Political Science Blog Archive

ISIS has taken center stage in international policy discussions, growing increasingly infamous for human rights violations and displacing residents of nation-states. In recent weeks, BYU professors and campus guests have provided valuable commentary on the tactics and future of the organization.

From January 28-30, BYU had the opportunity to host an international conference on the causes of populism under the tutelage of Professor Kirk Hawkins of the political science department. Sponsored by the department, Kennedy Center, Wheatley Institution, and Latin American Studies Association, the conference brought together some of the best minds on populism to discuss its root causes and how it spreads. Members of Team Populism, a group of international scholars studying the causes and diffusion of populism as a political discourse, met for the first time in a conference at the BYU London Centre in May 2015.

The BYU Political Science Department had the privilege of welcoming many incredible professionals to campus to address students in the department last semester. Each gave wonderful career and general advice as they relayed their field experiences related to government.

“It’s a great privilege to be able to spend your life learning,” said a BYU graduate about her future in academia. Liz McGuire is a current PhD student of political science at Yale, after earning a bachelor's degree in international relations at BYU. A commitment to learning has always driven McGuire, but academia wasn’t always her goal.

Politics, historically synonymous with the “old boys’ club”, is becoming anyone’s game. As two women run for President of the United States, it is clear that the gender gap in American politics is narrowing, but not closed. The same is true on BYU’s campus, and three female students are doing their best to expedite this process in the Political Science Department.