American Politics Major

Make Drake your destination to explore our nation’s politics from the inside.

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What You'll Learn

There’s no place like Drake University to start building a career in politics. Here, you’ll have access to a distinct experiential environment that begins on campus and extends into Iowa’s capital, where you’ll have the opportunity to engage in consistent and meaningful participation in local, state, and national politics. That might mean clerking for a member of the state legislature, working with a Des Moines-based consulting firm, fieldwork for a local campaign organization, or non-partisan research for Vote Smart.

The American Politics major synthesizes rigorous academic study with practical experience and skills. Core courses provide an introduction to the American political system, comparative politics, and practical quantitative and qualitative research skills commonly used in politics. Electives build from this foundation, offering a deeper perspective on political institutions, contemporary public policy debates, and political behavior.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have developed skills that will position you for professional careers, advanced study, and civic leadership in a democratic society.

About the American Politics Major

Go beyond textbooks and talking points to integrate practical experience and deep knowledge.
Participate in the political process right from campus through the Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy, the Harkin Institute, and Vote Smart.
To fulfill the program’s professional development/practical politics component, you can pursue an internship directly related to your interests and career goals, spend a semester in Washington, D.C., take short courses focusing on professional skills taught by experts, or double major in professional skills like Data Analytics or Strategic Political Communications.
Be taught and mentored by nationally recognized faculty.
Conduct your own research and publish in the Drake University Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) and Drake Political Review.

Program Facts

120 total credits; 36 credits for the major
On campus
Full-time
Four years to completion

B.A. in American Politics

See how politics unfolds in the real world in a program that emphasizes learning through direct experience in government, state agencies, and campaign organizations. In addition to courses covering the American political system and political institutions, you’ll engage in topical discussions and learn how the media and public opinion influence behavior.

B.A. in Politics

Explore the four main subfields of political science—American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory—and select additional coursework within the department based on your interests. The major offers flexibility and comprehensive understanding.

International Relations Minor

View policy, law, and business from a global angle by minoring in International Relations. After taking disciplinary core courses, you’ll choose a single elective to examine comparative perspectives.

Human Rights Studies Minor

This minor shows how we can integrate human rights into everyday life, understanding and appreciating rights initiatives where you live, study, and work. Learn about global perspectives on human rights and advocacy, and go beyond the headlines to examine current events.

Politics Minor

In this minor, you’ll get a wide-ranging introduction to the field and have the opportunity to delve more deeply into a specific area of political science.

Meet the Faculty

At Drake, you’ll learn from widely published experts who are eager to serve as mentors. American Politics faculty specialize in public opinion, partisan polarization, legislative politics, state courts, political parties, and voting behavior. Each of our full-time faculty members holds a Ph.D. and leads classrooms that foster inclusive, informed, and respectful discussions. Most importantly, they’re highly effective educators who have been recognized with numerous teaching awards.

Rachel Paine Caufield

Professor, Political Science; Department Chair, Political Science

Adrien Halliez

Assistant Professor, Political Science

Debra DeLaet

David E. Maxwell Distinguished Professor of International Affairs; Professor, Political Science

Outside the Classroom

Don’t just learn about politics—be part of it at Drake. Our location in Des Moines, ongoing programs in Washington, D.C., and an abundance of internships put you right in the center of a competitive electoral and political environment. Our students find placements with the state legislature, the Governor’s office, state agencies, non-profits, political parties, offices of U.S. Senators and Representatives, interest groups, and lobbying firms. Every four years, the first-in-the-nation Iowa presidential caucuses offer a more intensive perspective of campaigning and the electoral process.

The Capitol building, a location where Drake American Politics students intern each year

Washington, D.C., Programs

Those interested in national politics routinely complete internships in Washington, D.C., and Drake is affiliated with both The Washington Center and the Washington Semester at American University, which offer semester-long academic internship programs in Washington, D.C.

Two American Politics students stand in front of "Vote Griff" signage at a Drake event

Iowa Caucuses

Every four years, Iowa takes center stage in American politics through our first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. You’ll see the process up close as a student in the Department of Political Science, as you make connections with candidates, campaigns, and media organizations.

A group of American Politics students from Drake stand on stage before the CNN Republican presidential debate begins

Nationally Televised Candidate Debates

Drake has hosted six nationally televised live-broadcast presidential candidate debates during the past five election cycles. Many Drake students get to play a part—either through paid short-term internships or as audience members.

J-Term

Every other year, Professor Caufield leads a January-term travel seminar to Washington, D.C. to expose students to the opening of a new session of Congress or the presidential inauguration. Over two weeks in Washington, the students meet with Drake alumni and contacts in government, media, political party organizations, lobbying and consulting firms, and policy advocacy organizations. American Politics majors can also see politics and economic development in action on trips to Uganda, China, and Mexico.

Drake American Politics students wearing navy blue school sweatshirts wander outdoors in front of a campus building

Student Organizations

Publish original research in the student-led Drake Political Review or the Drake Undergraduate Social Science Journal, lead campus efforts to boost voter registration and turnout, organize a candidate event with Drake Democrats or College Republicans, or join one of many student organizations to advocate for a cause you care about. American Politics students can also join Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.

Careers & Skills

Graduates of our American Politics program pursue a wide range of careers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Many of our students use the experiences (and connections) they gain through internships with the state legislature, members of U.S. Congress, interest groups, and other organizations as a springboard to careers in local, state, or national politics, law school, or another graduate program.

Employers

The White House
U.S. House and Senate offices
U.S State Department
The Washington Post
Iowa Attorney General
Bloomberg
The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee
LS2Group
Republican Governors Association
Ballast Research
Pew Charitable Trusts
The Governor of Iowa

Skills

Become a better communicator, with assignments specifically tailored to professional settings in politics.
Develop practical knowledge in short courses taught by working professionals.
Engage in critical thinking to evaluate current issues in politics, understand the policymaking process, and appreciate the complexity of institutional decisions.
Gain professional connections through internships, research, and other hands-on experiences.

American Politics students from Drake hold a discussion in a courthouse room

Salary & Growth Outlook

Average salary for policy analysts, according to Indeed.com.

Since 2013, Drake political science students have traveled to Washington, D.C. every other year for a January-Term seminar. In addition to seeing history—three classes have witnessed presidential inaugurations—many participants have their eyes opened to careers they never considered before going. “We’ll have memories that I’m able to tell my kids, my friends, my family, [and]—if I’m a professor—future students that I was there for [the presidential inauguration],” said Eli Benson AS‘26, a double-major in American Politics and Law, Politics, and Society.

International Relations, BA

Study political science, economics, history, and international law in an interdisciplinary major that prepares you for careers in diplomacy, law, politics, and business.

Law, Politics and Society, BA

Build a better understanding of how law influences our lives in one of the nation’s only undergraduate legal studies majors.

Strategic Political Communication, BAJMC

Want to influence public opinion? Learn from people who do it every day. Drake’s Strategic Political Communication program is at the heart of the political world.

Take the Next Step

For American Politics students at Drake, the lessons you’ll learn in the classroom and out in the world prepare you for careers influencing policies, orchestrating campaigns, and understanding political trends and voters. Learn more about this hands-on major.

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A Drake American Politics student with a press pass speaks with reporters during the Republican presidential debate, broadcast by CNN