Chair's Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Political Science at Hofstra University. On this page you will find links to the various aspects of our program, including information about our faculty, our undergraduate program, student organizations, internship programs, and departmental alumni.

Aristotle long ago characterized politics as the "queen of the sciences," suggesting that its processes and outcomes structured virtually all aspects of our lives.  Inevitably, therefore, the study of politics has attracted some of the greatest minds in history.  The Framers of the United States Constitution, for example, drew upon both ancient ideas and contemporary experience as they sought to resolve the continuing struggle between power and liberty.  Political science in its modern incarnation retains a healthy respect for the questions raised by political theory in the past, but also seeks to bring to the study of politics the power of the scientific method.  The goal of modern political science is to provide the most accurate possible explanation of how politics works in the "real world."  With such knowledge--and with the critical thinking skills gained from the study of political science--students will become better citizens, more effective participants in public affairs, and better professionals in any job that deals with the public sector.

As the study of power and influence within and among nation-states, political scientists ask and try to find answers to some very important questions:

• Why are some people more powerful than others?
• Why do so few Americans participate in politics?
• What is the role of the media in shaping people’s beliefs about politics?
• What makes some presidents successful and others not?
• Why does Congress work the way it does?
• What forces shape the Supreme Court's decisions?
• How do political systems and economic systems interact?
• What is the impact of political corruption?
• How can a society balance personal freedoms with the demands of national security?
• Why do wars and terrorism exist in the international political system?
• How do developing nations balance the competing pressures for tradition and for change?
• What do international organizations like the United Nations contribute to world peace?

Dr. Rosanna Perotti