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Flyer for Sophomore Open House on March 29, 2023
Sophomore Open House

Hear from faculty representatives and current Politics concentrators about the undergraduate program. Lunch will be provided by Tacoria Mexican Street Kitchen.

Class of 2025: Learn more about declaring Politics as your major.

Melissa Lane
Melissa Lane Awarded the Community Engagement Faculty Award
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Melissa Lane Lane was honored for her commitment to service and civic engagement.
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Benjamin Bograd and Kate Gross-Whitaker
Benjamin Bograd and Kate Gross-Whitaker Named Schwarzman Scholars for 2023
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Benjamin Bograd and Kate Gross-Whitaker, along with three other Princeton seniors, are among 151 Schwarzman Scholars representing 36 countries and 121 universities.
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Young woman in dark dress
Zenobia Chan Receives the 2022 Jimmy Carter Award
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Princeton politics student, Zenobia Chan, was one of three conference participants to receive the 2022 Jimmy Carter Award for Best Paper on U.S.-China Relations and Chinese Foreign Policy for her paper ‘Affluence without Influence? The Inducement Dilemma in Economic Statecraft’. 
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Shuk Ying Chan
Shuk Ying Chan wins 2022 Leo Strauss Award from APSA
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Politics PhD alum Chan is a co-winner of APSA's 2022 Leo Strauss Award for best dissertation in political philosophy.
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Nugent Headshot
Elizabeth Nugent wins APSA 2022 Robert A. Dahl Award
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This award is given annually by the American Political Science Association for an untenured scholar who has produced scholarship of the highest quality on the subject of democracy.

Princeton University is actively monitoring the situation around coronavirus (Covid-19) and the evolving guidance from government and health authorities, in keeping with our commitment to ensure the health and safety of all members of the University community. The latest information and resources for members of the Politics Department is available on the University's COVID-19 page.

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Meet the Faculty

Recent News

Melissa Lane
March 24, 2023

Melissa Lane Interviewed on BBC Radio Program on Solon the Lawgiver

Rory Truex headshot
February 3, 2023

Rory Truex Promoted to Associate Professor

Malik playing soccer
January 30, 2023

Politics Undergrad, Malik Pinto, Signs with FC Cincinnati

Nugent Headshot
January 9, 2023

Elizabeth Nugent Published New Article Titled: "Exposure to State Violence and Substance Use"

All News

Events

Mar
29

Sophomore Open House

12:00 PM
127 Corwin Hall
Mar
30

CSDP American Politics Colloquium: Deen Freelon (UNC-Chapel Hill) "Analyzing Social Media Information Quality with PIEGraph"

12:00 PM
300 Wallace Hall
CSDP American Politics Colloquium
Mar
31

QSSC: Filiz Garip (Princeton University)

12:00 PM
Quantitative Social Science Colloquium

All Events

Profile Slideshow Background
Portrait photo of Prof. Nolan McCarty
How are you involved with first-gen students at Princeton?
Until four or five years ago, there wasn’t really any way for me to identify first-generation students or for them to identify me. Then the University set up a series of dinners to get first-gen faculty and students together. These are terrific events, and I attend whenever I can. I really enjoy hearing the students’ stories and sharing mine.
Nolan McCarty
Photo portrait of Amanda Kastern
What do you most enjoy about your work in Politics?
I enjoy my job as manager in the Department of Politics because my staff and I support the mission of the University so directly. It's particularly gratifying when the people we support achieve milestones in their own careers — like when a graduate student defends her dissertation or a junior faculty member is granted tenure.
Amanda Kastern
Portrait photo of Jordan Reimer
Why did you choose to major in Politics?
I chose Politics because it gave me the flexibility to focus the bulk of my academic coursework into a specific field, which for me was Middle Eastern politics. I was able to take several classes in the history, Near Eastern Studies, and religion departments which helped me hone my knowledge base while still maintaining a Politics core.
Jordan Reimer '08
Rory Truex headshot
What advice would you offer a current Politics concentrator who will soon be on the job market?
View the next few years as a time of experiential learning. The fact is, there is probably very little correlation between what people do when they are 22, and what they do when they are 52. This should be liberating! Get off the “5-year-plan” mentality, and find something to do that challenges you. Learn about new people and places. Don’t worry about the career quite yet, there is plenty of time for that.
Rory Truex
Portrait photo of Maya Gainer
Upon graduating Princeton with an A.B. in Politics, what did you do?
After graduating, I spent a year working for the International Rescue Committee in Kenya as a Princeton in Africa fellow. It was an interesting time to be in Kenya, especially working for an organization that mainly assists refugees - Kenya’s refugee policy was changing, and I learned a lot from observing how NGOs responded.
Maya Gainer '13
Portrait photo of Joel Alicea
Why did you choose to major in Politics?
I think the most decisive factor was taking Civil Liberties and American Constitutional Interpretation with Robert George during my freshman spring and sophomore fall semesters, respectively. I found those courses completely engrossing, and I wanted to continue to think about the problems and issues raised in class. I also wanted to have a chance to continue working with Professor George, who challenged me intellectually in a way I had never experienced before.
Joel Alicea '10
Portrait photo of Gayle Brodsky
What motivated you to pursue a career in higher education?
Princeton is a very stimulating environment to be in every day, and my favorite part is the interactions I have with students. As an undergraduate at Penn State, I had a great rapport with my academic adviser, Bernie Bronstein, whose assistance I sought frequently. His guidance made my experience that much smoother and ultimately made me one day want to become a ‘Bernie’ for others. This job has allowed me to serve in the same capacity with many students, which is very enriching.
Gayle Brodsky
Portrait photo of Karen Okigbo
Why did you choose to major in Politics?
As a young scholar, I was fascinated with questions of why. Why do some nations erupt into civil strife? Why are religion and ethnicity salient (and politicized) in some nations? Why are some nations stricken by the maladies of poor governance? The Politics department provided me with the theoretical foundation and analytical tools to best answer these, and many other, questions.
Karen Okigbo '09
Portrait photo of James Williamson
What advice would you offer a prospective student who is considering Politics as their major?
Politics is unique in how well it complements so many other fields. Some easy examples are thinking about area studies and politics and becoming a regional specialist, but there are many more opportunities. Pair computer science with politics – big data is revolutionizing the way political campaigns run in the developed world. Or pair it with finance – the interplay of government and Wall Street is only going to be even stronger.
James Williamson '07
Portrait of Stephanie Rigizadeh
What motivated you to choose a career in the media?
I have the Politics Department to thank for my career thus far in news. If it weren’t for the Mass Media and American Politics course I took during my freshman spring, I never would have set out on this journey.
Stephanie Rigizadeh '15
All Profiles
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