WELCOME TO THE POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE

I am pleased to welcome you to Political Science, the major that looks at what’s happening in the nation and the world every day. Students can find themselves immersed in politics at the local level—how does the New York City Council work? Or at the national level—how are presidential candidates selected? Or at the international level—how do nations address global issues through the United Nations?

The Political Science Department at Pace offers students the opportunity to get involved in politics at all levels of government. We have been designated an “engaged department” and will be continuing to design courses and develop conferences that help students learn by engagement with the world of politics. During 2004, for example, we have had a series of courses focused on the Presidential campaign. The Road to the White House course required Pace students to train regional high school students to participate in mock presidential conventions in which students represented different state delegations to select the candidates. The Republicans selected President Bush, of course, while the Democrats selected Dennis Kucinich. All the students learned a lot and had a great time doing it.

Pace Model UN teams at both the New York City and Pleasantville campuses are known across the country for their award-winning representations of nations and NGOs (non-governmental organizations). Students research the entity that they represent and then can speak on issues for that state or NGO as if they were in fact the diplomats at the UN themselves. In the fall, students participate in regional competitions. The spring national competition brings students from all over the country, and increasingly from international universities, to New York where they debate and negotiate international questions. The final day of the competition is held at the United Nations.

Please explore the links in this site for more information about the department. I am sure you will find that Political Science is an exciting major that can lead to many interesting careers. Please feel free to contact me or any member of our faculty for more information.

Joseph Franco
Senior Associate Dean
Interim Chair, Political Science
jfranco@pace.edu