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The College of Arts & Sciences
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.
In classes, research and through the new Cornell Center on Democracy, faculty are collaborating to study democratic declines, as well as strategies for strengthening the republic we still have. Cornell’s role in strengthening democracy is broad – faculty research guides democracies throughout the world, alumni serve in top government and public service positions, public engagement efforts boost community and policy organizations and, perhaps most importantly, students on campus are gaining the knowledge and communication skills they’ll need to move democracy forward.
Peter Katzenstein, professor in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, has received the APSA James Madison Award for distinguished contributions to political science. The honor recognizes his influential scholarship, mentorship and leadership across international relations, political economy, culture and national security.
Twenty new faculty have joined the College of Arts & Sciences this year, strengthening departments and programs with their wide-ranging expertise and filling numerous leadership roles for the College and university.
Cornell College of Arts and Sciences scholars are among the 42 faculty members and staff from 19 Cornell schools, colleges and units named Engaged Fellows for 2026-2027, the largest cohort since the program’s launch in 2013.
A forecast model developed by Cornell College of Arts and Sciences government professor Peter Enns and graduate students predicts that Democrats have an 8 in 10 chance of securing a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives this fall. The model has correctly predicted winners of the previous 14 congressional elections.
A flood at the Nepal-Tibet border is testing regional cooperation, says Allen Carlson, a government professor in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. The disaster raises questions about China’s transparency, long-term relief role in Nepal, and the future geopolitical dynamics of the Himalayan region.
New York Times obituary writer and Cornell College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Sam Roberts explores obituary journalism in his new memoir, Are They Dead Yet?. As a piece on the Cornellians website explains, the book examines how notable lives are chronicled and reflects on the enduring value of life stories.
The Government Department at Cornell is committed to free speech and academic freedom, to creating and sustaining a community all of whose members can teach, study, work and thrive, whatever their backgrounds or beliefs, without fear of intolerance, bigotry, harassment, or reprisal. Cornell University is justifiably proud of having committed itself to an affirmative responsibility to protect academic free speech, including extramural speech. It has declared this to be a year of "freedom of expression" at Cornell. We reaffirm.
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.