Excelling in Selecting Political Science Essay Topics


Political science is a very broad subject area that encompasses many concepts, theories, ideas, and countless subcategories. One of the most important parts of writing an essay is to make sure you have a strong and focused topic that is backed up with good research. In order to do this, you will need to narrow down your topic so it is more manageable and easier to research. Start by researching the broader fields of political science so you can get a feel for what types of subjects you could write on. Some of the most common categories that can be found under the umbrella of political science include:

  • political figures- the leaders who make the rules and laws and govern nations
  • public policy- the ideas and laws the govern specific areas such as cities or states
  • international relations- the way different countries interact and relate to each other
  • political movements- past or present movements that changes laws or ways of thinking
  • political parties- the different categories political ideas and concepts are placed into

Each major category can then be further broken down into smaller subcategories. This is where you want to focus because a smaller subcategory is easier to write about than a broad and general topic. So if you want to write about public policy, some of the subcategories you could find here include:

  • trade policy- laws specifically governing the transfer of goods and products
  • tax reform- what new regulations are being implemented in regards to taxes
  • health care reform- how new laws and regulations are improving health care

Each topic you choose could be broken into smaller subcategories, so see what focus you can take in order to make your essay more defined and more focused. This will help you get better research and will also help you write a strong paper in the end. Some common subcategories you may see in the political science realm include:

  • liberal vs conservative- opposing views on major political issues
  • foreign trade- how nations interact an support each other
  • embargos- ruling passed against a group or nation for one reason or another
  • uprisings- political changes spurred by the people
  • leader policy- how government leaders act and the laws they are to uphold

Make sure you spend some time looking at all of the options available to you for your essay topic. Choose something interesting and focused and also make sure it is something you are about or are at least interested in!