Politics is about power, conflict and ideas. The study of politics involves analysis of the ways in which individuals and groups define and interpret political issues and seek to shape government decisions. It encompasses a broad spectrum of activities relating to public affairs, from elections and bureaucracies to wars and terrorism. Because it is at the junction of power and morality, politics has always attracted the attention of philosophers and historians, and its study, originating in Athens in the fourth century BC, is the seed bed of all the social sciences. Politics graduates have a range of skills and can fit into a variety of positions in modern life. Our former students have followed careers in business and banking, in the law, in central and local government, in teaching and research, in public and university administration, and in journalism and television.

The LSE Government Department, which brings together staff from many parts of the world, covers almost all areas of political studies, and represents a comprehensive range of academic approaches and expertise. In studying for one of the degrees offered by the Department, you will follow courses from a range of sub-fields in political science: comparative politics, rational choice theory, political economy, public administration and public policy, European politics and political theory. You will learn about the concepts and theories which underpin the study of politics, including ideas such as justice, democracy, liberty, sovereignty and rights. You will compare political phenomena in a variety of cultures and countries, learning about the diversity of political processes and using empirical analysis to answer broad theoretical questions about the political world.