100+ Political Science Research Topics For US Students 

Students writing a research paper on political science are aware that this is not simply an academic task. It is a chance to understand the world’s issues and how politics shapes society and guides our decisions. But, it is equally imperative to know what political science is. Political science is the study of various government systems, political institutions, laws, and public policies.  

To write a good research paper or complete your college homework on political science, you need to have a clear and well-defined research topic that sets the tone for your paper, narrows your research, and helps you find the best arguments to support your findings. Sounds overwhelming. Worry not! As a political science teacher, I have collected some of the best political science research topics for high school, college, undergraduate, and graduate students that can guide them in choosing relevant topics according to their interests. 

Political Theory Research Topics 

1. Studying the evolution of social contract theory & understanding modern democracy. 
2. Exploring classical liberalism and current Western political ideologies. 
3. Analyzing feminist political theory and its impact on governance and justice. 
4. Investigation of Marx’s theory of class struggle in light of 21st-century capitalism.  
5. Studying Machiavelli’s political realism in helping interpret modern power dynamics. 
6. A comparative analysis of Hobbes’ idea of authority and Locke’s concept of individual rights.  
7. Investigating anarchism and legitimacy of centralized political systems. 
8. Studying the relationship between freedom and authority in political thought. 
9. Exploring the moral obligations of citizens in authoritarian regimes. 
10. How does studying postmodern political theory affect our interpretation of truth in politics?
11. Studying the concept of justice in Plato’s “Republic”. 
12. Examining the role of power and authority according to Max Weber’s political thoughts. 

Comparative Politics Research Topics 

13. Exploring differences in democratic stability between developed and developing countries.  
14. Investigating the political participation of women in Scandinavian vs. South Asian countries to understand gender in governance. 
15. Studying electoral system design and its influence on political representation outcomes in proportional vs. majoritarian systems.  
16. Analyzing the rise of populist leaders in Latin America and Europe. 
17. A comparative analysis of federal and unitary systems and how they handle ethnic diversity. 
18. Exploring political party evolution and democratization in post-colonial states. 
19. Comparing corruption control measures and anti-corruption policies across African nations. 
20. Assessing the impact of colonial legacies on governance structures in African nations.   
21. How does nationalism in India and the United Kingdom shed light on identity politics?
22. Examining civil-military relations in Pakistan and Turkey to understand democratic erosion.  
23. Studying the impact of populism in the United States and Brazil. 
24. Comparing presidential and parliamentary systems; advantages and challenges. 

International Relations Research Topics 

25. Studying power dynamics in the post-Cold War international order. 
26. Exploring the concept of soft power to explain the success of foreign policy strategies. 
27. Analyzing global responses to Russia-Ukraine conflict and role of international law enforcement. 
28. Assessing the effectiveness of international sanctions in resolving diplomatic conflicts. 
29. Studying the role and limitations of the United Nations in post-conflict peacebuilding.  
30. Exploring China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its impact on international dependency theory. 
31. Examining the Iran nuclear deal to understand the challenges of multilateral diplomacy.
32. Investigating refugee policy across the EU to understand international humanitarian law. 
33. Exploring the long-term implications of studying climate change under international law.
34. Investigating the role of non-state actors in modern conflicts in light of global security. 
35. Causes of World War 1 and 2: A Comparative Analysis. 
36. A comparative analysis of liberalism and Realism in international relations theory.    

Public Administration Research Topics 

37. Investigating transparency in local government to enhance accountability in public service delivery/ 
38. Studying the relationship between bureaucracy and political leadership in democratic states. 
39. Studying the challenges of assessing performance evaluation methods in public sector management. 
40. Analyzing e-governance in India and the role of technology in citizen engagement. 
41. How different leadership styles in public administration affect policy outcomes. 
42. Examining the ethics of whistleblowing and its role in improving anti-corruption frameworks. 
43. Investigating civil service reform and its impact on addressing systemic inefficiencies. 
44. What are the barriers to implementing performance-based budgeting in developing economies? 
45. Examining the role of public administrators in handling crises during natural disasters. 
46. Investigating the efficiency of decentralized administrative structures in federal governments. 
47. How is digital governance transforming local administrative functions in urban municipalities?

Public Law Research Topics 

48. Studying judicial independence and its effect on the balance of power in democratic systems. 
49. Exploring constitutional protections of minority rights to improve social cohesion. 
50. Investigating the freedom of expression laws and their usage in revealing the tension between liberty and security. 
51. Role of examining international human rights law in addressing state-sponsored abuses. 
52. Studying anti-terrorism laws in different countries and their impact on civil liberties. 
53. What insights are gained by analyzing the constitutional court’s role in political crises?
54. Investigating environmental law enforcement and how it informs sustainable development. 
55. What are the legal challenges in exploring privacy rights in the digital economy? 
56. Exploring the implications of examining emergency powers in relation to democratic erosion. 
57. Studying the role of constitutional amendments in helping predict political transitions. 
58.  Exploring anti-discrimination laws and how they are interpreted and enforced in public institutions. 
59. Investigating the constitutional validity of surveillance laws in liberal democracies and their impact. 
60. Investigating the role of judicial reviews in shaping public policy outcomes. 

Political Methodology Research Topics 

61. How does exploring the use of big data in elections improve political forecasting? 
62. Studying the reliability of exit polls hiring high-stakes elections. 
63. Investigating bias in political surveys and its effect on the democratic discourse. 
64. Investigating the methodological challenges in examining authoritarian regime behavior. 
65. Studying the effectiveness of mixed-method research improves political science validity. 
66. Analyzing voter behavior through machine learning and its effect on campaign strategies. 
67. How does longitudinal data contribute to understanding political change? 
68. Studying the ethical challenges when analyzing politically sensitive populations. 
69. How does investigating sampling techniques influence research accuracy in political studies? 
70. Exploring case studies and how they play a significant role in comparative political analysis. 
71. What are the limitations of statistical modeling in predicting election outcomes? 
72. Examining the impact of research bias in qualitative political studies. 
73. Examining how sentimental analysis can be used to study political discourse online. 

Gender & Politics Research Topics 

74. Investigating the impact of patriarchal norms on voter behavior towards female candidates. 
75. Examining the role of intersectionality of race, gender, and class in electoral politics. 
76. Investigating the implementation of gender quotas and how they improve political representation. 
77. Exploring policy approaches to gender-based violence in different legal systems. 
78. Investigating the barriers to female political leadership in conservative societies. 
79. Studying the political impacts of investigating the feminist movement in developing nations. 
80. How does studying the intersection of race and gender affect voter mobilization? 
81. Studying the effectiveness of global feminist movements in influencing international law.
82. Learning the impact of gender on foreign policy decisions. 
83. Studying the role of feminist rights and campaigns in shaping reproductive rights policies.  
84. Role of media framing in shaping public attitudes towards women in politics. 
85. Studying gender budgeting and its role in revealing structural inequality in national finance. 
86. How effective are global feminist movements in influencing international law? 
87. How does examining LGBTQ+ rights legislation expose political polarization? 

Political Economy Research Topics 

88. Studying the politics of inflation to reveal state responses to economic crises. 
89. Investigating the effects of neoliberalism in explaining the rise in inequality. 
90. Exploring international trade policy and its influence on domestic labor markets. 
91. Studying economic sanctions to highlight the link between economics and diplomacy. 
92. Studying the political implications of analyzing oil dependency in the Middle East. 
93. Investigating taxation policy and its role in reflecting broader ideologies on wealth distribution. 
94. Exploring the role of the global financial crisis of 2008 and its role in revealing systemic flaws in political oversight. 
95. Studying cryptocurrency regulation and its effect on state control and financial systems. 
96. Analyzing foreign aid dependency and the power relations between nations.   
97. How does studying austerity measures in Southern Europe affect democratic satisfaction? 
98. Exploring the role of international financial institutions (IMF, World Bank) in shaping national economic policies. 
99. A comparative analysis of the relationship between electoral cycles and government spending. 
100. How do global supply chain disruptions challenge state economic sovereignty? 

Policy Studies Research Topics 

101. How does urban transportation policy help resolve congestion and pollution in large cities?  
102. Investigating education policy reforms in post-pandemic settings. 
103. Exploring healthcare policy across high-income and low-income countries to reveal systemic inequalities. 
104. Investigating public housing strategies in the US and UK and their role in informing future urban policy. 
105. Learning youth employment policies in Southern Europe and their impact. 
106. Studying the implementation of universal basic income pilots and how they inform national strategies. 
107. Examining welfare-to-work programs and the structural challenges in poverty alleviation. 
108. Exploring anti-drug policies and their impact on criminal justice outcomes. 
109. How effective are government-led climate adaptation policies in flood-prone regions? 
110. Studying gun control policies and strategies and their impact on crime prevention efforts. 

Environmental Politics Research Topics 

111. Exploring international climate agreements and their contribution to understanding global cooperation. 
112. Studying the political resistance to developing renewable energy policies. 
113. Investigating environmental justice in revealing Systemic Racial inequality. 
114. Assessing the role of green parties in shaping national policy agendas. 
115. Analyzing water management policies and how they reduce conflict in arid regions. 
116. Role of corporate lobbying in weakening environmental regulation and its impact. 
117. How do political ideologies influence national climate change responses? 
118. Long-term political effects of examining carbon tax implementation. 
119. How does studying climate activism influence legislation? – A detailed analysis. 
120. Investigating transnational environmental movements shapes local resistance. 
121. Studying the role of environmental NGOs in shaping public awareness and influencing public policy. 
122. Studying state capacity and its effects on the implementation of environmental protection laws. 
123. Investigating the impact of political implications on climate-induced migration. 
124. What role do Indigenous communities play in environmental governance and natural resource protection? 
125. How do environmental justice movements influence urban sustainability planning?   

Final Thoughts

A well-chosen and well-defined political science research topic does not just help you write a paper- it also helps you ask better questions about the world and how societies are formed. Whether you are interested in international relations, political theories, foreign policies, or gender studies, choosing the right research topic is the first and most important step of the process.  
By exploring and investigating complex political science research topics, students can develop excellent critical-thinking skills that will help them in their future careers. However, if you are a student who is struggling to narrow down a topic, structure your arguments, or even create a simple outline for your research paper, then seeking assistance from an online political science assignment help can make a huge difference. Your research paper will not be well-structured and deeply researched, but it will ensure top results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How do I choose a political science topic for my paper?

Students can choose the best political science topic for their paper by focusing on current political issues, historical wars, or other political debates. They can use online databases, scholarly articles, and published news to choose a research paper that aligns with their interest. 

Q2: Can I explore international politics for my research project?

You can explore international politics for your research paper or project, as it can enhance your understanding of global issues while broadening your perspective. However, it also depends on the assignment scope and your interest.  

Q3: What are some easy political science research topics for high school students?

Here are some easy and interesting political science research topics for high school students: 

• Exploring the role of the media in politics. 
• Studying the process of elections in different parts of the world. 
• Studying the importance of populism in modern democracies. 
• Impact of youth participation in democracy. 

Q4: What are the main branches of political science?

Here are the main branches of political science: 

• Public Law
• International Relations 
• Comparative Politics 
• Political Theory 
• Political Economy 
• Gender & Politics