Political Scientists
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics > Science and MathematicsProjected Growth: Average
Projected Job Openings
Extensive Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decision-making, and ideology. May analyze the structure and operation of governments, as well as various political entities. May conduct public opinion surveys, analyze election results, or analyze public documents.
Common job titles of Political Scientists include:
.
Experience and Education
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
73.33% said they needed a Doctoral Degree.
13.33% said they needed a Master's Degree.
Tasks
Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions.
Teach political science.
Interpret and analyze policies, public issues, legislation, or the operations of governments, businesses, and organizations.
Identify issues for research and analysis.
Provide media commentary or criticism related to public policy and political issues and events.
Consult with and advise government officials, civic bodies, research agencies, the media, political parties, and others concerned with political issues.
Forecast political, economic, and social trends.
Evaluate programs and policies, and make related recommendations to institutions and organizations.
Collect, analyze, and interpret data such as election results and public opinion surveys, reporting on findings, recommendations, and conclusions.
Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources.
Disseminate research results through academic publications, written reports, or public presentations.
Write drafts of legislative proposals, and prepare speeches, correspondence, and policy papers for governmental use.
Tools
Overhead display projectors
Laptop computers
Handheld calculators
Digital video disk DVD players
Digital audio recorders
Desktop computers
Conference phones
Technologies
IBM SPSS Statistics
Microsoft SharePoint
R
Bare Bones Software BBEdit
CQ Press Political Reference Suite
DataMystic TextPipe Pro
EBSCO Publishing Academic Search Premier
All TechnologiesEBSCO Publishing Political Science Complete
Email software
Europa World Plus
FedStats
Gale Expanded Academic ASAP PLUS
IDM Computer Solutions UltraEdit
Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) database
JSTOR database
JudgeIt II
Library of Congress E-resources Online Catalog
Oxford Reference Online
ProQuest Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) database
ProQuest Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Sage Reference Online
StataCorp Stata
WinBUGS
Skills
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Abilities
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
Auditory and Speech Abilities › Sensory Abilities › Speech Clarity
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning