NEW! 
Please note that the following changes have been made to the Government Major and Minor requirements:
 
For the class of 2012 and after:   Requirements for a MAJOR in government are a minimum of ten courses and 33 credit hours including GO 101, 102, and 103 and at least one course from each of the following four areas: American government, comparative government, international relations, and political theory as well as three additional government courses.  Note:  To fulfill college maturity-level requirements, at least six credits of 300-level government courses must be taken in the senior year.

For the class of 2012 and after:  The government MINOR consists of six courses with a minimum of 18 credit hours to be determined in consultation with the department chair and the student's government-faculty advisor, but must include two of the following:  GO 101, 102, or 103.  Additionally, at least two courses must be taken at the 300 level.

2008 ACADEMIC PRIZES

 The Henry C. Galant Prize:
Tyler P. Arnot '08
Established to honor Henry C. Galant, Professor of Government, 1954-1986, and awarded to a major who has excelled in the study of comparative politics.

The Susan Riley Gunderson '64 Prize:
Benjamin Yelin '08
Established by Mr. and Mrs. Neil Riley, and awarded to a major in government for outstanding work in the field of American government.

The Erwin L. Levine Prize in Government:
Charlotte Underwood '08
Established to honor Erwin L. Levine, Professor of Government, 1961-1988, and awarded to a major in government who has done outstanding work in political theory, preferably in American political thought.

The Henry T. Moore Prize in Government:
Christopher J. Markham '08
Established in honor of Henry T. Moore, President of Skidmore College, 1925-1957, and awarded to a government major who has excelled in the study of international relations.

The Government department seeks to instill in its students a lively interest in politics, in how political systems work and how we can make them work better, in contemporary political issues, in international relations and foreign policy, in political theory, and in the law.

Skidmore offers a comprehensive program, reflecting the broad discipline of political science, as students take three required introductory courses and then advanced courses in each of four areas: American government, comparative government, international relations, and political theory. These courses satisfy those wishing to concentrate in a particular area, those with definite graduate plans, and those who are simply exploring the field.

Our main goal is to help students think analytically and critically about political issues. We do this by developing students' knowledge of the four subdisciplines of political science, by cultivating in them the analytical skills they need to understand political issues, and by enhancing their abilities to assess critically political situations and problems from both empirical and normative perspectives.

In terms of knowledge, we aim to provide students with the historical and contemporary information they need to understand national and international political structures, behaviors, and ideas. In terms of analytical skills, we seek to offer students the methodological and technical training they require to read texts carefully; collect, analyze, and interpret data; and communicate their conclusions effectively and elegantly. In terms of critical abilities, we teach students to examine political issues and problems from both empirical and ethical viewpoints as a first step toward developing policy recommendations that can improve political participation, processes, and outcomes.