Preface
Introduction to Political Science was originally authored by Mark Carl Rom, Masaki Hidaka, and Rachel Bzostek Walker, and published by OpenStax, Rice University. It is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). The original work is available at openstax.org. This version has been adapted for use in the Universal Open Textbook Initiative.
About Introduction to Political Science
Introduction to Political Science introduces the broad scope of the political science discipline in a holistic manner via logically connected conceptual building blocks. Rather than discussing theory, comparative politics, and international relations in a purely siloed manner, Introduction to Political Science incorporates major themes from the various subfields of the discipline in a more inclusive fashion. The text focuses on actors, beginning with an examination of individual political actors and then moving on to discuss the actions and interactions of political groups, institutions, and states and international relations. Introduction to Political Science focuses on how and why political realities unfold, from the beliefs and behaviors of individuals to the policies and practices of states.
Introduction to Political Science is designed so that students will see themselves as a part of the world of politics and political science, emphasizing the role that politics and government play in students' lives and how students can further contribute to civil society. Rather than focusing exclusively on the United States, text chapters discuss politics and government within the United States as a part of a discussion of larger concepts that apply around the world. The text uses a diverse range of international examples to illustrate these concepts. It seeks to include a variety of perspectives and scholarship, including both widely accepted foundational ideas and prominent views from underrepresented, oppressed, and dissenting voices. The Changing Political Landscape features discuss topics such as the growing numbers of women in legislatures and on high courts around the world, changing family structures, and United Nations efforts to involve young people in the fight against racism. In addition to providing thorough explorations of traditional Western perspectives, Introduction to Political Science introduces students to feminism, indigenism, conservative populism, fusionism, and critical race and gender theory. Diversity concerns are inherent in much of the discussion, as the ways in which majorities and minorities interact are central to political decision-making and public policy.
Because not all students who take an introduction to political science course will go on to major in political science, Introduction to Political Science makes connections to broad concepts that transcend course boundaries and emphasizes how the skills students build when learning about political science apply in other fields, in the workforce, and throughout life.
Pedagogical Foundation
Learning Outcomes
Every module begins with a set of clear and concise learning outcomes that can guide instructors and students and that they can use to measure understanding. After completing the module, students should be able to demonstrate mastery of the learning outcomes.
Key Features
- The Changing Political Landscape highlights and illustrates how changing demographics affect politics and political science.
- Where Can I Engage? provides specific ideas and connections to organizations involved in civic engagement.
- What Can I Do? outlines political science skills and "soft skills" connected to chapter material that are in demand in today's job market, both within and outside the field of government and politics.
- Show Me the Data presents and dissects data visualizations to help students develop their data interpretation skills as well as their substantive knowledge of politics.
- Connecting Courses links chapter content and concepts to other courses in the general curriculum as well as to common electives.
- Meet a Professional introduces students to a diverse variety of professionals working in fields related to politics and political science.
Section Summaries
End-of-chapter summaries, broken down by chapter sections, distill the information in each chapter.
Key Terms
Key terms appear in bold and are followed by a definition in context. Key terms are also listed, with definitions, at the end of the chapter.
Review Questions
Multiple-choice review questions at the end of each chapter provide opportunities for students to apply and test the information they learn.
Suggested Reading
These curated suggestions offer students classic and contemporary resources for further learning.
About the Authors
The authors wish to express their deep gratitude to Terri Wise for her skillful editing and gracious shepherding of this manuscript.
Senior Contributing Authors
Mark Carl Rom, Georgetown University
Dr. Mark Carl Rom is an associate professor of government and public policy at the McCourt School of Public Policy and the Department of Government. His recent research has focused on assessing student participation, improving grading accuracy, reducing grading bias, and improving data visualizations. Previously, Rom has explored critiques and conversations within the realm of political science through symposia on academic conferences, ideology in the classroom, and ideology within the discipline. He continues to fuel his commitment to educational equity by serving on the AP Higher Education Advisory Committee, the executive board of the Political Science Education section (ASPA), and the editorial board of the Journal of Political Science Education. Rom received his BA from the University of Arkansas and his MA and PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992.
Masaki Hidaka, American University
Masaki Hidaka has a master of public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where she wrote her thesis on media coverage of gaming ventures on Native American tribal lands. She completed her PhD at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, where her dissertation examined the relationship between issue publics and the Internet. She is currently a professorial lecturer at the School of Public Affairs at the American University in Washington, DC, but has taught in numerous institutions, including the National University of Singapore, University College London, and Syracuse University in London.
Rachel Bzostek Walker, Collin College
A native of Fort Worth, Rachel Bzostek Walker is the associate dean of academic affairs at Collin College Technical Campus in Allen, Texas. She earned her PhD in political science from Louisiana State University and has a master's in Israeli politics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her dissertation focused on the preemptive or preventive use of force, and she continues to research in this area as well as exploring the use of active learning in the classroom. She taught full-time for over 15 years at colleges and universities in Missouri, California, and Texas.
Contributing Authors
Emilia B. Carvalho, Lone Star College
Rebecca Eissler, San Francisco State University
Terri Susan Fine, University of Central Florida
Cassandra Khatri, Lone Star College
Timothy Lim, California State University, Los Angeles
Brenda Norton, Angelo State University
Robert Postic, University of Findlay
Joseph Prud'homme, Washington College
Shyam Krishnan Sriram, Gonzaga University
Victoria Williams, Alvernia University
Reviewers
Danny M. Adkinson, Oklahoma State University
Maneesh Arora, Wellesley College
Brittany Arsiniega, Furman University
R. R. Asaadi, Portland State University
Brian Blanchard, Collin College
Shawna M. Brandle, City University of New York
Mark D. Brewer, University of Maine
Sharon Deubreau, Rhodes State College
Brian Dille, Mesa Community College
Kyle Estes, Occidental College
Terri Susan Fine, University of Central Florida
Leah Graham, University of North Alabama
Margaret Hanson, Arizona State University
Bill Joseph, Wellesley College
Jared Larson, Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Daniella Mascarenhas, Xavier University of Louisiana
Jeffrey Moyer, visiting lecturer, Northeastern University
Carolyn Myers, Southwestern Illinois College
Todd R. Patterson, Northampton Community College
Robert Postic, University of Findlay
Jessica Roisen, St. Ambrose University
Jacob Shively, University of West Florida
Shyam Krishnan Sriram, Gonzaga University
Joseph Stewart, Clemson University
Harvey Strum, Russell Sage College
Rosalinda Valenzuela, Collin College
Francesca Vassallo, University of Southern Maine
Answers to Questions in the Book
The end-of-chapter Review Questions are intended for homework assignments or classroom discussion; thus, student-facing answers are not provided. The Instructor Manual includes answers to the Review Questions, questions within activities and for classroom discussion, which instructors may use with students at their discretion. The answers to these questions are typically open-ended and depend upon how the activities are used; for these questions, standard responses are not available.
Additional Resources
Instructor resources for this book include a comprehensive instructor's manual, a test bank with 400 questions, and PowerPoint lecture slides. These are available through the OpenStax instructor resources page for this book. Instructors can also find and share community-created teaching materials at oercommons.org/hubs/OpenStax.