Government
The goal of the Government Department is to engage students in discussion pertaining to the political dynamics of human life through research and intensive writing. Students emerge prepared to shape, analyze, and fully participate in civic life.
About the Major
The study of politics and public affairs at Hamilton has three tracks: government, world politics, and public policy. Government majors are grounded in international relations, American politics, comparative politics, and political theory. Many participate in Hamilton’s program in Washington, D.C., where they get a front-line perspective on the U.S. government, including work in a Congressional or executive office. World politics focuses on a region or theme such as poverty and inequality, democratization, or international law. Public policy is interdisciplinary and includes economics and philosophy.
Students Will Learn To:
- Make reasonable inferences from data and evidence in order to draw logical conclusions about historical and contemporary political phenomena
- Effectively communicate ideas in clear writing
- Use foundational principles of political science to plan and carry out independent research
- Consider alternative perspectives in order to respond to counter-arguments
A Sampling of Courses
The American Founding: Ideals and Reality
An intensive analysis of the philosophical ideals of the Founding Era (1763-1800) and their uneven realization. Social histories of various races, genders and classes will help illuminate the inherent ambiguities, weaknesses, strengths and legacies of the social and political philosophies of late 18th-century America.
Explore these select courses:
This course examines the ways war and processes of militarization impact women in the Global North and the Global South. Discussion will be accompanied by an analysis of categories such as “women,” “gender” and “sexuality” in relation to the “state” and “nation” during periods of warfare and armed conflict. We will engage with a range of interdisciplinary texts on gender and militarism. These narratives will be grounded by theoretical readings that explore the ongoing debates and tensions among feminists regarding nationalism, violence, war and militarization.
Meet Our Faculty
environmental political theory; republican political thought; environmental politics; land-use politics; political geography; climate change
public administration, public ethics, and law and society
international political economy, European politics, U.S. foreign policy
Comparative politics; authoritarian politics; political economy of development; Chinese politics
international security; civil-military relations; coups d'état; international conflict; civil war
democratic theory, modern political thought, and politics of technology
American politics, executive branch institutions, judicial institutions, and bureaucratic politics
comparative politics, international relations, and Middle East politics
American politics, political parties, campaigns and elections, race and American politics
environmental political theory, agrarianism, property and economic thought, and populism
Robert Martin
Sidney Wertimer Professor for Excellence in Advising and Mentoring, Professor of Government
American political thought, democratic theory, early modern political thought, philosophy of social science, and constitutional law
African politics and development; democratization, especially in Africa; civil society and issues of diversity in democracies
U.S. foreign policy, European security policy, and Germany
the international politics of Eurasia, post-communist democratization, and the composition of the Russian elite
post-communist democratization, the composition of the Russian elite, elite survey research, and the diffusion of ideas
Heather Sullivan
Assistant Professor of Government, Director of Latin American Studies
comparative politics, Latin American politics, protest and social movements, political violence, and state capacity
history of political thought, American political thought, work and labor, and the Progressive Era
international law
Energy policy, environmental policy
comparative politics, political theory, Middle East politics, and international security
Theodore Eismeier
Professor of Government Emeritus (retired)
political philosophy, public policy and higher education theory and practice
Edward Walker
Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Global Political Theory Emeritus (retired)
Middle East; State Department Middle East management; U.S. foreign policy decision making; U.N. Security Council; peacekeeping and peacemaking; global trends and threats; terrorism; tools of diplomacy and cultural diplomacy
health, education, and welfare policy; evidence in public-policy decisions; empirical studies of happiness and well-being; the application of quantitative analysis to decision-making
Explore Hamilton Stories
Obiamaka “Obi” Nnadika ’23 wants to create an avenue for effective change within society. Thanks to an inspiring alumnus and a helpful staff mentor, he earned the chance to study off campus.
Febres ’22 to Pursue Immigration Law as Paralegal
After four years of building skills and relationships, Bryce Febres ’22 is headed back to his hometown of Miami to pursue a career in immigration law.
Faculty Experts Share Insight on Ukraine-Russia Conflict
Sol M. Linowitz Visiting Professor of International Affairs Robin Quinville opened a panel discussion on the crisis in Ukraine, hosted on March 4 by the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center.
Careers After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who concentrated in government are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
- Program Analyst, Department of Homeland Security
- Strategic Marketing Coordinator, NBC Universal Media
- Writer, Comedy Central
- Coordinator for Communications & Outreach, U.S. Department of State
- Orthopedic Surgeon
- Advisor & Associate Counsel, Republican National Committee
- Maynard-Knox Professor of Government, Hamilton College
- Founder/Executive Director/President, New England Center for Children
- Director, Foreign Exchange Distribution, UBS Securities LLC
- President & CEO, Texas International Education Consortium
- Senior Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of the Interior
Contact
Department Name
Government Department
Clinton, NY 13323
