Students in the Political Science Department at Duquesne University examine the relationships among individuals, groups, institutions, and governments.
Political science majors can choose from four concentrations:
Law & Politics
American Politics & Policy
International Politics
National Security & Civil Liberty
These four concentrations are also available as a minor for non-political science majors, plus the general Political Science minor.
Political Science (POSC) and International Relations (IR) double majors
Political Science (POSC) and International Security Studies (ISS) double majors
Political Science (POSC) and any other major
Requirements and list of approved concentration courses.
This department and the Center for International Relations are both in the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts.
Department of Political Science
503 College Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15282
Email: politicalscience@duq.edu
Phone: 412-396-6485
The Arab Spring by
The Arab Spring unexpectedly developed in late 2010 with peaceful protests in a number of Arab countries against long-standing, entrenched regimes, and rapid political change across the region ensued. The Arab Spring: Change and Resistance in the Middle East examines these revolutions and their aftermath. Noted authorities writing specifically for this volume contribute chapters focusing on countries directly or indirectly involved, illuminating the immediate and long-term impacts of the revolutions in the region and throughout the world. A thoughtful concluding chapter ties together key themes, while also delineating persistent myths and misinterpretations. This is an essential volume for students and scholars of the Middle East, as well as anyone seeking a fuller understanding of region and what may lie ahead.
Eclipse of Man by
Tomorrow has never looked better. Breakthroughs in fields like genetic engineering and nanotechnology promise to give us unprecedented power to redesign our bodies and our world. Futurists and activists tell us that we are drawing ever closer to a day when we will be as smart as computers, will be able to link our minds telepathically, and will live for centuries--or maybe forever. The perfection of a "posthuman" future awaits us. Or so the story goes. In reality, the rush toward a posthuman destiny amounts to an ideology of human extinction, an ideology that sees little of value in humanity except the raw material for producing whatever might come next. In Eclipse of Man, Charles T. Rubin traces the intellectual origins of the movement to perfect and replace the human race. He shows how today's advocates of radical enhancement are--like their forebears--deeply dissatisfied with given human nature and fixated on grand visions of a future shaped by technological progress. Moreover, Rubin argues that this myopic vision of the future is not confined to charlatans and cheerleaders promoting this or that technology: it also runs through much of modern science and contemporary progressivism. By exploring and criticizing the dreams of post humanity, Rubin defends a more modest vision of the future, one that takes seriously both the limitations and the inherent dignity of our given nature.
The Global Right Wing and the Clash of World Politics by
This book is an eye-opening account of transnational advocacy, not by environmental and rights groups, but by conservative activists. Mobilizing around diverse issues, these networks challenge progressive foes across borders and within institutions. In these globalized battles, opponents struggle as much to advance their own causes as to destroy their rivals. Deploying exclusionary strategies, negative tactics and dissuasive ideas, they aim both to make and unmake policy. In this work, Clifford Bob chronicles combat over homosexuality and gun control in the UN, the Americas, Europe and elsewhere. He investigates the 'Baptist-burqa' network of conservative believers attacking gay rights, and the global gun coalition blasting efforts to control firearms. Bob draws critical conclusions about norms, activists and institutions, and his broad findings extend beyond the culture wars. They will change how campaigners fight, scholars study policy wars, and all of us think about global politics.
The Middle East and the United States by
The fifth edition of the acclaimed The Middle East and the United Statesbrings together scholars and diplomats from the Middle East, Europe, and North America to provide an objective, cross-cultural assessment of U.S. policy toward the Middle East. This new edition has been substantially revised and updated into the Obama administration to explore such topics as: the 2003 Iraq War and why the U.S. decided to invade; Islamist perceptions of U.S. involvement in the Middle East; and the relationships between the U.S. and Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Afghanistan. The Middle East and the United Statesalso features five entirely new chapters discussing the superpowers and the Middle East throughout the Cold War; the Bush and Obama administrations and the Arab-Israeli conflict; contemporary U.S.-Syrian relations; the importance of ideology to US-Iranian relations under the last three administrations; and U.S. relations with Al Qaeda. A reorganization of the contributions in the fifth edition also places greater emphasis on current events.
Disjointed Ways, Disunified Means by 
The Vega Factor by
How oil volatility is affecting the global political scene, andwhere the oil market is heading The world is rapidly moving towards an oil environment definedby volatility. The Vega Factor: Oil Volatility and the NextGlobal Crisis takes an in-depth look at the most importanttopics in the industry, including strategic risk, why traditionalpricing mechanisms will no longer govern the market, and how thecurrent government approaches have only worsened an already badsituation. Details the industry's players, including companies, traders,and governments Describes the priorities that will need to be revised, and thepolicies needed to achieve stability Explains how today's oil market is fundamentally different fromthe pre-crisis market Oil prices affect everyone. The Vega Factor explains thenew international oil environment of increasing consolidation anddecreasing competition, and reveals how consumers and investors cannavigate price volatility and new government policies.
Political Science students can assist world-renown scholars in their research.
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