Facts

Allegheny Distinctions

• An understanding of political behavior.
• An appreciation for U.S. and foreign political institutions and processes.
• A knowledge of enduring issues, gained from exploring values such as freedom, justice, equality, order, and power.
• An understanding of public policy and world order.
• Familiarity with the great texts of Western political thought.
• An ability to accept or refute methodological assumptions and values.
• Critical thinking skills.

Endorsements

• " When I went to law school, I was well prepared for the experience....I felt prepared and confident because I had learned at Allegheny I could surmount any given challenge." - Robert A. Marchman '80, vice president, New York Stock Exchange
• "Allegheny has opened a lot of doors for me.... If you're an Allegheny student, you can go into any discipline you want when you graduate... and be successful." - Carrie Reeves '73, director, Upward Bound, Case Western Reserve University
• Outside evaluation teams have praised the department's effective and innovative curriculum and teaching. One such team noted that Allegheny's faculty "appreciate the importance of research and the discovery of knowledge."
• Several students interning in Washington, D.C. (for example, with the Environmental Protection Agency or the Small Business Administration), have been offered permanent employment "on the spot."
• Political science faculty includes winner of the Thoburn Education Foundation Award for Innovative Teaching, one of just ten Allegheny faculty members to be so honored.
• Each year, a junior or senior attends conferences held by the Center for Study of the Presidency and the Air Force Academy Assembly.
• Allegheny political science majors applying to graduate and professional school have a 90% acceptance rate.
• Since 1929, the department has ranked in the top 3.6% among private, undergraduate institutions in production of eventual Ph.D.s since 1920.

Facilities Strengths

• Workstation class computers provide free student access to the Internet and allow high-speed file transfers and access to supercomputing facilities
• Pelletier Library is a U.S. Government and Pennsylvania State document depository (over 250,000 documents)
• Meadville is county seat; many students are involved in local or state government agencies

Student Research and Special Projects

Every Alleghenian completes a Senior Project in his or her major field. This project represents a significant piece of original research, designed by each student under the guidance of a faculty advisor, that demonstrates to employers and graduate schools the ability to complete a major assignment, to work independently, to analyze and synthesize information, and to write and speak persuasively. Political science projects take two semesters; students first write and defend a project proposal. The department's majors, most of whom write major papers and do independent research before their senior year, traditionally seize the opportunity to investigate current world problems.

Recent Senior Projects

• "Meeting Unmet Needs: The Profound Impact and Advancements of Black Fund-Raising Organizations within the Greater Washington, D.C., Area"
• "Toward a Postmodern Radicalism: Building a Way Out of the Epistemological Dilemma"
• "The Economic and Political Rationales for Anti-dumping Policy: A Case Study of the European Community"
• "The Constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution"
• "Entering a New Epoch: U.S. Intervention in Latin America in the Post Cold-War World"
• "The American-Israeli Connection: A Realist Examination of American Foreign Policy in the Middle East"
• "Vice President Albert Gore and Environmental Legislation"
• "Beyond the Steel Bars: A Critical Analysis of Criminal Disenfranchisement Laws in the U.S."
• "The Irish Republican Army and Transition Theory: Moving from Violence to Peace"
• "The American Incarceration Crisis: A Critical Analysis"
• "Women's Representation in National Legislatures: A Comparative Study of the U.S. and U.K."

Selected Student Achievements

• Winner, Eisenhower Internship with the Republican National Committee -the student helped run a winning campaign for a state house seat.
• Winner, Lyndon Baines Johnson Congressional Internship.
• Two Alleghenians were among the 60 participants honored for their presentations at the 1996 Harvard National Model United Nations.
• Department faculty annually elect top students into Pi Sigma Alpha (national student honor society)
• The Allegheny Model NATO team won first place at the 2002 National Model NATO Conference held at Howard University in Washington, D.C.