant professor in our department, Davari talks about his research, professorship, and future at the U.

Arash Davari: Revolutions, Politics, and the Now Born in post-revolution Iran, Arash Davari believes a huge portion of his life has been shaped by politics. “I’ve spent most of my life in environments and contexts where politics is present, even when it's not explicitly present,” he says. Now an assistant professor in the political science d...

We are excited to be co-sponsoring The Politics of Futurity! This free event on December 1st will discuss what it means to be a world builder. Registration requested. More information is available at https://ias.umn.edu/events/ias-thursdays-politics-futurity

Professor Tanisha Fazal speaks with The New Yorker about the wounded-to-killed ratio of Russian soldiers and what it means for Ukraine.

How the War in Ukraine Might End In recent years, a small group of scholars has focussed on war-termination theory. They see reason to fear the possible outcomes in Ukraine.

Our signature event, ‘Views from the U’ is back for the 2022 election. This free event on October 26th will feature our department’s expert opinions on modern politics and the 2022 election. Registration requested. More information is available at http://z.umn.edu/Views2022

Congratulations to Political Science alumni W. Anders Folk (BA ‘98, German and political science) and Sandra Larson (BA ‘59, political science)!

W. Anders Folk: "Served his country, continues to serve his community: W. Anders Folk earned undergraduate degrees and his JD at the University of Minnesota while also serving as a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps. Considered one of the highest-ranking lawyers in the federal government, Folk serves as senior counsel in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, leading with analysis and compassion."

Sandra Larson: "A visionary leader in social justice: Sandra Larson transformed the Management Assistance Project for Nonprofits into one of the largest management support organizations in the country. Her impressive body of work, which “mirrors the community at large,” has spanned nearly four decades in the nonprofit, volunteer, corporate and public sectors. "

Thank you both for your work serving the community.

2022 Alumni of Notable Achievement Award and Emerging Alumni Award winners Announcement of the winners of the Alumni of Notable Achievement Award as well as the Emerging Alumni Award.

Check out this event from The Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies! They are hosting film screenings and opportunities to discuss these films with their directors. All of these Spanish films are presented with English subtitles and tell real-life stories, bringing them to life. These stories include the struggle of migrants, social and political strife, and human rights.

These directors' visits are co-sponsored by the UMN Center for German & European Studies, Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies, Global Studies, Moving Image, Media & Sound Studies.

The Iberian Studies Initiative presents four Spanish films and Q&As with the directors Films include Platillos volantes and El sustituto by director Óscar Aibar and Idrissa: Crónica de una muerte cualquiera and Tarajal: Desmontando la impunidad en la frontera sur by director Xavier Artigas. Two screenings feature Q&As with the directors.

Kathryn Pearson, associate professor of political science, is quoted in an article on voting trends among suburban women.

Suburban women weigh crime, inflation and abortion in Minnesota midterm election The critical voting bloc helped elect Joe Biden two years ago, but Republicans say they're making inroads.

"It’s easy to reduce the murder on Aug. 10 to systematic racism. But that’s only, at best, a partial explanation." UMN Political Science Professor August Nimtz on the economic causes of violence.

Another ‘senseless’ downtown Minneapolis murder, or, another tragedy of capitalism? | MinnPost It’s easy to reduce the murder on Aug. 10 to systematic racism. But that’s only, at best, a partial explanation.