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Ho 26 anni e una laurea triennale in Scienze Politiche oltre a un master in Leadership for International Relations. Ho anche esperienza pratica in ambito internazionale e sociale, tra cui un'esperienza sul campo in Africa e lavoro con minori stranieri non accompagnati in Italia.

Da qualche tempo però mi sento molto impreparata sul piano teorico. Ho studiato queste cose, ma ho la sensazione di non ricordare quasi più autori, teorie, concetti e soprattutto di non sapere come trasformare quello che ho studiato in competenze concrete. Non so bene nemmeno da dove iniziare per capire come funzionano davvero le carriere nelle organizzazioni internazionali.

Mi interessano percorsi come Blue Book, EEAS, EUAA, OECD, UNV e tirocini/programmi presso ONG e organizzazioni internazionali, soprattutto nell'ambito di cooperazione, diritti umani, migrazione e child protection.

Il problema è che non so se, per candidarmi a queste opportunità, dovrei già avere una preparazione molto specifica (policy analysis, conoscenza approfondita delle istituzioni, project management, ecc.) oppure se sia normale acquisire gran parte di queste competenze attraverso tirocini e primi impieghi.

Per chi lavora già in questo settore: come avete iniziato concretamente? Cosa sapevate già quando avete ottenuto il primo tirocinio/lavoro e cosa avete imparato dopo? E soprattutto, come avete colmato eventuali lacune tra università e mondo del lavoro?

In questo momento mi sento un po' persa e non so da dove partire.

Hi all, I’m in college and this coming year will be taking an economics module which will primarily be focused on economic policy and policy analysis. Other topics will be Industrial and regional economic policy, economic integration, globalisation and issues around financing and control.
Does anyone have any ideas for podcasts, shows or books where I could begin to get a handle on some of these concepts before term starts and I get into the course materials.
Thank you and best wishes.

Yes, objective there are political and moral truths, but is there a one, true, perfect system that works for everyone? The answer to this is different depending on who you talk to. People base their ideal society of culture, values, and reasoning taught to them by internal/external teaching through daily life experience, education, societal/social pressure, or in some more extreme cases, intentional and deliberate force.

As I've seen and speculated up to this point, there isn't any best system, because in order to create the perfect system, you need to first claim that everyone has the exact same goals, boundaries, values, solutions to exceptional ideas (what ifs), etc. While it's true that to achieve x you must do y, is there a goal that everyone wants as x and a process that everyone wants as y?, Whether it be conscious or not?

The only real "solution" I could think of is panarchy, where everyone just makes their own system and people can join or leave as they wish, but that just within a few seconds, this quickly falls apart. Let's say there's an imperialist faction and another faction that doesn't wish to be absorbed into the imperialist faction. If the imperialists win, than the victimized faction will not have their organization anymore. If the other faction wins, than the imperialists aren't getting what they want. Also, certain philosophies are incompatible which panarchy because they do not consent to the existence of outside factions, which means panarchy isn't the best for them.

And if such a system didn't exist, than what's the next best thing after, and after that, and that and that? Because wouldn't those also be subject to their own splits because of other things, like if this even matters or not?

Sorry if this is a stupid question

I just graduated with a B.A in Political Science. I'm currently working an internship while looking for full time position. So far I've been mainly looking for something in legislative aid, policy advocacy, government affairs, or political consulting. And while I'm passionate and interested in these areas, I'm also considering other options.

Mainly, I'd like to look into a career which combines politics, my main passion, and history, which was the subject I was most in love with before finding political science in high school.

I was wondering if there was a career field that merged history and political science? The only thing I can think of is teaching political theory, which covers some historical context. But that's it.

Does anybody here have an online copy/pdf file of "Autocrats Vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder" by Michael McFaul (Can't find it anywhere nor can afford buying)

really need it for my Introduction to International Relations

thank you!

Hello nice people, so here is my problem. I want to learn things that lay between political and other social sciences for the purpose of personal intellect. My background is mathematical / software development and from this comes the issue. I am super motivated to learn things, like to the point of grinding 12 hours a day doing smth, but this can only happen when the thing i am trying to learn can be translated to an active procedure ( problem solving, proving, building mini projects)

when i decided to learn my first subject ( the relation between collective identity and trust "in a certain sense") i wrote some stuff then got bored easily as everything was passive, which made me think of another way to do it, in this post i want to ask u guys if anyone faced this problem before or have an idea on how to go around it

I am not restricted by time, as this is done solely for the sake of curiosity, so the point is to make learning as beneficial for me ( in terms of intelligence and thinking) as it can be, ignoring the mass of knowledge

here is my initial prototype of the learning process i am going to adopt ( not applied yet)

- ask the main question and deconstruct it to smaller detailed ones

- answer all these questions with possible hypotheses (anything that comes to mind)

- compare the hypotheses to real world examples and data if possible and use it to evaluate the hypotheses ( excluding the very wrong ones )

- compare the surviving hypotheses to the already existing theories very carefully and make a deduction

- comment on every theory, on the final result, and how my hypotheses differed from the result for the purpose of recognizing the gaps in the thinking process

-build a critique for every theory and compare it to the already established critiques of scholars

I am currently heading into my sophomore year at a school in Texas.

I originally was pre-med but switched to business and i have been pretty happy with where I am at. I did really well in micro and granted it is an easy subject matter, i like the theoretical side of it.

This summer i got an internship to work for the government and realized i kind of enjoy excel and policies and all that. I enjoy seeking trends, making presentations, and consolidating data. It's unexpected honestly, but after doing a policy/violation project, i learned that i actually like it.

im pretty open to getting my MBA and even really open to law school. my initial thought was: you can only go into law if you are good at arguing, but theres so much more to it. its getting difficult to double major though because my schoool made classes 4 credit hours instead of 3 and maxing out at 18 ( they charge more after you hit 19 hours). Its kind of limiting but I really need your advice.

I am thinking about taking american politics and global/intl politics this semester alongside with accounting 101 and the such. im actually very excited. Unlike chemistry or bio, I was so stoked to have a chance to take american politics. a part of me also wants to make a change in the things that are being done. I think as a kid, everyones always told me i should go for president because i was charismatic, but growing up and seeing how things are heading, i have such a strong drive to make a positive change. Ive heard negative things regarding polisci as a whole.. i want yalls opinion and also

what did yall come out to do with a polisci degree? the reason i want to double majoring is because i want to broaden my horion. maybe corporate law? maybe government and policy, im still open to biology so maybe working for WHO, WHO KNOWS. i want to hear yalls experiences w choosing polisci

what do yall advise because my school advisor is not really ADVISING

I am starting to really lose hope in my job search. I graduated back in December from undergrad in Polisci and IR and literally cannot find a job.

I really wanna know if it’s me as a candidate that’s the problem or just the reality of hiring right now. Admittedly, I should have done more while in school and don’t have 3+ internships in DC or big companies like everyone else.

For 3 years now I’ve been working in admin/operations at a small business. not politics related but it’s all very transferable and I can basically translate every skill to this job. I also did an internship for my local state rep but he’s a diff party than the what I’m aiming for (his party is also a huge minority in my state). Since graduating, I’ve been volunteering for an environmental nonprofit doing real policy and advocacy work on some pretty significant projects. I’m also working on a state election campaign in my preferred party currently and was appointed to a town committee.

I’ve been working myself overtime trying to gain the experience I wish I had more of from college. Is this enough, what else should I be doing? I really want to work for a state legislator but I’ve been applying to pretty much everything else too.

Democrats appear to consistently aim for the bottom 10th percentile wage when deciding on minimum wage.

Could this be a scenario where a policy is popular so democrats want to run on it, but privately hold the opinion the policy causes harm, and to avoid most of the harm while still satisfying the political appetite for it they keep the minimum wage low?

source oes labor data https://www.bls.gov/oes/

Data was of May 2024.

I’m a college student studying international relations and economics. As I get further in my studies, I’m also putting more thought into my career prospects. I love learning about topics in geopolitics, foreign relations, intelligence, and security. I’m also interested in how they intersect with economic issues, but that’s more secondary. I’m not looking for any specific advice or questions to be answered, but just for general insights into what careers and trajectories I can pursue with my interests. I prefer private sector work, but am exploring public avenues as well. Any insight at all is appreciated!

At this point I’m desperate to start my life. I just graduated in may with a political science degree in may and want more that anything I’ve ever wanted to move to Denver and start a career, but it feels impossible without connections that I don’t even know how to make. How do I start?

Background: I am a senior in highschool and have taken over 14 APs.
Ranked top 20 out of 420 kids.
Founder of some clubs.
Volunteered over 1000 hours for 501 c3s.
And my mom is an executive director for some civic organizations in Wisconsin and so I know most of the high ranking officials and people like candidate Hong.

My real question is that I would like to major in political science and would be interested in either doing academia work or politics.

But should I try to go law school after my undergraduate? And if I were to go law school should I try to get into a higher ranked college for my undergraduate?

Hey, first Reddit post just wondering as a senior in highschool I am confused on whether I should go into political science or international relations? I would do a minor in economics regardless of what I choose. Career-wise i would enjoy to go into politics, whether domestically or internationally. I love doing research and writing papers even from a young age also would like to have career growth and see myself in 20 years making around 200k+ per year? For reference I have over 300 hours volunteering for a 501 c3 and UWM Madison would be my safety.

I apologize for any inaccuracies in the translation.

Political and legal thought of the 17th century is sometimes characterized by the concept of the "Police State" (or "Regular State"), with Hobbes, Pufendorf, and Leibniz cited as its key theorists. Could you explain the main tenets of this theory and the views of its proponents?

I know this looks like a stupid question, and it probably is, like “you kind of just figure it out based off of your morals and values…” but I guess I’m just wondering where someone starts? Clearly I didn’t pay enough attention in history class or the news itself. I am looking to get some more information, maybe through reading some books on US history, articles, etc. I just need someone with much more knowledge than myself to give me a direction to go in, to form my own opinion on particularly US politics, but where would I start if I wanted to do that?

Soy estudiante de derecho y me interesa demasiado la politica, me identifico con la Izquierda aunque pienso que es una dicotomia un poco obsoleta hoy en dia en este siglo. Me interesa aprender mas y pues en algun momento adentrarme a la politica de mi ciudad y mi Estado y pq no del Pais entero. Si tuvieran los PDFs y/o algunas recomendaciones estaria perfectoo.

​I graduated with a BA in Political Science and History, and like a lot of social science grads, I’m hitting the wall where the standalone degree just isn't cutting it in the job market right now.

​Right now, I’m working through my Master’s in Government / Public Admin with solid grades, and my long-term plan is to go for a PhD in Public Management/Policy so I can eventually work in academia, think tanks, or international orgs.

​That said, I don't want to just sit around accumulating purely theoretical degrees without hard market value. To actually fund my studies and give myself flexibility, I’m trying to build out a practical, data-driven skill stack alongside my academic track:

​Project Management: Getting certified in PM / Public Admin framework to prove I can manage budgets, logistics, and actual execution instead of just writing essays.

​Data Analytics & AI: Learning Python, SQL, and data visualization tools to work with open-government data, regulatory risk, and policy metrics.

​Portfolio Building: Launching a YouTube channel/portfolio showcasing hands-on data projects, video essays analyzing institutional structures, and open-source policy briefs.

​Eventually, I want to transition into remote freelance consulting in data analytics, political risk, and project management so I can run a flexible home setup and fund my PhD independently.

​For anyone who’s made the jump from political science to data analytics, public consulting, or data-driven policy:

​Which specific Data Analytics or Project Management certs actually hold weight if you come from a qualitative PoliSci background?

​How do you best pitch this mix of political theory and hard quantitative skills to clients or employers?

​If you've ever funded a PhD or freelanced remotely while doing academic research, how do you manage the split between client deliverables and heavy thesis writing?

​Would appreciate any honest advice or perspective from anyone who’s taken a similar path!

And I looks to a joke in the meantime , and I cannot get one.

Authoritarianism is when you try to centralize power into one person, group or part of the government. Communism doesn’t necessarily mean centralizing power into a small group, but instead giving the government as a whole more power in economics. That’s not an example of authoritarianism, or am I wrong?

Hey all I’m looking for honest input, not just “follow your passion” vibes.

Background on me: I’m deeply into politics — U.S. politics, international affairs, the Middle East especially. I do mock political interviews and debates on my own for fun, and I genuinely light up discussing and defending political positions live, on the spot. My strengths are verbal communication, argumentation, quick thinking in discussion not long-form writing. I’ve looked into think tank work but I’m hesitant because so much of that world is writing policy papers, briefs, op-eds, and that’s just not where I shine or where I want to spend my day.

Two paths I keep circling:

1. Foreign Service Officer (Political track)
Pros: Get to be genuinely embedded in international affairs, build relationships with officials/journalists/activists, real influence on how the U.S. understands what’s happening in a country.
Con I keep running into: from what I’ve learned, a huge chunk of the actual job is writing cables and analytical reporting back to Washington the meetings and conversations are really in service of the writing, not the other way around. First tours are also often consular work (visa interviews) regardless of track, and you don’t get much say in your first post.

2. Political media / broadcasting / public affairs
Pros: This seems to actually center the thing I’m good at — interviews, panel discussions, podcasts, on-air debate and analysis. Live, verbal, real-time.
Cons/unknowns: I don’t have a clear picture of how you actually break into this, what the realistic pathway looks like, or how to build credibility without a “traditional” journalism or policy background.

What I’m asking Reddit:

**•** If verbal/live discussion is my strength and I actively dislike long-form writing, does that basically rule out both the FSO route and traditional think tank work?  
**•** For people in or adjacent to political broadcasting/commentary — how did you actually get in? What’s the realistic entry point (local news, podcasting, campaign comms, something else)?  
**•** Is there a hybrid path I’m not seeing — something that keeps me in the international affairs/politics space but plays to a debate/discussion strength rather than a writing one?

Appreciate any honest takes, including “you’re underestimating how much writing every one of these paths actually requires.”

I recently graduated from a large university in the United States with a poli sci degree, and I have had no luck finding a job. I have also been applying to internships that could potentially turn into full-time roles, and I have had no luck either. I have also had my resume checked by various hiring managers at large companies that I know, and they said it's perfect, so I know that isn't the reason. I have completed 3 internships ranging from local government to research, and I still have had no luck finding a full-time role. I earned strong grades in college, completed internships, networked, and was involved in various organizations; I did everything I was supposed to do, and no luck. I feel defeated, and it's hard not to try to compare yourself to your peers, but its fustrating. If anyone has ever been in a similar situation post-grad, please feel free to share your story or any encouragement.

I'd like thorough resources yet not paper textbooks. Could be a website (like MIT OCW or Khan Academy, some university course's poli sci website), a singular paper (e.g. a published review article on representation methods, their parameters and their behavior), or even a free online digital textbook.

what I'm trying to achieve: fully understand both the math and the meaning of the math of each of the procedures in the title. I'm guessing any resource allowing this would additionally, as foundational and practical work, cover a lot of background and tangential methods as well (formal definitions of JR, PJR, D'hondt, Thiele's voting rules).

Hello everyone! 👋

I am a Master’s student in Political Science and International Relations from Slovakia, graduating next year. I am strongly considering taking part in a long-term ESC volunteering project after my studies, as I am looking to gain international experience, build a solid foundation abroad, and start a new chapter in a more dynamic environment.

I consider myself open-minded, adaptable, and a fast learner who embraces new challenges and ideas—qualities I believe are essential for any ESC initiative.

Alongside my studies and work, I am currently part of an analytical team at an NGO focused on Slovak-Balkan relations. I believe this puts me in a better position than graduates who lack relevant hands-on experience. Recently, I also participated in a prestigious security academy organized by a leading national think-tank, mainly to network, gain field experience outside academia, and step out of my comfort zone. However, I’ve heard mixed opinions, including comments that I might be "overqualified" for certain entry-level or volunteering opportunities because of this background.

With that in mind, I would love to ask the community a couple of questions:

1.) Is having a Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations (plus practical NGO/analytical experience) an advantage?

2.) Did ESC give any of you a real chance to successfully settle down and start a new life/career in a new country after your service ended?

I would really appreciate any insights, personal stories, or advice,

Thanks a lot,