Aristotle described political science as the overarching science, arguing that it helps us understand who we are as human beings and how we can live happy and productive lives in communities.
Dartmouth's Department of Government maintains the ancient Greek fascination with the nature of governance at every level of social interaction. Courses in Government direct students' attention to communal failures and to the divisions, conflicts, and wars that result. Students and faculty explore these issues from diverse perspectives. They analyze texts, conduct surveys, experiments, interviews, and case studies, and collect and analyze quantitative data to understand the political world. The Department's commitment to the idea that outstanding scholarship and teaching are complementary and mutually reinforcing sees students learning from faculty who are prominent researchers in their field.

