American Politics
The
American politics field broadly encompasses institutions (including
Congress, the presidency, and the courts), mass behavior (including
public opinion and political participation) and political organizations
(like parties and interest groups). Our research program and courses are
theoretically driven, but also offer opportunities for students and
faculty alike to engage in applied politics. We have particular
strengths in the study of political psychology, gender and politics, and race and ethnic politics.
Comparative Politics
Comparative Politics as a sub-field is a wide and diverse area of study that deals with politics beyond the U.S. It embraces a range of methodological and theoretical approaches. At the University of Delaware, our comparative politics faculty conduct research in gender and politics in Africa, governance in Africa, comparative political economy with a focus on Europe, populism in Latin America, regionalism in Asia, religion and politics in the Middle East, and ethnic conflict.
International Relations
International Relations (IR) is the study of international and transnational politics broadly understood. Work in the IR subfield is attentive to exchanges and processes among states, peoples, corporations and other economic activity, organizations, transnational actors and movements, as well among the global, regional, and local levels of politics. The IR faculty at the University of Delaware conduct research in areas of historical IR and the historical evolution of the international system; normative IR theory; conflict and peace-building; international security; security studies; political economy; gender and IR; human rights and human security; and global, regional, and transnational governance.
Political Theory and Law
The
subfield of Political Theory consists of offerings in political
theory and law. The political theory subfield focuses on the conceptual
frameworks we use to understand, explain, and evaluate our political
world. Our faculty includes specialists in both theory and law, many of
whom overlap with other subfields in the discipline and who have
interdisciplinary ties with fields including Legal Studies, Women and
Gender Studies, Sexuality and Gender Studies, and Islamic Studies. Our
department includes the study of both the history of ideas and
contemporary political and social theory, with strengths in critical
theory, modern and postmodern political theory, feminist and queer
theory, democratic theory, and Islamic political thought.
