New course encourages students to embrace disagreement
A new course being offered will give students the chance to consider some of the most polarizing issues in our world today.
Read more
As a government major, you’ll learn how to think and write rigorously and creatively about issues of public life. You’ll have the choice of courses in four subfields: American politics (the political behavior, policies and institutions of the U.S.), comparative politics (the institutions and political processes of other nations), political theory and philosophy (normative theories of politics and history of political thought) and international relations (transactions between states, international organizations and transnational actors).
Academic Resources
A wide array of opportunities
Undergraduate Program
Course offerings reflect the breadth of faculty expertise in this exciting and growing discipline, and the study of Government at Cornell trains students with skills that are in high demand in public service, business, law, the non-profit sector, and many other professions. Our introductory courses in American politics, comparative politics, political theory, and international relations introduce students to the major tools and approaches to the study of politics. From there, students apply these tools to understand the many facets of public life, from contemporary political thought to campaigns and elections, public policy, conflict and peace, and beyond. The Department of Government not only offers a major program, but also an honors program and two minors.
Graduate Program
The graduate program in Government at Cornell prepares students for academic and research careers in political science. All students admitted to the program are expected to earn a doctoral degree. Completion of the Ph.D. program normally requires two-to-three years of full-time course work at Cornell and several additional years of dissertation research and writing.
Government News
‘National hero’ honor for Suharto speaks to enduring authoritarian influence in Indonesia
President Prabowo’s decision to confer the title underscores how Suharto’s legacy continues to shape Indonesian politics today, says a Cornell government professor who studies political and economic systems in Southeast Asia.
Read more
Is Mamdani’s win indicative of a new wave in national politics? Not likely says Cornell expert
New York City is too unique for Mamdani's victory to mean much for national politics, says professor of government Richard Bensel.
Read more
How hundreds of letters home connect a Cornellian family
A student chronicled her life in the ’50s and ’60s—then shared those memories with her daughter and granddaughter – who's now an A&S alumna.
Read more
Lund debate kicks off yearlong conversation on foreign aid 
Faculty members discussed the value of international aid in the wake of the Trump administration’s policy that froze foreign assistance.
Read more
SNAP benefit lapse: U.S. ‘officially losing’ war on poverty
The loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits November 1 if the government shutdown holds benefits will have profound repercussions for democracy, says government scholar Jamila Michener.
Read more
Your October 2025 reads
This month’s featured titles include short stories, a fantasy book for tweens, and a scholarly look at Carmen adaptations – all by Arts & Sciences alumni and faculty.
Read more
U.S. returning to ‘familiar pattern’ of interventionism in Latin America
Trump's move to cut aid to Columbia and enact tariffs is the latest in a string of escalating tensions between the U.S. and countries in Latin America, says Cornell government professor Ken Roberts.
Read more