Merrill Scholars honor mentors at 35th annual ceremony
Forty-three student scholars, including nine from Arts and Sciences, were honored at this year’s 35th Merrill Presidential Scholars ceremony on May 23.
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An environment to engage with politics and political science
Department of Government
The department of government offers students a variety of opportunities to engage with politics and political science, beginning in the classroom, with the chance to work one-on-one with faculty; by participating in internships, and by drawing on the department's ties with programs across the College of Arts and Sciences.
Explore the Department
Government News
Cornell Atkinson awards $1.6M in seed grants
The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability’s Academic Venture Fund will support 11 new projects across nine colleges; three include Arts and Sciences investigators.
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Kreps: Generative AI holds promise, peril for democracies
Popularized in 2022 by Open AI’s ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence threatens to undermine trust in democracies when misused, but may also be harnessed for public good.
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$2.5M in A&S New Frontier Grants supports bold projects
A&S faculty members will delve into questions ranging from quantum computing to foreign policy development and from heritage forensics to effects of climate change.
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Nexus Scholars Program expands research opportunities to 101 students
This summer, 101 students in the College of Arts and Sciences will take part in groundbreaking research on campus with 61 faculty as part of the Nexus Scholars Program.
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'My thesis gave me the chance to connect with my own heritage'
Aditi Hukerikar is a government and comparative literature major.
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'I learned it's possible to impact systems and structures that appear out of reach'
Prameela Kottapalli is a College Scholar, government & feminist, gender and sexuality studies major.
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Vaccine campaign research highlights the power of individual self-interest
Researchers Sarah Kreps and Douglas Kriner surveyed residents of Italy who went unvaccinated, despite strong government policies and penalties.
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Department principles
In fractious times, we reaffirm core principles. The Government Department at Cornell studies and teaches about intolerance, but will not practice it. We write about xenophobia and bigotry, but will not pretend they only exist elsewhere. We research racism, homophobia, and misogyny, but will not permit them to pass unchallenged. Our role as academics has never been inconsistent with our duty as citizens, and we pledge to honor the rich diversity of our students, staff, and faculty. Those who come to us—as students, co-workers, and colleagues—must be free to learn and live without fear, and we urge the administration to declare—promptly and forcefully—that Cornell is a sanctuary campus.
Hire a Cornell Ph.D.
Our doctoral students are trained in all the main fields of the discipline and have extensive research and teaching experience. Government graduates have gone on to outstanding careers in higher education, public service, and the private sector.