Department of Government

Whether you are a graduate student aspiring to advance your career, or an undergraduate inspired by the power and workings of government, the degree programs and certificates in the Department of Government in the AU School of Public Affairs will give you the skills and knowledge you need today to become one of the leading political practitioners of tomorrow.

Our curriculum draws from the breadth and depth of resources across American University, providing our students with the training and skills essential to analyzing political activity and behavior and understanding systems of government. Our programs combine expertise and scholarship in political science, political communication, and more focused areas such as women and politics.

Through our rich curriculum, unique ability to connect students with experts, and prime location at the center of the action, the Department of Government opens the door to our political system and prepares you to compete and lead in the government arena.

Find your future here—join us.

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SPA Research

Our faculty delve into complex and pressing issues of our time.

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The Good Friday Agreement: Where Are We Now?

SPA Assistant Professor Kimberly Cowell-Meyers facilitates a discussion on The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 with Brendan O'Leary and Alan Renwick, both members of the Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland. O'Leary and Renwick present their interim report assessing pathways forward on this important and timely question.

Latest News

SPA Assistant Professor of Government Jonathan Colner

Political Science ·

Does Ranked Choice Voting Work for Local Elections?

SPA professor considers whether, how, and under what circumstances RCV supports voter expression.
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Updated Sonya Purcell Headshot

Political Science ·

Where Numbers Meet Narrative

For Sonya Purcell, CAS-SPA/BA ’28, data is not just analysis—it’s a language for understanding and transforming society.
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Jhacova Williams

Political Science ·

Blood at the Ballot Box

SPA professor links post-Reconstruction electoral shocks to spikes in lynching across the Deep South.
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