Political Studies

1. You read two reports that reach opposite conclusions about the impact of the same reform. How do you decide which to trust?

Check the methodology, data sources, authors and any vested interests, then compare their findings with other research. Go with the one that sounds more convincing. Assume both are biased and don’t form a view.

2. In a seminar, you have to explain why coalition governments are stable in one country but keep collapsing in another. Where do you start?

Compare the electoral systems, party landscapes and institutions, draw on theory and data, then put forward a hypothesis. Collect accounts of a few high-profile government crises. Put it down to the politicians’ personalities.

3. Classes, reading and debates will all be in English, and you’ll be studying in an international group with people from very different political systems. How does that sound?

Brilliant – discussing democracy or migration with people who know these issues first-hand from their own countries is an invaluable lesson. Good, though debating and writing analyses in English will be demanding. I’d rather study in my first language.

4. How do you feel about working with quantitative data, such as opinion polls or voter turnout?

I enjoy it – tables, charts and statistical models help me test my hypotheses. I use ready-made summaries, but I don’t analyse the data myself. I’d rather keep numbers out of political science.

5. An NGO asks you to write a short policy brief for the local council. How do you put it together?

Define the problem, gather data and examples of solutions from elsewhere, then make a handful of specific, workable recommendations. Write a general piece about what ought to change. Turn it down – I prefer theory to writing for practitioners.

6. In a debate, you have to argue for a position you disagree with. How do you handle it?

Treat it as a challenge – I look for that side’s strongest arguments, which also helps me understand my own views better. Do it, but half-heartedly. Refuse – I won’t defend something I don’t believe in.

7. How do you keep up with politics?

I use a range of sources, including foreign ones and ones with different viewpoints, and read expert analysis. Mostly through one favourite news site. Mainly through headlines on social media.

8. A lecturer asks you to explain a current international conflict through the lenses of realism and liberalism. How do you tackle it?

Show what each theory explains and what it misses, and argue which one better accounts for how the parties behave. Describe both theories, then describe the conflict separately. I think theories say very little about real politics.

9. Where do you see yourself after graduating?

In public administration, international organisations, think tanks, the media or research. Anywhere a social sciences degree is valued. I haven’t really thought about it yet.

10. What motivates you most to pursue a Master’s degree in Political Studies?

Wanting to understand how power and institutions work, and to help find solutions to real public problems. An interest in politics and current affairs. I’m not sure it’s for me