Photo: University of Essex . from United Kingdom (CC BY 2.0)
Job description
Political scientists develop and test theories using evidence from sources like interviews, historical papers, case law, and polling data, then collect and analyze data such as election results and public opinion surveys to draw conclusions. Findings typically get shared through academic publications, written reports, or public presentations, and many political scientists also teach and advise students in a university setting. A master's degree opens many policy-focused roles, while a PhD is the standard credential for academic and dedicated research positions.
Pros
- High upside earning potential, up to $195k, with strong pay even at entry level
- Work blends teaching, research, and advising, giving variety across academic and policy roles
- Desk-based, structured work environment with predictable day-to-day demands
Cons
- Above-average hours, expect more than a standard 40-hour work week
- Employment projected to shrink over the next decade (-3.1%), a rare contracting field
- Only about 500 positions nationwide, a small and geographically limited job market
A typical day
The morning goes to research: running regressions on a dataset of legislative votes, or coding interview transcripts from fieldwork, chasing whether the evidence actually supports the hypothesis. Before lunch there's a team meeting — many political scientists work at think tanks or agencies, and a policy brief on election administration is due Friday. The afternoon splits between writing (a journal article, a report chapter, a memo translating findings for non-academics) and a seminar or briefing where the work gets challenged in real time. The job's rhythm is long, quiet analysis punctuated by moments of public defense.
Tasks at the job
- Teach political science.
- Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions.
- Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources.
- Disseminate research results through academic publications, written reports, or public presentations.
- Advise political science students.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret data, such as election results and public opinion surveys, reporting on findings, recommendations, and conclusions.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk.
You're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. The work is highly structured, following set procedures.
Education necessary or common
Master's degree for many policy roles; a PhD is standard for academic and research positions
Common college majors
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- AP Government & Politics — the discipline's subject matter
- AP Statistics — quantitative methods dominate modern research
- AP US History / World History — cases and context
- Computer Science — data analysis in R or Python is a standard research skill
- AP English Language — findings only matter if the writing lands
Clubs, activities & competitions
- Model UN
- Debate — policy debate especially rewards research depth
- A data or research project entered in a fair or competition
- Student journalism covering government
First steps you can take now
- Pick a political question you care about and answer it with public data (MIT Election Lab, Census)
- Read a working paper from a think tank like Brookings and map its argument
- Interview someone who works in policy research about a typical week
- Learn enough spreadsheet or R basics to make one real chart from real data
