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Essay on Politics: Topics, Tips, and Examples for Students

Defining What is Politics Essay

The process of decision-making that applies to members of a group or society is called politics. Arguably, political activities are the backbone of human society, and everything in our daily life is a form of it.

Understanding the essence of politics, reflecting on its internal elements, and critically analyzing them make society more politically aware and let them make more educated decisions. Constantly thinking and analyzing politics is critical for societal evolution.

Political thinkers often write academic papers that explore different political concepts, policies, and events. The essay about politics may examine a wide range of topics such as government systems, political ideologies, social justice, public policies, international relations, etc.

After selecting a specific research topic, a writer should conduct extensive research, gather relevant information, and prepare a logical and well-supported argument. The paper should be clear and organized, complying with academic language and standards. A writer should demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject, an ability to evaluate and remain non-biased to different viewpoints, and a capacity to draw conclusions.

Now that we are on the same page about the question 'what is politics essay' and understand its importance, let's take a deeper dive into how to build a compelling political essay, explore the most relevant political argumentative essay topics, and finally, examine the political essay examples written by the best essay writing service team.

Politics Essay Example for Students

If you are still unsure how to structure your essay or how to present your statement, don't worry. Our team of experts has prepared an excellent essay example for you. Feel free to explore and examine it. Use it to guide you through the writing process and help you understand what a successful essay looks like.

How to Write a Political Essay: Tips + Guide

A well-written essay is easy to read and digest. You probably remember reading papers full of big words and complex ideas that no one bothered to explain. We all agree that such essays are easily forgotten and not influential, even though they might contain a very important message.

If you are writing an essay on politics, acknowledge that you are on a critical mission to easily convey complicated concepts. Hence, what you are trying to say should be your main goal. Our guide on how to write a political essay will help you succeed.

Conduct Research for Your Politics Essay

After choosing a topic for the essay, take enough time for preparation. Even if you are familiar with the matter, conducting thorough research is wiser. Political issues are complex and multifaceted; comprehensive research will help you understand the topic better and offer a more nuanced analysis.

Research can help you identify different viewpoints and arguments around the topic, which can be beneficial for building more impartial and persuasive essays on politics. Sometimes in the hit of the moment, opposing sides are not able to see the common ground; your goal is to remain rational, speak to diverse audiences, and help them see the core of the problem and the ways to solve it.

In political papers, accuracy and credibility are vital. Researching the topic deeply will help you avoid factual errors or misrepresentations from any standpoint. It will allow you to gather reliable sources of information and create a trustworthy foundation for the entire paper.

If you want to stand out from the other students, get inspired by the list of hottest essay ideas and check out our political essay examples.

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Brainstorm Political Essay Topics

The next step to writing a compelling politics essay is to polish your thoughts and find the right angle to the chosen topic.

Before you start writing, generate fresh ideas and organize your thoughts. There are different techniques to systematize the mess going on in your head, such as freewriting, mind mapping, or even as simple as listing ideas. This will open the doors to new angles and approaches to the topic.

When writing an essay about politics, ensure the topic is not too general. It's always better to narrow it down. It will simplify your job and help the audience better understand the core of the problem. Brainstorming can help you identify key points and arguments, which you can use to find a specific angle on the topic.

Brainstorming can also help you detect informational gaps that must be covered before the writing process. Ultimately, the brainstorming phase can bring a lot more clarity and structure to your essay.

We know how exhausting it is to come up with comparative politics essay topics. Let our research paper writing service team do all the hard work for you.

Create Your Politics Essay Thesis Statement

Thesis statements, in general, serve as a starting point of the roadmap for the reader. A political essay thesis statement outlines the main ideas and arguments presented in the body paragraphs and creates a general sense of the content of the paper.

Creating a thesis statement for essays about politics in the initial stages of writing can help you stay focused and on track throughout the working process. You can use it as an aim and constantly check your arguments and evidence against it. The question is whether they are relevant and supportive of the statement.

Get creative when creating a statement. This is the first sentence readers will see, and it should be compelling and clear.

The following is a great example of a clear and persuasive thesis statement:

 'The lack of transparency and accountability has made the World Trade Organization one of the most controversial economic entities. Despite the influence, its effectiveness in promoting free trade and economic growth in developing countries has decreased.'

Provide Facts in Your Essay about Politic

It's a no-brainer that everything you will write in your essay should be supported by strong evidence. The credibility of your argument will be questioned every step of the way, especially when you are writing about sensitive subjects such as essays on government influence on economic troubles. 

Provide facts and use them as supporting evidence in your politics essay. They will help you establish credibility and accuracy and take your paper out of the realm of speculation and mere opinions.

Facts will make your essay on political parties more persuasive, unbiased, and targeted to larger audiences. Remember, the goal is to bring the light to the core of the issue and find a solution, not to bring people even farther apart.

Speaking of facts, many students claim that when they say ' write my essay for me ' out loud, our writing team is the fastest to respond and deliver high-quality essays meeting their trickiest requirements.

Structure Your Political Essay

Your main goal is to communicate your ideas to many people. To succeed, you need to write an essay that is easy to read and understand. Creating a structure will help you present your ideas logically and lead the readers in the right direction.

Sometimes when writing about political essay topics, we get carried away. These issues can be very emotional and sensitive, and writers are not protected from becoming victims of their own writings. Having a structure will keep you on track, only focusing on providing supported arguments and relevant information.

Start with introducing the thesis statement and provide background information. Followed by the body paragraphs and discuss all the relevant facts and standpoints. Finish it up with a comprehensive conclusion, and state the main points of your essay once again.

The structure will also save you time. In the beginning, creating an outline for essays on politics will give you a general idea of what should be written, and you can track your progress against it.

Revise and Proofread Your Final Politics Essay

Once every opinion is on the paper and every argument is well-constructed, one final step should be taken. Revision!

We know nothing is better than finishing the homework and quickly submitting it, but we aim for an A+. Our political essay must be reviewed. You need to check if there is any error such as grammatical, spelling, or contextual.

Take some time off, relax, and start proofreading after a few minutes or hours. Having a fresh mind will help you review not only grammar but also the arguments. Check if something is missing from your essays about politics, and if you find gaps, provide additional information.

You had to spend a lot of time on them, don't give up now. Make sure they are in perfect condition.

Effective Political Essay Topics

We would be happy if our guide on how to write political essays helped you, but we are not stopping there. Below you will find a list of advanced and relevant political essay topics. Whether you are interested in global political topics or political science essay topics, we got you covered.

Once you select a topic, don't forget to check out our politics essay example! It will bring even more clarity, and you will be all ready to start writing your own paper.

Political Argumentative Essay Topics

Now that we know how to write a political analysis essay let's explore political argumentative essay topics:

• Should a political party take a stance on food politics and support policies promoting sustainable food systems?
• Should we label Winston Churchill as the most influential political figure of World War II?
• Does the focus on GDP growth in the political economy hinder the human development index?
• Is foreign influence a threat to national security?
• Is foreign aid the best practice for political campaigning?
• Does the electoral college work for an ideal political system?
• Are social movements making a real difference, or are they politically active for temporary change?
• Can global politics effectively address political conflicts in the modern world?
• Are opposing political parties playing positive roles in US international relations?
• To what extent should political influence be allowed in addressing economic concerns?
• Can representative democracy prevent civil wars in ethnically diverse countries?
• Should nuclear weapons be abolished for the sake of global relations?
• Is economic development more important than ethical issues for Caribbean politics?
• What role should neighboring nations play in preventing human rights abuse in totalitarian regimes?
• Should political decisions guide the resolution of conflicts in the South China Sea?

Political Socialization Essay Topics

Knowing how to write a political issue essay is one thing, but have you explored our list of political socialization essay topics?

• To what extent does a political party or an influential political figure shape the beliefs of young people?
• Does political influence shape attitudes toward environmental politics?
• How can individuals use their own learning process to navigate political conflicts in a polarized society?
• How do political strategies shape cultural globalization?
• Is gender bias used as a political instrument in political socialization?
• How can paying attention to rural communities improve political engagement?
• What is the role of Amnesty International in preventing the death penalty?
• What is the role of politically involved citizens in shaping minimum wage policies?
• How does a political party shape attitudes toward global warming?
• How does the federal system influence urban planning and attitudes toward urban development?
• What is the role of public opinion in shaping foreign policy, and how does it affect political decision making
• Did other countries' experiences affect policies on restricting immigration in the US?
• How can note-taking skills and practice tests improve political engagement? 
• How do the cultural values of an independent country shape the attitudes toward national security?
• Does public opinion influence international intervention in helping countries reconcile after conflicts?

Political Science Essay Topics

If you are searching for political science essay topics, check our list below and write the most compelling essay about politic:

• Is environmental education a powerful political instrument? 
• Can anarchist societies provide a viable alternative to traditional forms of governance?
• Pros and cons of deterrence theory in contemporary international relations
• Comparing the impact of the French Revolution and World War II on the political landscape of Europe
• The role of the ruling political party in shaping national policies on nuclear weapons
• Exploring the roots of where politics originate
• The impact of civil wars on the processes of democratization of the third-world countries
• The role of international organizations in promoting global health
• Does using the death penalty in the justice system affect international relations?
• Assessing the role of the World Trade Organization in shaping global trade policies
• The political and environmental implications of conventional agriculture
• The impact of the international court on political decision making
• Is philosophical anarchism relevant to contemporary political discourse?
• The emergence of global citizenship and its relationship with social movements
• The impact of other countries on international relations between the US and China

Final Words

See? Writing an essay about politic seems like a super challenging job, but in reality, all it takes is excellent guidance, a well-structured outline, and an eye for credible information.

If you are stressed out from juggling a hundred different course assignments and have no time to focus on your thesis, our dissertation writing services could relieve you! Our team of experts is ready to take over even the trickiest tasks on the tightest schedule. You just have to wish - ' write my essay ' out loud, and we will be on it!

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How to Write the Political and Global Issues College Essay

Essays are one of the best parts of the college application process. With your grades in, your test scores decided, and your extracurriculars developed over your years in high school, your essays are the last piece of your college application that you have immediate control over. With them, you get to add a voice to your other stats, a “face” to the name, so to speak. They’re an opportunity to reveal what’s important to you and what sets you apart from other applicants and tell the admissions committee why you’d be an excellent addition to their incoming student class.

Throughout your college applications process, there are many different types of essays you’ll be asked to write. Some of the most popular essay questions you’ll see might include writing about an extracurricular, why you want to matriculate at a school, and what you want to study.

Increasingly, you might also see a supplemental college essay asking you to discuss a political or global issue that you’re passionate about. Asking this type of question helps colleges understand what you care about outside of your personal life and how you will be an active global citizen.

Some examples from the 2019-2020 cycle include:

Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service : Briefly discuss a current global issue, indicating why you consider it important and what you suggest should be done to deal with it.

Yeshiva University Honors Programs : What is one issue about which you are passionate?

Pitzer College : Pitzer College is known for our students’ intellectual and creative activism. If you could work on a cause that is meaningful to you through a project, artistic, academic, or otherwise, what would you do?

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Our chancing engine factors in extracurricular activities, demographic, and other holistic details. We’ll let you know what your chances are at your dream schools — and how to improve your chances!

Tips for Writing the Political and Global Issues College Essay

Pick an issue close to your life.

When you first see a political and global issues prompt, your gut reaction might be to go with a big-picture topic that’s all over the news, like poverty or racism. The problem with these topics is that you usually have a page or less to talk about the issue and why it matters to you. Students also might not have a direct personal connection to such a broad topic. The goal of this essay is to reveal your critical thinking skills, but the higher-level goal of every college essay is to learn more about who you are.

Rather than go with a broad issue that you’re not personally connected to, see if there’s just one facet of it that you  can  contend with. This is especially important if the prompt simply asks for “an issue,” and not necessarily a “global issue.” While some essay prompts will specifically ask that you address a  global  issue (like Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service), there are still ways to approach it from a more focused perspective.

For example, if you were to talk about world hunger, you could start with the hunger you see in your community, which is a food desert. For your solution, you can discuss your plan to build a community garden, so the town is able to access fresh produce. Food deserts, of course, aren’t the only reason world hunger exists; so, you should also explore some other reasons, and other solutions. Maybe there is a better way to prevent and recuperate produce currently being wasted, for instance. If the prompt doesn’t specifically ask for a global issue, however, you could simply focus on food deserts.

For another example, maybe you want to talk about climate change. A more personal and focused approach would deal with happenings in your community, or a community you’ve had contact with. For instance, perhaps your local river was polluted because of textile industry waste; in this case, it would be fitting to address fast fashion specifically (which is still a global issue).

Remember your audience

As you’re approaching this essay, take care to understand the political ramifications of what you’re suggesting and how the school you’re addressing might react to it. Make sure you understand the school’s political viewpoints, and keep in mind that schools are hoping to see how you might fit on their campus based on your response.

So, if you’re applying to a school known for being progressive, like Oberlin or Amherst, you might not want to write an essay arguing that religious freedom is under threat in America. Or, if you’re applying to Liberty University, you should probably avoid writing an essay with a strong pro-LGBTQ stance. You don’t have to take the opposite position, but try picking a different issue that won’t raise the same concerns.

If you have no political alignment, choose economics

If you find yourself applying to a school with which you share no political viewpoints, you might want to consider if the school would even be a good fit for you. Why do you really want to go there? Are those reasons worth it? If you think so, consider writing about an economic issue, which tend to be less contentious than social issues.

For instance, you could write about the impact of monopolies because your parents own an independent bookstore that has been affected by Amazon. Or you could discuss tax breaks for companies that keep or move their production domestically, after seeing how your town changed when factories were moved abroad. Maybe tax filing is a cause you’re really passionate about, and you think the government should institute a free electronic system for all. No matter what you write about here, the key is to keep it close to home however you can.

Pick the best possible framing

When you’re writing an essay that doesn’t fully align with the political views of the school you’re applying to, you’ll want to minimize the gap between your viewpoint and that of the school. While they still might disagree with your views, this will give your essay (and therefore you) the best possible chance. Let’s say you’re applying to a school with progressive economic views, while you firmly believe in free markets. Consider these two essay options:

Option 1:  You believe in free markets because they have pulled billions out of terrible poverty in the developing world.

Option 2:  “Greed is good,” baby! Nothing wrong with the rich getting richer.

Even if you believe equally in the two reasons above personally, essay option 1 would be more likely to resonate with an admissions committee at a progressive school.

Let’s look at another, more subtle example:

Option 1:  Adding 500 police officers to the New York City public transit system to catch fare evaders allows officers to unfairly and systematically profile individuals based on their race.

Option 2:  The cost of hiring 500 additional police officers in the New York City public transit system is higher than the money that would be recouped by fare evasion.

While you might believe both of these things, a school that places a lower priority on race issues may respond better to the second option’s focus on the fallible economics of the issue.

Structuring the Essay

Depending on how long the essay prompt is, you’ll want to use your time and word count slightly differently. For shorter essays (under 250 words), focus on your personal connection rather than the issue itself. You don’t have much space and you need to make it count. For standard essays (250-500 words), you can spend about half the time on the issue and half the time on your personal connection. This should allow you to get more into the nuance. For longer essays, you can write more on the issue itself. But remember, no matter how long the essay is, they ultimately want to learn about you–don’t spend so much time on the issue that you don’t bring it back to yourself.

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November 20, 2018

How Political Opinions Change

A clever experiment shows it's surprisingly easy to change someone’s political views, revealing how flexible we are

By Philip Pärnamets & Jay Van Bavel

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Our political opinions and attitudes are an important part of who we are and how we construct our identities. Hence, if I ask your opinion on health care, you will not only share it with me, but you will likely resist any of my attempts to persuade you of another point of view. Likewise, it would be odd for me to ask if you are sure that what you said actually was your opinion. If anything seems certain to us, it is our own attitudes. But what if this weren’t necessarily the case?

In a recent experiment , we showed it is possible to trick people into changing their political views. In fact, we could get some people to adopt opinions that were directly opposite of their original ones. Our findings imply that we should rethink some of the ways we think about our own attitudes, and how they relate to the currently polarized political climate. When it comes to the actual political attitudes we hold, we are considerably more flexible than we think.

A powerful shaping factor about our social and political worlds is how they are structured by group belonging and identities . For instance, researchers have found that moral and emotion messages on contentious political topics, such as gun-control and climate change, spread more rapidly within rather than between ideologically like-minded networks. This echo-chamber problem seems to be made worse by the algorithms of social media companies who send us increasingly extreme content to fit our political preferences.

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We are also far more motivated to reason and argue to protect our own or our group’s views. Indeed, some researchers argue that our reasoning capabilities evolved to serve that very function .  A recent study illustrates this very well: participants who were assigned to follow Twitter accounts that retweeted information containing opposing political views to their own with the hope of exposing them to new political views. But the exposure backfired—increased polarization in the participants. Simply tuning Republicans into MSNBC, or Democrats into Fox News, might only amplify conflict. What can we do to make people open their minds?

The trick, as strange as it may sound, is to make people believe the opposite opinion was their own to begin with.

The experiment relies on a phenomenon known as choice blindness. Choice blindness was discovered in 2005 by a team of Swedish researchers . They presented participants with two photos of faces and asked participants to choose the photo they thought was more attractive, and then handed participants that photo. Using a clever trick inspired by stage magic , when participants received the photo it had been switched to the person not chosen by the participant—the less attractive photo. Remarkably, most participants accepted this card as their own choice and then proceeded to give arguments for why they had chosen that face in the first place. This revealed a striking mismatch between our choices and our ability to rationalize outcomes. This same finding has since been replicated in various domains including taste for jam , financial decisions , and eye-witness testimony .

While it is remarkable that people can be fooled into picking an attractive photo or a sweet jam in the moment, we wondered whether it would be possible to use this false-feedback to alter political beliefs in a way that would stand the test of time.

In our experiment, we first gave false-feedback about their choices, but this time concerning actual political questions (e.g., climate taxes on consumer goods). Participants were then asked to state their views a second time that same day, and again one week later. The results were striking.  Participants’ responses were shifted considerably in the direction of the manipulation. For instance, those who originally had favoured higher taxes were more likely to be undecided or even opposed to it.

These effects lasted up to a week later. The changes in their opinions were also larger when they were asked to give an argument—or rationalization—for their new opinion. It seems that giving people the opportunity to reason reinforced the false-feedback and led them further away from their initial attitude.

Why do attitudes shift in our experiment? The difference is that when faced with the false-feedback people are free from the motives that normally lead them to defend themselves or their ideas from external criticism. Instead they can consider the benefits of the alternative position.

To understand this, imagine that you have picked out a pair of pants to wear later in the evening. Your partner comes in and criticizes your choice, saying you should have picked the blue ones rather than the red ones. You will likely become defensive about your choice and defend it—maybe even becoming more entrenched in your choice of hot red pants.

Now imagine instead that your partner switches the pants while you are distracted, instead of arguing with you. You turn around and discover that you had picked the blue pants. In this case, you need to reconcile the physical evidence of your preference (the pants on your bed) with whatever inside your brain normally makes you choose the red pants. Perhaps you made a mistake or had a shift in opinion that slipped you mind. But now that the pants were placed in front of you, it would be easy to slip them on and continue getting ready for the party. As you catch yourself in the mirror, you decide that these pants are quite flattering after all.

The very same thing happens in our experiment, which suggests that people have a pretty high degree of flexibility about their political views once you strip away the things that normally make them defensive. Their results suggest that we need rethink what it means to hold an attitude. If we become aware that our political attitudes are not set in stone, it might become easier for us to seek out information that might change them.

There is no quick fix to the current polarization and inter-party conflict tearing apart this country and many others. But understanding and embracing the fluid nature of our beliefs, might reduce the temptation to grandstand about our political opinions. Instead humility might again find a place in our political lives.

Political Science Essay Example

Get Inspired with these Amazing Political Science Essay Examples

Published on: May 8, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 30, 2024

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Many students struggle to write effective political science essays that meet the expectations of their professors. They may have difficulty organizing their thoughts, conducting research, or making persuasive arguments.

One way to improve your political science essay writing skills is to study examples of successful essays in this field. 

By analyzing the structure, and content of these essays, you can learn valuable lessons that will help you write better essays.

In this blog, we provide examples of high-quality political science essays in different different areas of the field. 

Whether you're a beginner or an advanced student, you'll find valuable insights to help you succeed in your coursework.

Let’s get started!

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What is a Political Science Essay? Understanding the Basics

A political science essay explores a particular topic or issue within the field of political science. It typically requires students to conduct research, analyze data, and make persuasive arguments based on their findings.

These essays can take many different forms, depending on the specific requirements of the assignment. They can be comparative essays that examine the similarities and differences between two or more political systems.

They can also be theoretical essays that explore different political theories that analyze real-world political phenomena.

Regardless of its specific type, all such essays should adhere to certain basic principles. They should have a clear thesis statement, use evidence to support their arguments, and be written in clear and concise language.

Political Science Essay Examples

Now that we have a basic understanding of these essays, let's take a closer look at some of its examples.

By analyzing these essays, you can gain valuable insights into how to write political essays.

Political Science Paper Example

Political Science Research Paper Example

Political Science Analysis Paper Example

Political Science Term Paper Examples

Political Science Essay Example for Different Fields

Political science is a diverse and dynamic field that encompasses a wide range of topics and perspectives. 

To gain a comprehensive understanding, it's important to study the examples that explore different areas of research and inquiry.

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The examples given below will help you understand the richness and complexity of political science research.

Political Essay About Poverty

Political Science

The Impact Of Social Movements On National Security

Characteristics Of Political Science

American Political Science

The Political Reform of Japan

The United States and Terrorism

The Role of Political Parties and Political Figures in Shaping Political Landscapes

Kosovo protests 2022

Rishi sunak's political career

Political Essay on Politics and Political Decisions

Tips To Write A Write A Compelling Political Science Essay 

To write an effective essay, it is important to approach the topic with care and attention to detail. Consider the following tips for writing a political essay that stands out:

• Define your Topic: Be clear about the focus of your essay and ensure that it is relevant and interesting to your readers.
• Conduct Thorough Research: Gather information from credible sources, including academic journals, government reports, and news outlets, to ensure that your arguments are well-supported.
• Develop A Clear Thesis Statement: Your thesis should be concise and clearly state your argument or position on the topic.
• Organize Your Essay Effectively: Use clear and logical structure to ensure that your arguments are presented in a coherent and convincing manner.
• Use Evidence To Support Your Arguments: Incorporate relevant data and examples to support your arguments, and ensure that they are credible and well-sourced.
• Consider Opposing Viewpoints: Acknowledge and address counterarguments to your position to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topic.
• Write Clearly And Concisely : Use simple and direct language to convey your ideas, and avoid unnecessary jargon or technical terms.

Pitfalls To Avoid While Writing A Political Science Essay

To write a strong political essay, it is important to not only follow best practices, but also avoid common pitfalls. 

By keeping these pitfalls in mind, you can create a thoughtful and thorough essay that engages your readers.

• Oversimplification

Political science is a complex field that deals with multifaceted political issues. Avoid oversimplifying the topic or argument in your essay, and make sure to provide a nuanced and in-depth analysis.

These essays should be objective and free from personal biases. Avoid using emotionally charged language or cherry-picking evidence to support a preconceived conclusion.

• Using Vague Language

Political essays should be precise and clear in their language. Avoid using vague terms or generalizations, and strive to use concrete and specific language.

• Ignoring Counterarguments

To write a convincing political science essay, it is important to consider and address counterarguments. Avoid ignoring opposing viewpoints, and make sure to provide a thorough analysis of alternative perspectives.

In conclusion, writing political science essays is a great way to explore important political issues. It can also help you in learning about how power and governance work. 

By looking at examples, and writing tips, you can write a strong essay that contributes to the field. 

Whether you're a student, a policy analyst, or just interested in politics, political essays help you understand how decisions get made.

If you need help writing your essay, CollegeEssay.org has an AI essay generator that can assist you. 

Our political science essay writing service can help you write a well-organized essay that meets your needs.

So what are you waiting for? Reach out to us and request ' write me an essay ' to get started!

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Political Context and Social Change

• Reference work entry
• pp 4868–4874
• Cite this reference work entry

• Martin J. Tomasik 3 &
• Rainer K. Silbereisen 4  

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Ecological systems theory

Social change refers to changes in the political or economic context of societies which affect the vast majority of the population, albeit not necessarily in a uniform way. It may occur gradually (as in the process of globalization) or abruptly (as in the case of political revolutions) and be more or less broad in its scope. Social change can be driven by collective action, changes in values , technological innovation, and other exogenous or endogenous factors. Usually, various political institutions, norms of living together, and cultural symbols are affected simultaneously.

Description

In this essay we describe how changes in the political system (such as German unification after the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe) may affect individual quality of life . We begin with the description of the ecological contexts in which individual development is embedded and argue that political changes may affect all these contexts as...

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Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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Hofäcker, D., Buchholz, S., & Blossfeld, H.-P. (2010). Globalization, institutional filters and changing life course. Patterns in modern societies: A summary of the results from the GLOBALIFE-project. In R. K. Silbereisen & X. Chen (Eds.), Social change and human development: Concept and results (pp. 101–124). London: Sage.

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Tomasik, M.J., Silbereisen, R.K. (2014). Political Context and Social Change. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_3746

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Political change essay.

Political change often occurs as major events—such as wars, economic crises, and sudden electoral shifts—lead to punctuated turning points, which are then followed by enduring ideological, institutional, or coalitional transformations. Indeed, across international and domestic contexts, whether one addresses security crises like those that marked the commencement of the cold war or war on terror, economic crises such as the great crash of 1929 or subprime crisis of 2007 to 2009, or the critical elections that transformed U.S. party systems in 1932 or 1968, certain moments in political time stand out as having a particular impact. These events often lead to lasting changes in international relations, economic policy, or coalitional alignments. In addressing these sources of change, scholars have sought to not only identify the key mechanisms through which such events acquire a particular significance, but also highlight broader implications for agency, policy progress, and reform.

Over the past several decades, as scholars have addressed such mechanisms of change, a basic theoretical divide has given rise to a broad debate. From the former vantage, materialists highlight the exogenously given, preinterpretive sources of change, such as shifts in the distribution of power, economic recourses, or demographic trends. Where shifts in such relative power relations alter the balance of power among state and societal actors, materialists argue that they help to determine the outcomes of international or domestic struggles over “who gets what, when, and how.” In justifying this approach, materialists assume that political agents make efficient use of information in reacting to military, economic, or societal changes, and that those who do not correctly act on their real interests will be “selected out” of their competitive systems.

In contrast, from the latter vantage, constructivists highlight the social sources of change—rooted in shifts in shared ideas, economic ideologies, or cultural understandings. Constructivists assume that ideas of these sorts matter because agents are plagued by what John Maynard Keynes termed the fundamental constraint of uncertainty. With respect to a number of important potential developments (e.g., the price of oil in ten years, the likelihood of a terrorist attack) agents simply cannot form any meaningful expectations, and so must fall back on “conventional” judgments for guidance. In other words, agents must interpret crises before they react to them. Moreover, as agents interpret events as legitimating ideological changes, this can lead to transformations of their own interests—or beliefs about how to meet needs—in ways that assume lives of their own. Put differently, from the constructivist vantage, political struggles do not simply pertain to who gets what, when, and how, but also involve arguments over the meaning of events in ways that can reshape agents’ views of who they are and what they want.

To be sure, materialist and constructivist perspectives are not monolithic, and—given these broad assumptions—varieties of each exist. For example, from the materialist vantage, while realist approaches cast hegemonic wars as mechanisms that restore equilibrium to the balance of power, alternative Marxist frameworks highlight the role of wars and crises as sources of dialectical change from more imperialist orders to more emancipatory or socialist alternatives. Likewise, constructivist frameworks vary from those stressing the role of more elite-based, paradigmatic ideas to those stressing the preconscious, affective influences on a wider range of agents.

Nevertheless, setting aside such differences, the underlying debates over material or social forces prove quite enduring, having broad parallels in economic debates between classical and Keynesian perspectives, and psychological controversies over the importance of behavioral incentives or socialization processes. In the largest sense, these perspectives reflect different views of the human condition, as to whether agents are materially or socially constructed, whether material constraints limit possibilities for change, and whether ideas can assume evolving “lives of their own.”

International Security: From Hegemonic To Constitutive Wars

In the security realm, scholars have long noted the association between major wars and postwar settlements that reshape international orders. Perhaps most prominently, Robert Gilpin argues that hegemonic war serves as “the principal mechanism of change throughout history.” In this view, per iodic hegemonic conflicts, reinforced by postwar conferences and accords, determine which “states or states will be dominant and will govern the system.” Questions arise, however, about how a victorious hegemon might define its interests—along more conservative or liberal lines, or in more benign on more predatory fashions. Materialist approaches, at a systemic level, are likely to be underdetermining.

One materialist solution offers a supplemental stress on domestic material influences, rooted in the domestic institutional and societal characteristics of major states. For example, G. John Ikenberry concedes that “historical junctures . . . come at dramatic moments of upheaval and change within the international system, when the old order has been destroyed by war and newly powerful states try to reestablish basic organizing principles.” However, Ikenberry elaborates, “Democratic states have greater capacities to enter into binding institutions” and that hegemonic settlements established by democratic regimes can support more stable, legitimate orders. Nevertheless, despite its merits, Ikenberry’s legal shift to the domestic realm fails to offer a fundamental solution to theoretical problems of how institutional agents define their interests. Even the meaning of democracy itself is variable, and no theoretical fundamental precludes the emergence of violent differences over the meaning of democracy itself—as between the United States and Germany in World War I (1914–1918).

In a broader sense, materialist arguments remain wanting to the extent that the meaning of power and the nature of institutions are always endogenous to a social context. First, “major” asymmetries in the balance of power cannot be abstracted from the social context of, for example, friendship or enmity between states. While rivals or enemies may shift alliances to prevent any single state from attaining dominance over the system, states enjoying socially grounded ties of friendship may simply ignore the ostensible incentive structure of the distribution of power. As Alexander Wendt argues, U.S. policy makers view North Korean missiles differently than they do British missiles. Secondly, even “major” wars occur in meaningful contexts, as when Harry Truman cast the cold war as a struggle over “ways of life” or when George W. Bush emphasized the implications of the ostensible war on terror for the United States’s “deepest beliefs.” Conversely, even apparently “minor” crises can carry disproportionate lessons during periods of uncertainty, as when the post–cold war “Black Hawk down” incident in Somalia prompted an isolationist backlash. In this light, even wars that fundamentally disrupt the balance of power cannot be understood outside some social context.

To the extent that uncertainty complicates the interpretation of material incentives, constructivists have stressed the need to more directly examine the understandings that give wars and crises meaning. Providing the foundation for such an approach, John Ruggie argues that hegemonic wars might often be better seen as constitutive wars that can reshape notions of sovereignty itself. Indeed, Ruggie argues that the emergence of the sovereign state system can itself been seen as having “resulted in part from a transformation in social epistemology” following from the Thirty Years War (1618–1648) and Peace of Westphalia (1648). From this vantage, Ruggie argues that preWestphalian epistemes and “the mental equipment that people drew upon in imagining and symbolizing forms of political community underwent fundamental change.” As Ruggie puts it, “the very ontology of the units—that is to say, what kind of units they would be” provides the focus of constitutive wars. In contrast, in configurative wars, the nature of the units is accepted, though “their territorial configuration remain[s] contested.” Finally, Ruggie defines as positional wars all of “the familiar strategic and tactical wars ever since.”

However, to the sense that the Westphalian era has been characterized by continued debate over the meaning of sovereignty—whether to advance the rights of monarchs, nations, workers, or theocratic designs of varied sorts—wars might still be seen as having ongoing, constitutive significance. For example, Bruce Cronin and J. Samuel Barkin suggest that modern struggles from the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) to the cold war have played a key role in reconciling tensions between statist or nationalist views of sovereignty, which alternately locate authority in “the territories over which institutional authorities exercise legitimate control” or in varied “communities of sentiment.”

In this view, it is not shifts in power, but tensions over prevailing understandings that drive war and change in world politics. Indeed, such social understandings provide the focus of debates over the lessons of conflict, most recently in U.S. settings in cold war–era debates over the lessons of Vietnam. What Vietnam “meant” with respect to definitions of vital or peripheral interests had important implications for policy debate during the Nixon, Carter, and Reagan administrations. In more recent post–cold war debates over the meaning of the war on terror, the shift from the Bush to Obama administration can similarly be seen as accompanying a shift from a view of the September 11 attacks as highlighting the need for a more unilateral or multilateral definition of the national interest. In the absence of mechanisms for managing systemic change, wars and threats do not “speak for themselves,” but must be given meaning to advance state and societal change.

International Political Economy: The Meaning Of Crises

Paralleling these views of wars as revealing shifts in the distribution of power or in prevailing ideas, scholars of the international political economy have engaged in an ongoing debate over views of crises as disrupting the economic distribution of power or prevailing ideological frameworks. From the materialist vantage, hegemonic stability theorists like Gilpin cast the rise and fall of great powers as the most important factor in explaining stability. However, as in the security realm, other materialist scholars have recognized the indeterminacy of systemic incentives and argued for a greater stress on domestic incentives. Indeed, Gilpin himself concedes the role of ideology and stresses the need for a “dominant liberal power” to enable economic cooperation. From this vantage, in the nineteenth century, British hegemony might be seen as having supported the classical gold standard, until interwar British collapse undermined the classical order. Likewise, in the twentieth century, the post–Great Depression rise and (as some argue) decline of U.S. hegemony might explain international monetary change, from the Keynesian Bretton Woods fixed-exchange rate system to the current order.

More explicitly highlighting the material sources of domestic preferences, Peter Gourevitch stresses the effects of economic crises—defined as “major” economic downturns and shifts in the “geographic distribution of production”—on domestic preferences and transnational support for international regimes. Given some fluctuation in relative factor endowments, political agents will apply their reallocated resources to successfully (or unsuccessfully) defend their policy preferences. Gourevitch argues that material shocks alter the bases of domestic coalitions, as “social actors, affected by their situation, evaluate alternative policies in reaction to the likely benefits or costs.” Thus, to explain post–Great Depression Keynesian cooperation, Gourevitch stresses the effects of the crises of the 1930s on the relative position of capital and labor, arguing that labor-led coalitions advocated the adoption of Keynesian policies as alternatives to austerity.

Offering a somewhat greater stress on the autonomy ideas from a comparative vantage, scholars like Elinor Ostrom and Douglass North provide a more nuanced view of the interplay of power and ideas. They cast competitive pressures as often mediated and constrained by formal institutions (e.g., constitutions, rules, and laws) and informal structures (e.g., conventions, norms, and standards of behavior). To be sure, such institutions, even if they can exert a path dependent effect on behavior, still leave the fundamental material impediments to collective action in place.

In this light, despite their merits, these international and comparative analyses ultimately remain wanting for the same reason as basic materialist theories of hegemonic war. First, the effects of the distribution of capabilities in abstraction from the social context are indeterminate. Where states share a sense of the common interest, no hegemonic capabilities may be needed to maintain stability. Conversely, where such positive identification is lacking, no level of capabilities may be sufficient to guarantee stability. Second, the shift to a focus on domestic interests and practices does not resolve the problem of the indeterminacy of incentives, since domestic incentives are often equally unclear. For example, neither firms, nor unions, nor representatives of civil society can identify their “true” interests in abstraction from some intersubjective setting. Through much the era following the depression, for example, representatives of business and capital came to recognize the existence of shared interests in rising wages as a means to bolster demand. Finally, concerns for “major” crises run aground on the inability to precisely define what counts as a “major” change. Even exogenous shocks must be interpreted in a larger context, requiring a more explicit stress on paradigmatic debate over varied Classical or Keynesian economic theories.

In light of these objections, constructivists have stressed the importance of the social context to stability and change. Ruggie has once again played a key role in developing such arguments, reflected in his stress on not only “power” but also “purpose” in explaining the rise of the Bretton Woods system after the depression, in which the state assumed an active role in advancing shared corporate and labor interests in rising employment, demand, and output. Mark Blyth builds upon Ruggie’s insights, introducing a dynamic stress on the construction of crises to explain “great transformations” in economic arrangements in international and comparative settings. Blyth rejects frameworks that treat international political development as progressing through a series of self-apparent exogenous shocks. He instead defines crises in terms of their intersubjective impact, arguing that they occur during periods of uncertainty, when agents “are unsure as to what their interests actually are, let alone how to realize them.” Blyth argues that, given uncertainty, state and societal interests can only be defined in terms of the ideas agents themselves have about the causes of uncertainty.

Drawing on the insights of Keynes, constructivists thereby cast uncertainty as a condition under which there is no scientific basis to form any calculable probability. In this light, economic crises matter as they reshape the terms of policy debate. In other words, as Keynes once put it, “the ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else.” Indeed, reactions to the subprime crisis of 2007 to 2009—as it drove the Bush and Obama administrations alike to engage in Keynesian “lender of last resort assistance”—cannot be understood outside an understanding of Keynes’s own ideas. The subprime crisis did not “speak for itself ” in compelling such policies, but rather spurred debate over the role of the state in society and has legitimated a renewed acceptance of deficit spending and the need for financial reform.

Conclusions

Scholarly debates over the sources of political-scale change broadly concern the importance of material or social forces. From materialist perspectives, while agents might adapt with greater or lesser degrees of skill to exogenous shifts, they cannot fundamentally evade the exogenous constraints of the balance of military or economic power. In contrast, constructivist perspectives highlight the influence of the shared ideas that shape interpretations of material incentives. Perhaps more important, these frameworks have important implications for the scope of agency, progress, and reform. Materialist approaches arguably obscure the full scope of agency, limiting it to mere adaptation. These approaches suggest that agents can only respond to material shifts with differing degrees of skill, and that efforts at transforming international or domestic systems in fundamental ways are likely to be frustrated as proponents are selected out of the system. In contrast, constructivists highlight the role of agents in giving meaning to material changes, in ways that can reshape shared understandings, state and societal interests, and institutional possibilities. In this sense, the materialist-constructivist debate is rooted in enduring controversies over not simply the nature of structural constraints, but broader questions of agency, progress, and change.

Bibliography:

• Barkin, J. Samuel, and Bruce Cronin. “The State and the Nation: Changing Norms and the Rules of Sovereignty in International Relations. International Organization 48, no. 1 (1994): 107–130.
• Blyth, Mark. Great Transformations: Economic Ideas and Institutional Change in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
• Gilpin, Robert. The Political Economy of International Relations. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984.
• War and Change in World Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1981.
• Gourevitch, Peter A. Politics in Hard Times: Comparative Responses to International Economic Crises. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1986.
• Ikenberry, G. John. After Victory: Institutions, Strategic Restraint and the Rebuilding of Order after Major Wars. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001.
• Keynes, John Maynard. “The General Theory of Employment.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 51, no. 2 (1937): 209–223.
• The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1936.
• North, Douglass. Structure and Change in Economic History. New York:W.W. Norton, 1981.
• Oren, Ido. “The Subjectivity of the ‘Democratic’ Peace: Changing U.S. Perceptions of Imperial Germany.” International Security 20, no. 2 (1995): 147–184.
• Ostrom, Elinor. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
• Ruggie, John Gerard. “International Regimes, Transactions, and Change.” In International Regimes, edited by Stephen Krasner, 195–232. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.
• “Territoriality and Beyond: Problematizing Modernity in International Relations.” International Organization 47, no. 1 (1993): 139–174.
• Wendt, Alexander. “Anarchy Is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics.” International Organization 46, no. 2 (1992): 391–425.
• Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
• Widmaier,Wesley, Mark Blyth, and Leonard Seabrooke. “Exogenous Shocks or Endogenous Constructions? The Meanings of Wars and Crises.” International Studies Quarterly 51, no. 4 (2007): 747–759.

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Political Writing: The Power of Words in Politics

Jun 16, 2020

Words are powerful. They can inspire, motivate, and unite people. Political writing can be a tool for rallying support for a cause or rallying opposition against a policy. And it can be used to build relationships with other countries or strengthen alliances with allies. Whatever your political goal may be, strong writing skills are essential to achieving it. So if you’re interested in entering the world of politics, learn how to write well. It will make all the difference.

Politics is all about words. The right words can inspire people to change the world, ruining a career. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the most powerful political speeches throughout history and explore the power of words in politics. Stay tuned – it’s going to be a fascinating ride!

What is Political Writing?

Political writing is writing that is related to politics. This includes pieces written by or on political groups, candidates, parties, and government agencies.

Political writing is the art of writing in support of a political cause.

Political writing is a form of nonfiction. It’s one of the most common uses for language today because we often use it to express our opinions about political matters.

Political writing is nonfiction that presents an opinion or interpretation of political issues. It can be in speeches, position papers, or editorials.

Political writing is written communication that deals with government, politics, and political science.

Political writing is the act of sharing or discussing events and situations of a political nature.

Political writing is a genre of the essay, article, or other work that deals with political matters.

What is political writing, and why is it important?

Political writing is a type of writing that makes people think about their opinions, actions, and the world. It’s essential to keep reading it because it helps us get involved in our communities.

Political writing is the use of language to convince others to create change. It’s important because it allows people to express their opinions and ideas, affecting how politicians make decisions that affect everyone.

Political writing uses written language to present a view, promote a plan, or persuade readers.

Political writing is a genre of writing that analyzes and responds to politics. This type of writing is essential because it allows people to voice their opinions about politics and government, which helps create better policies for our country.

Political writing is the art of convincing people to support your point of view through rhetoric and logic.

One type of political writing his speeches. They’re essential because they can influence and educate many people on controversial topics.

Political writing is a way to express one’s opinion on issues that impact the world. It can be in different forms, such as novels, poetry, or news articles.

The history of political writing

In the 17th century, many political pamphlets were written. Many of these pamphlets contained strong opinions and biased information, but most importantly, they helped shape policy in England during this period.

Although the first political writings appeared in ancient times, it wasn’t until much later that people started writing about politics.

Politics have influenced society for thousands of years. Throughout history, politicians have defined the direction of countries and shaped people’s lives.

Types of political writing

• Political essays are generally written formally to persuade readers to adopt an author’s point of view.
• A political speech aims to persuade people and rally support for a person or party.
• A manifesto is an extended essay that lays out one’s beliefs and goals in great detail.
• Opinion writing is a form of political writing that expresses an opinion about a topic.
• Essays are usually based on personal experiences and may be autobiographical, but they can also be analytical essays about issues or topics.
• News reports differ from op-eds because they focus more on factual information than opinions.
• Editorial: The author’s opinion on a topic, often supported with facts and statistics
• Letter to the editor: A letter from an individual reader responding to something in the newspaper
• Magazine article: A long-form article that is usually published in a magazine
• Opinion Pieces: these are pieces that come from the writer’s personal opinion and can be either positive or negative
• Analysis: This type of writing analyzes a topic in-depth, usually with statistics and data to back up its points
• News Stories: news stories tell readers about current events happening around the world; they may include interviews with experts on the issue or people who have been affected by it
• Op-Eds: op-eds are articles written by someone outside of an organization, such as a politician, activist, union leader, etc., meant for publication in a newspaper or magazine
• Argumentation
• Campaigning/Polemicizing
• Persuasive writing
• Informative writing
• Narrative writing

How to write a persuasive political speech

A persuasive political speech is a type of writing that aims to convince the audience that your view on an issue is more valid than others. To do this, you must start by acknowledging different opinions and pointing out why they are wrong.

The initial step in writing a persuasive speech is to establish your credibility. For example, please talk about your accomplishments for the party or how many years you’ve been involved.

A persuasive political speech should be well-prepared, clear, and straightforward, logically structured. It should focus on the main points without unnecessary details.

A persuasive speech is a type of speech designed to convince the audience. This can be done through logical reasoning, testimonies, facts, figures, or stories.

It would help to tell the audience what you stand for and why and how you will fulfill your promises. It will help if you convince them they want to change their lives or won’t vote for you.

A good speech should be like a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It should present the main idea in the opening sentence or paragraph and develop it throughout the speech. A persuasive political speech will use facts and statistics to support its views.

A political speech is a great way to persuade your audience and win votes. If you’d like to learn some things you can do before writing your address, that will help with the process.

How to write an op-ed piece

Op-ed pieces help express your opinion on a topic.

An op-ed piece is an opinionated article in which the author expresses their views on a topic recently discussed in the news.

An op-ed piece is a short article published in newspapers or other media. It does not necessarily reflect the newspaper’s opinion but rather that of an individual writer.

An op-ed piece is an article that expresses a writer’s opinion on current affairs. This writing style is frequently used in newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

Best Practices for Political Writing

• Be clear about your position on the issue
• Provide evidence to support your point of view
• Ensure you have a good thesis statement and the main idea of your essay or article.
• Use strong verbs and nouns to make sentences more powerful
• Avoid using too many adjectives or adverbs; instead, use descriptive words that show what something looks like, smells like, tastes like, feels like, etc
• Keep it short- this means no more than five paragraphs at most (and each section should be less than three sentences)
• Use clear, concise language
• Avoid jargon and acronyms that are not universally-known
• Provide evidence for your claims
• Write in a way that is easy to understand but still has a depth of knowledge
• allow readers to engage with you through comments or social media shares
• Avoid using slang or idioms
• Keep sentences short and simple
• Use active voice, not passive voice
• Be concise- get to the point quickly without rambling about irrelevant information.
• Make sure you know your audience before writing anything political
• Make sure your writing is engaging and accessible to read
• Keep it brief, but don’t be too concise- make the reader feel like they’re getting something out of reading your article
• Use a variety of sentences with varying lengths to keep readers interested in what you have to say
• Be careful not to be preachy or biased when discussing political topics.
• Use simple language- avoid jargon and acronyms.
• Avoid hyperbole, exaggeration, and generalizations.
• Create an apparent argument with evidence to support your claims
• Be concise- don’t ramble or go off on tangents
• Stick to one point at a time- present new ideas in separate paragraphs
• Use persuasive language to connect with the reader, but avoid over-the-top rhetoric or exaggerated claims.
• Provide specific evidence for your assertions
• Avoid using unnecessary jargon and acronyms
• Read the publication’s guidelines
• Write objectively, not emotionally
• Use active voice and strong verbs to convey power and action
• Keep your sentences short and simple for easy readability
• Include sources in your writing when possible
• Use short, punchy sentences
• Avoid using jargon or acronyms without explaining what they mean
• Keep your writing simple and easy to read
• Make sure you are always fair in your analysis of the issue at hand

Words are an effective tool in politics. When these words are chosen wisely, they can create the perfect storm that sweeps away opposition and makes new citizenship norms. Contact us today if you’re looking for someone with deep experience in crafting compelling political arguments or want to learn more about how language shapes our society. We have years of expertise working with politicians on both sides of the aisle and across different countries worldwide!

One way to get in touch is by filling out our online form on this site or give us a call at +91 9848321284. Let’s work together today!

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Influence of Political, Social, and Cultural Issues Analytical Essay

Political, social, and cultural factors in the world have significant influence on the economic and security status of a society. The political, social, and cultural factors are parameters that reflect the stability of the local states, nations or the entire world. All countries are striving to shape their economic and security aspects by ensuring stability of political, social, and cultural factors.

Steinlin argues that, “the idea of development is the most recent stage of the enlightenment notion of human progress as a continual process of internal and external expansion based on values of rationality, secularity, and efficiency” (9).

Internal expansion involves local and national industrialization strategies geared towards economic growth while external expansion entails being in tandem with the globalization development.

The objective of achieving economic growth and stability is to eliminate poverty, which is a perpetual issue in the world full of inequalities and competition. Therefore, poverty is an issue that transcends political, social, and cultural dimensions and it affects individual members in the society at all levels, be it at local, national, or international levels.

People are unable satisfy basic human basic needs due to poverty. In the society, there are two types of poverty viz. the absolute poverty, and the relative poverty.

Absolute poverty is complete inability to satisfy the basic human needs while relative poverty is the inability to afford quality and standard human needs. Steinlin defines poverty “as a human condition characterized by the sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights” (9).

Poverty dictates the kind of lifestyles that people live and that explain why there are various socioeconomic classes of people in the society.

Human health and education depends on the economic status of the individual, family, the society. Compliant political, social, and cultural aspects in a society that seeks to keep abreast with economic development due to the globalization provide an environment where economy thrives.

Poor economic strategies by the government adversely affect the health and educational status of its citizens. Deprivation of the resources severely affects the living standards of the people for they will not afford quality and standard healthcare and education.

Poverty directly reflects poor health and low educational status of individual members in the society. Since poverty has social, political, and cultural dimensions, it affects everybody in the society. Therefore, so long as poverty still looms in the society, there would be hardly any achievements towards improving the health and educational standards of the people.

Poverty due to deprivation of basic human needs or inequality encourages the emergence of criminal activities in the society. The criminal activities in the society are proportional to the level of poverty.

Steinlin argues that, “poverty deprives individuals of privileges such as choices, security, and power needed for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other fundamental civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights” (13). This means that poverty discriminates against the poor in the society leaving them to resort to criminal activities as means of survival.

Eventually, the society becomes an unsafe place to both the poor and the rich due to poverty and crimes respectively. Therefore, the solutions to poverty lie in the government efforts that shape political, cultural, and social parameters, which determine poverty levels in a country.

Works Cited

Steinlin, Marc. “Basics on the Human Rights Based Approach to Development.” Helvetas Swiss Association for International Cooperation 6.2 (2004): 1-12.

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IvyPanda. (2018, May 27). Influence of Political, Social, and Cultural Issues. https://ivypanda.com/essays/influence-of-political-social-and-cultural-issues/

"Influence of Political, Social, and Cultural Issues." IvyPanda , 27 May 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/influence-of-political-social-and-cultural-issues/.

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Bibliography

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Essay on Politics for Students and Children

500+ words essay on politics.

When we hear the term politics, we usually think of the government, politicians and political parties. For a country to have an organized government and work as per specific guidelines, we require a certain organization. This is where politics comes in, as it essentially forms the government. Every country, group and organization use politics to instrument various ways to organize their events, prospects and more.

Politics does not limit to those in power in the government. It is also about the ones who are in the run to achieve the same power. The candidates of the opposition party question the party on power during political debates . They intend to inform people and make them aware of their agenda and what the present government is doing. All this is done with the help of politics only.

Dirty Politics

Dirty politics refers to the kind of politics in which moves are made for the personal interest of a person or party. It ignores the overall development of a nation and hurts the essence of the country. If we look at it closely, there are various constituents of dirty politics.

The ministers of various political parties, in order to defame the opposition, spread fake news and give provocative speeches against them. This hampers with the harmony of the country and also degrades the essence of politics . They pass sexist remarks and instill hate in the hearts of people to watch their party win with a majority of seats.

Read 500 Words Essay on Corruption Here

Furthermore, the majority of politicians are corrupt. They abuse their power to advance their personal interests rather than that of the country. We see the news flooded with articles like ministers and their families involving in scams and illegal practices. The power they have makes them feel invincible which is why they get away with any crime.

Before coming into power, the government makes numerous promises to the public. They influence and manipulate them into thinking all their promises will be fulfilled. However, as soon as they gain power, they turn their back on the public. They work for their selfish motives and keep fooling people in every election. Out of all this, only the common suffers at the hands of lying and corrupt politicians.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Lack of Educated Ministers

If we look at the scenario of Indian elections, any random person with enough power and money can contest the elections. They just need to be a citizen of the country and be at least 25 years old. There are a few clauses too which are very easy.

The strangest thing is that contesting for elections does not require any minimum education qualification. Thus, we see how so many uneducated and non-deserving candidates get into power and then misuse it endlessly. A country with uneducated ministers cannot develop or even be on the right path.

We need educated ministers badly in the government. They are the ones who can make the country progress as they will handle things better than the illiterate ones. The candidates must be well-qualified in order to take on a big responsibility as running an entire nation. In short, we need to save our country from corrupt and uneducated politicians who are no less than parasites eating away the development growth of the country and its resources. All of us must unite to break the wheel and work for the prosperous future of our country.

FAQs on Politics

Q.1 Why is the political system corrupt?

A.1 Political system is corrupt because the ministers in power exercise their authority to get away with all their crimes. They bribe everyone into working for their selfish motives making the whole system corrupt.

Q.2 Why does India need educated ministers?

A.2 India does not have a minimum educational qualification requirement for ministers. This is why the uneducated lot is corrupting the system and pushing the country to doom. We need educated ministers so they can help the country develop with their progressive thinking.

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• Essay on Politics

Essay on Politics for Students in English

Politics is a hugely important domain in the world and it has a profound impact on the functioning as well as the policies of the governments. Politics has an effect on all types of government including democratic, autocratic, monarchical, theocratic and others. The government is responsible for making decisions on different matters of public interest, issuing orders for the public health, directing the citizens towards development and growth, and performing a wide range of other related functions.

There are numerous definitions of what politics means. Politics can be described as the disagreement between the various groups on what they like. One of the broad definitions of politics, which is widely agreed, is the art of governance. The government is the entity having the legal authority of regulating people’s actions. The word politics is usually used for defining how the countries are governed and how the governments make the rules and the laws. 

Defining laws and regulations that tell people what they can or cannot do is one of the ways in which the government leads the people. These regulations and laws are enacted by the government for ensuring order and protection in the society. Beyond the laws, the government might also regulate the citizens and the functioning of the country in other ways. Most of the countries have specific groups or political parties for expressing their views and policies. 

The political parties form a consensus on the common policies or path that they should take in communicating their ideas or policies to the people. These parties support legislative bills or reforms and the candidates based on the agenda agreed upon by the members. The election is usually contested or fought between the opposite political parties of different spectrum. 

One of the conventional explanations of politics refers to politics being conducted within the system of checks and balances for avoiding misuse of political power. The several institutions that exist within the governing system include the legislative body that is responsible for making laws, executive body that imposes them, and judiciary that interprets them thus providing a powerful and well-rounded political spectrum.

If you want to study in detail about politics and its various concepts of applications for your essay in English then you can refer to it on the Vedantu website or app. Vedantu is a leading learning platform with a wide range of learning resources, tutorials, solutions, reference notes, and sample questions papers with solutions for students of different branches.

Short Politics Essay in English

Politics, in general, is the platform by which people create, maintain, and change the laws that govern their lives. As a result, conflict and collaboration are inextricably connected in politics. On the one hand, the presence of conflicting views, competing expectations, competing needs, and competing interests is expected to result in conflict over the rules under which people live.

Politics is fascinating because everyone has a different perspective on life and its rules. They have differing opinions about how they should live. What money should go to whom? What is the best way to disperse power to help the powerless? Is it better for society to be built on collaboration or conflict? And so forth. They also talk about how such disputes can be resolved. What is the best way to make decisions as a group? In what conditions does who have a say? How much say should each person have in decisions? The list goes on.

This, according to Aristotle, made politics the "master science," which he described as "the action by which human beings strive to better their lives and build and contribute to a Good Society." Politics is, first and foremost, a social practice. It's still a conversation, but the parties have reduced it to a monologue.

Any effort to grasp the sense of the word "politics" must always grapple with two major issues. The first is the different connotations that this word has in everyday speech. Unlike economics, geography, history, and biology, which most people think of as academic subjects, few people approach politics without preconceptions. The second, more complicated issue is that even well-respected authorities cannot agree about what politics is all about. It has infiltrated nearly every aspect of society.

Hence, we can say that the exercise of authority, the sacred science of governance, the making of unified decisions, the distribution of limited resources, the art of deceit and exploitation, and so on are all terms used to describe politics.

FAQs on Essay on Politics

1. How do we define politics?

Politics is the collection of activities connected with community decision-making or other types of power relations between individuals, such as resource allocation or status.

2. Name the Various national-level political parties in india.

There are several national-level political parties in India. The major ones include:

All India Trinamool Congress(AITC)

Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP)

Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)

Communist Party of India(CPI)

Communist Party of India(Marxist)

Indian National Congress(INC)

National People’s Party(NPP)

Nationalist Congress Party(NCP)

3. What is the definition of politics?

Politics has numerous definitions and explanations. In the basic broad term politics can be defined as the art of governance through a collection of activities that are associated with society, decision-making, and power relations between the individuals, like status or resource allocation. The concept of politics is very important in the governance of a country and it is an important topic related to public life that the students must learn about.

4.  Which are the different major political parties in India?

There are several major political parties in India. Some of these political parties include All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC), Indian National Congress (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI), and National People’s Party (NPP) amongst a host of others. Each of these political parties have their own political manifesto based on which they conduct their operations.

5. Why is politics an important subject for students to learn?

Politics is related to day-to-day functioning of a country or a society and thus it is important for students to learn and be well informed about it. Politics includes vital policies and decisions that have a direct impact on people and as a responsible citizen it is crucial for students to have a basic grasp of developments in the country that charts out the future path of the nation.

6. How can I prepare for an essay on politics?

If you want to write an essay on politics then you would need to prepare well by understanding the definitions and various other aspects related to politics. One of the ways you can do this is by learning and reading about politics on the internet. You can also find a detailed essay on politics for students in English at Vedantu. This essay incorporates all the important points and provides an excellent guide on how the essay should be done.

7. How can I download the English essay on politics from Vedantu?

If you want to download the English essay on Politics provided by Vedantu then you can do it from either the website or the app. All you need to do is go to the English section and browse to the essay on politics. Here you will have the “Download PDF” option and you just need to click on that button to download the English essay by Vedantu on your device for free. Once you downloaded the PDF file you can access it offline any time you want.

UC San Diego

Essays on the Politics and Political Effects of Climate Change

• Obradovich, Nicholas Anthony
• Advisor(s): Fowler, James H ;
• Gibson, Clark C

This dissertation focuses on the politics and potential effects of climate change on political systems. I examine aspects of three broad questions. First, how might future climatic stressors alter the stability of political systems? Numerous studies investigate this question through the lens of conflict. Yet most political change does not arise through violent upheaval. In democratic nations at least, most political change arises through regular elections. In my first chapter, I examine the potential for climate change to disrupt the functioning of political systems through alterations in political behaviors at the ballot box. I find that -- if historical relationships persist -- the climatic distributions projected for the latter part of this century may increase rates of democratic turnover, especially in poorer nations with already weaker democratic institutions. My second question relates to the political feasibility of policies designed to address climatic changes in lower income democracies. In my second chapter, I investigate the willingness of voters and politicians in Sub-Saharan Africa to lend political support to climate change policies. Evidence from these studies suggests that voters are reticent to support climate policies and that politicians are reluctant to pursue climate policies. My third question focuses on the behavioral motivations for taking individual political action to address climate change. Organizations looking to motivate action on climate change often make appeals that emphasize an individual's personal responsibility for the problem, with the notion that emphasizing diffuse collective responsibility may diminish individual action. In my third chapter, I conduct a series of survey experiments with members from the National Audubon Society and from the general public and find that -- contrary to expectations -- emphasizing personal responsibility produces no significant increase in climate change action whereas emphasizing collective responsibility amplifies climate action. These three chapters represent a foray into vital areas of my future research program: the potential effects of climate change on political systems, the political feasibility of climate policies, and the underpinnings of political behaviors related to climate change.

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Essay on Role of Youth in Politics

Students are often asked to write an essay on Role of Youth in Politics in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Role of Youth in Politics

Introduction.

Youth, the future of a nation, play a crucial role in politics. They are the backbone of a country who can lead towards progress.

Political Awareness

Youths should be politically aware to understand the country’s issues. With their energy and fresh ideas, they can bring about significant changes.

Participation in Politics

Active participation in politics is vital. Youths can join political parties, participate in elections, or voice their opinions to contribute to the political process.

The role of youth in politics is significant. They can shape the future of the nation with their enthusiasm and innovative ideas.

250 Words Essay on Role of Youth in Politics

The role of youth in politics is crucial in shaping the future of a nation. As the torchbearers of change, they are instrumental in driving the political landscape towards a more inclusive and progressive direction.

Political Participation

Youth participation in politics is not just about voting; it extends to engaging in political debates, policy-making, and even holding political office. Their fresh perspectives and innovative ideas can contribute to the creation of more effective and relevant policies.

A Catalyst for Change

Young people, with their energy and passion, often serve as catalysts for political change. They are typically more open to embracing new ideas and are less constrained by traditional political ideologies. This makes them a potent force in challenging the status quo and pushing for political reform.

Overcoming Challenges

However, the path to political participation for the youth is not without challenges. They often face barriers such as age restrictions, lack of opportunities, and the perception that they are inexperienced. Overcoming these obstacles requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including the government, educational institutions, and civil society.

In conclusion, the youth’s role in politics is vital for the growth and development of a nation. They bring a fresh perspective, are willing to challenge the status quo, and are often at the forefront of political change. Encouraging and facilitating their participation in politics is essential for a vibrant and progressive political landscape.

500 Words Essay on Role of Youth in Politics

The significance of youth in politics.

The role of youth in politics is pivotal, being the backbone of any nation. They represent the future and are responsible for shaping society’s political landscape. The youth’s energy, innovative ideas, and resilience can bring about significant changes in the political sphere, highlighting their importance in the process.

Driving Change and Innovation

Young people, with their fresh perspectives and willingness to challenge the status quo, often act as catalysts for change. They question existing political systems and advocate for reforms, leading to a dynamic and evolving political environment. Their innovative ideas can lead to the creation of policies that are more in line with the changing times and societal needs.

Representation and Inclusion

The youth constitutes a significant portion of the population in many countries. Hence, their representation in politics is crucial to ensure the interests of this demographic are catered to. Their active involvement in politics can lead to the inclusion of youth-centric policies, addressing issues like education, employment, and mental health.

Political Awareness and Participation

Political awareness among the youth is essential for a robust democracy. It enables them to make informed decisions, participate in debates, and contribute to the political discourse. Their participation, either as voters or candidates, can significantly impact election outcomes.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite the potential benefits, youth participation in politics is often hindered by various barriers. These include age restrictions for candidacy, lack of opportunities, and societal stereotypes. To overcome these challenges, it is essential to create a conducive environment that encourages youth participation. This can be achieved through measures such as lowering the age limit for political candidacy, providing mentorship programs, and promoting political literacy among the youth.

The Way Forward

Promoting youth participation in politics is a collective responsibility. Governments, educational institutions, and civil society organizations need to work together to foster an environment that encourages youth engagement in politics. It is also crucial for the youth to seize the opportunities and make their voices heard.

In conclusion, the role of youth in politics is integral to the development and progression of any nation. Their active participation can lead to a more inclusive and forward-thinking political landscape. As the leaders of tomorrow, the youth have the power to shape the future of their countries, making their involvement in politics not just desirable but necessary.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Honesty in Politics
• Essay on Dirty Politics
• Essay on Dinosaur

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460 Excellent Political Topics to Write about in 2024

If you have an assignment in politics, look no further—this article will help you ace your paper. Here, you will find a list of unique political topics to write about compiled by our custom writing team .

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

But that’s not all of it! Keep reading if you want to:

• See how to tackle political essay topics in your paper;
• Choose a topic that will be interesting for you to research;
• Refresh your knowledge of essential political concepts.

Now, without further ado, let’s get started! Below, you’ll find political topics and questions for your task.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• ✅ Main Political Concepts
• 🇺🇸 American Politics Topics
• 🌐 Global Politics
• 📚 Political Science
• 🏛️ Political Philosophy
• ⚖️ Comparative Politics
• 💵 Political Economy
• 🍴 Food Politics
• 🌱 Environmental Politics
• 📖 Political Case Study Topics
• ✍️ How to Write a Political Essay

🔍 References

🔝 top 10 political topics to write about.

• The political causes of terrorism
• Why do we need political parties?
• Is politics connected to religion?
• Does an ideal political system exist?
• How to prevent ideological conflicts
• Electoral systems around the world
• The role of the UN in the world politics
• Should nuclear weapons be banned?
• The importance of international relations
• Should the government control the internet?

✅ Main Political Concepts to Focus On

Politics is an exciting and versatile subject. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not confined to senates and debate chambers. It also takes place on the streets and in your home. You can even say that everything is political.

Politics has so many areas to study—it may be hard to decide what to choose. Let’s see what interesting concepts you can focus on:

• Government and all that concerns the state. It includes actions that involve state institutions and people serving them. You might want to concentrate on voting, transnational interactions, or acts of politicians.
• We’ve all heard that conflict is a healthy part of every relationship. Do you believe that politics should embrace the differences? Then you may want to study the mechanisms of protests and revolutions.
• Or, you can focus on methods of nonviolent conflict resolution .
• Execution of power . Here the question is: what is power? Study various definitions and choose the ones you like best.
• Maybe you consider politics a social activity . You can also think of it as more of a public activity . Look into these concepts and see where politics takes place.

Does any of these ideas seem particularly interesting to you? Write an essay about it! Or, if you want inspiration, check our extensive list of ideas covering every major branch of politics. Below you will find current political topics as well as historical ones.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

🇺🇸 American Politics Essay Topics

Inner social and economic tensions have led to drastic changes in America’s political climate. The divide between Democrats and Republicans grows more resonant by the minute. What is your opinion on these developments? Have a closer look at it with one of our engaging topics:

• Discuss gun control measures and crime rates reduction in the US. 
• Analyze Kanye West’s presidential campaign.
• What are the crucial current issues to voters in America? 
• Do national politics in the USA neglect older adults?
• Why isn’t the right to privacy listed in the US constitution?
• The American government has extensive plans concerning the closure of Purdue Pharma. But are they acting in the public’s best interest? 
• Pros and cons of raising the number of justices at the Supreme Court. 
• Write about American neutrality and contribution in the Great War. 
• Discuss the pros and cons of building a fortified border wall between the USA and Mexico. 
• What would happen to California if it became an independent country?
• Who should pay for essential healthcare services in America? 
• Does the two-party-system do more harm than good?

• What did President Trump achieve by pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord? 
• Describe how the American states collaborate in the federal system .
• Is a cap on immigration to the US necessary? 
• How does wealth inadequacy affect American democracy?
• The role of freedom in American politics. 
• How does the Electoral College work? 
• What are the implications of Donald Trump’s revealed tax statements? 
• Political impact of the body positivity movement in America.
• The BLM movement as covered by Fox News vs. CNN. 
• The US-Australian cooperation and its implications. 
• Should the US seek tighter bonds with China? 
• What’s the easiest way to become politically involved in the US?
• Why should you join a political party?
• Effects of the war on drugs. 
• Debate implementing more restrictive gun laws nationwide. 
• America’s role in restoring Europe after World War II. 
• How does social media influence political decisions in America?
• Is capitalism the best system for the US?
• Why don’t LGBT people in America have the same rights as straight people? 
• How did the legalization of dispensaries in California impact consumer behavior ?
• What branches does the American government consist of? 
• How is poverty affecting rural communities in the US?
• Explore law enforcement in the US on local, state, and federal levels.
• Discuss the limits of executive power in New Jersey.
• Should Oregon implement a cap on the price of medicines? 
• What caused healthcare in America to become so expensive? 
• Religious extremism in the US after 9/11. 
• Your position on the American intervention in Syria. 
• What caused many people to lose trust in President Trump’s government?
• Describe the state of affairs that allowed Donald Trump to win the 2016 election. 
• What laws restrict campaign financing in Florida?
• Discuss the budgeting of the US Environmental Protection Agency. 
• Evaluate President Trump’s crisis response.
• Outline the ideas of American politicians from parties on the margin.
• The importance of the Hispanic vote.
• The Patriot Act: facts and controversies. 
• How do stereotypes towards Asian Americans influence their opportunities? 
• The power of line-item vetoes in Wisconsin.

🌐 Global Political Topics to Talk About

Global politics studies basic political ideas on an international scale. This subject combines multiple social sciences to analyze political activity worldwide. Choose between the topics concerning human rights, development, conflict, and international relations.

• Why did Reporters without Borders build a library in Minecraft?
• How influential are NGOs?
• What are the main functions of the UN? 
• Discuss how the 2015 migrant crisis affected European politics.
• What are the drawbacks of being stateless ?
• African socialism in the 1950s and 1960s. 
• Has the US become estranged from its European allies?
• What is the Human Development Index?
• Explain the three waves of democratization .
• Why do some countries suffer from terrorism more than others?
• Discuss methods of conflict resolution used by the African Union.
• At what point does a crisis justify international intervention?
• Trace the events of the 2020 election in Belarus. 
• What caused the Eastern Mediterranean to be war-torn?
• Discuss the role of gender in modern Africa. 
• How did the California Gold Rush in 1848 impact global politics?
• The development of Latin American cities in the past 30 years. 
• Why was Germany hesitant to participate in colonization? What led to the change of heart?
• Israeli-Palestine conflict and the global community.
• How do countries reconcile after being at war with each other?
• What is the Spratly Islands dispute?
• Why does China claim ownership of the South China Sea? What makes it a globally important issue?
• The threats of transnational organized crime. 
• What are the effects of Brexit on the UK and international relations?
• How does a country’s geography shape its politics?
• US foreign policy: criticism and problems. 
• The purpose and importance of global health. 
• Discuss how Sub-Saharan Africa can become independent of foreign aid. 
• Global citizenship: characteristics and responsibilities. 
• How does feminism influence global relations? 
• What does deterrence theory entail?
• Explain how the International Court of Justice works.
• Global war in terrorism: what are its main challenges? 
• What causes interdependence between nations?
• Why do states need to be internationally acknowledged? What happens if they aren’t?
• Structural effects of uneven resource distribution.
• Gender bias in global politics. 
• Explore the history of Cambodian politics.
• Kazakhstan: the proposal to switch the alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin. 
• What factors determine if a country is safe to travel to?
• Discuss Daniel Drezner’s theories of global politics.
• The development of the UK’s global political influence.
• Compare how various countries protect their indigenous cultures. 
• Should the EU be dissolved?
• What is Wilsonianism?
• Characterize America’s foreign affairs in the Middle East. 
• What rights does a stateless person have?
• Amnesty international: criticism and controversies.
• What has the Pan-African movement achieved? 
• How did American government respond to the Arab Spring? 

📚 Political Science Topics to Research

Political science studies collective decisions and their consequences. Part of this process is analyzing the structure and mechanisms of government. Researchers in this field consider psychological, social, and cultural aspects of political activity.

• The rise of Austria’s Freedom Party in 2000.
• What can game theory tell us about society?
• Discuss the concept of nationhood, its benefits, and pitfalls.
• Trace the development of the Nigerian government from the ’60s up to now. 
• The impact of celebrities on political campaigning. 
• Describe the goals of the anti-globalization movement.
• Why did all Germany’s attempts to form a republic fail until after World War II?
• The effects of poverty on Australian indigenous peoples. 
• What type of events affect voting behavior the most? 
• Examine historical examples of anarchist societies.
• Does a president need to represent all of their country’s citizens ?
• What are the advantages of polling? 
• Can monarchies be democratic?
• What influences people’s political beliefs?
• The regulation of water supply in Latin American countries.
• Describe how the media affects cultural globalization .
• Compare right and left-wing terrorist groups. 
• What constitutes tyranny?
• How does the Saudi Arabian government work?

• The relationship between the automobile industry and politics in Japan .
• Crisis theory, its strengths, and its weaknesses.
• What are the goals of the alt-right?
• The historical significance of the treaty of Westphalia.
• Was the Equal Rights Amendment doomed to fail? What is its current status? 
• How does tourism affect Caribbean politics?
• What makes someone a leader?
• Discuss how powerful states influence poorer ones.
• How does the EU make decisions? 
• Examine the success rate of petitions.
• The psychology behind supporting extremist groups. 
• The mechanics of propaganda: when language becomes a political tool. 
• Class 12 political education: preparing students to vote in their first election.
• Analyze the structure of the Chinese Communist Party.
• What does the Lemon test determine?
• Is fear a good instrument of control?
• The political danger of fake news .
• How do civil wars happen? 
• Political culture: why did democracy in Iraq fail? 
• Investigate the conflict between China and Tibet.
• Should institutions benefit society’s poorest members?
• The role of poverty in driving the popularity of Boko Haram in Nigeria.
• Why do some people miss the Soviet Union? 
• What are the differences between the IS and al-Qaeda?
• Organization of the Taliban government in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. 
• Political radicalization on the internet. 
• The importance of women in governments .
• Balance of power theory and modern world order.
• The dangers of neopatrimonialism in African politics.
• Why was the French Revolution an important event in history?
• What influences outside the government can impact policymaking? 

🏛️ Best Political Philosophy Essay Topics

What type of systems can ensure a happy life for everyone? Political philosophy, or political theory, seeks to answer this question. Its goal is to create a social standard by applying ethics to politics. Get contemplative with our interesting political theory paper topics:

• How ethical is capitalism ?
• Explore the ideological connection between liberalism and feminism.
• How close is your community to Plato’s ideal society?
• What would happen if we leave capitalism behind?
• Discuss the concept of democracy in political theory.
• Ethical issues concerning globalization .
• What would Aristotle say about the world’s current state of affairs?
• Marx’s and Lenin’s imperialism theories.
• Was Jean-Jacques Rousseau right in saying that a civil society began with a fence?
• Is restricting immigration an ethical way to increase wages? 
• How relevant is John Locke’s social contract theory today?
• Explore the problems of democratic transition and consolidation.
• Analyze the shortcomings of positivism.
• Discuss John Rawls’ position on justice.
• What is philosophical anarchism ?
• How does Michel Foucault explain the development of Western penal systems in Discipline and Punish ?
• Discuss grounds on which war is morally permissible or even necessary.
• The influence of existentialism on Western politics.
• What events sparked the foundation of the Paris Commune?
• How can governments and communities cooperate?
• Can religion have a positive influence on lawmaking?
• What does it mean to have authority ?
• Should governments provide stability or freedom of choice?
• The influence of revisionism on the German Social Democratic Party policies.
• Is gerrymandering always unjust? 
• How did the idea of democracy change from ancient Greece to modern times? 
• Is the law always morally right?
• The role of violence in the ideologies of Pyotr Kropotkin and Mikhail Bakunin.
• Police corruption: understanding and prevention.
• Is democracy indeed a rule by the people? 
• What’s the difference between nationalism and patriotism?
• The role of power from the post-structuralist perspective.
• Is there a big divide between Asian and Western political ideology?
• What motivates someone to be politically active?
• Why are students typically engaged in politics?
• Is populism ethical? 
• Provide an advanced perspective of public policy. 
• Should the state be allowed to decide whether an individual can end their life?
• The meaning of the term “liberalism” from its origins to this day. 
• What do feminists mean by saying “the personal is political”?
• How do you define the word “ political ”?
• Discuss dehumanization and its evolution in warfare.
• If you could start a whole culture anew, what would its principles be?
• Analyze how pornography can be political.
• Policymaking: systemic thinking on various levels. 
• Are liberal government models the end of political development? 
• How did the US government morally justify the Vietnam war ?
• According to Thomas Hobbes, why do citizens need a Leviathan ?
• Describe Machiavelli’s position concerning the role of religion in politics. 
• The influence of Ayn Rand’s objectivism on libertarian movements.

⚖️ Comparative Politics Essay Topics

Have you ever wondered how the state influences a nation’s economy? Scholars of comparative politics know the answer. They analyze governments by comparing and contrasting them. Choose a topic in this category to discover the differences between various political systems.

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• What causes nations to transform their governments?
• Define the differences between a nation and a nation-state. 
• Causes of war: comparative politics and peace studies.
• The politics of baby boomers vs. millennials .
• Is the “tyranny of the majority” an unavoidable weakness of democracy? 
• Characteristics of authoritarian vs. totalitarian regimes. 

• What are the differences between laws and executive orders ?
• How does bureaucracy work in Norway vs. Russia?
• Living conditions in South African squatter settlements and Brazilian favelas.
• Compare conservative ideology in the US vs. the Netherlands.
• What is the ideological difference between liberalism and conservatism? 
• Discuss the advantages of a participatory vs. a representative democracy .
• What are the current trends in democratization ?
• Compare the contents of the French vs. the British constitution .
• Describe the differences between federal and unitary governments. 
• The executive’s role in Japan vs. China.
• Political parties in Canada: ideological analysis.
• What does it take to pass a law in Finland as compared to Sweden?
• How does the naturalization process work in Canada vs. the US?
• What factors impact political participation in different countries? 
• How does a country’s education influence its citizens’ political activity?
• Analyze the role of interest groups in the USA and Poland. 
• How do presidential systems work in comparison to parliamentary systems?
• Idealism versus realism in international politics
• Ownership laws in Nigeria vs. Eritrea.
• Compare Saddam Hussein’s regime with societies from Orwell’s 1984 .
• Identify current trends in voter turnout. 
• What constitutes the civil society in India and Pakistan? 
• Contrast the structures and influence of the top five grassroots movements. 
• The role of independent media in political education.
• What factors determine whether a societal change is successful?
• Compare American and Icelandic healthcare systems.
• Protest votes: in which system do they work best?
• Which fundamental ideologies do most of the world’s democracies share?
• The social consequences of corruption in Mexico vs. Venezuela.
• The perception of conservatism in the US vs. other countries.
• Analyze Indian and Brazilian democracies. 
• Revolving door politics in Japan vs. Australia.
• How is gender equality institutionalized in different countries?
• Why are green parties more successful in Europe than in the US?
• Contrast political education across the states of the former Soviet Union .
• The influence of the military on the government in the US vs. New Zealand. 
• Achievements of the LGBT movement in Poland and the Czech Republic.
• What are sustainability measures in South Africa vs. Senegal?
• The evolution of women’s rights in Russia vs. Switzerland. 
• How does federalism in Brazil differ from the one in America? 
• Compare Peru’s and Lesotho’s unitary systems.
• Comparison between Florida and Maryland’s legislative frameworks.
• Contrast various military governments. Can they be beneficial for the public?
• Political socialization in France vs. India.

💵 Political Economy Topics to Write About

Are you interested in how trade relates to a nation’s law and government? Then this section is for you. Scholars in this field study how economic theories influence societies. On top of that, they advise governments on economic policies and proposals. Find a great topic in the list below:

• Economic interdependence theory and future of trade.
• How do oligopolies influence the market?
• What are the economic effects of taxation ?
• Do democratic countries have better economies than autocratic states?
• Did NAFTA overall benefit Mexico’s economy?
• The oil industry in Saudi Arabia: analysis and strategies.
• Globalization and the economy: interrelations and consequences.
• What are the goals of the WTO?
• How did the foundation of OPEC shape oil trade?
• What factors influence the global GMO market?
• Explain the concept of the invisible hand.
• What are the characteristics of public goods?
• Does private ownership necessarily lead to inequality?
• How did mercantilism affect colonized countries?
• Define critical political economy theory.
• What role does mass media play in a nation’s economic decisions?
• The current revival of neoliberalism .
• Why does the exchange rate matter? 
• The role of competition in politics. 
• How did the development of financial systems impact governments? 
• Why did President Trump’s tax reports cause a scandal?
• How did economic troubles lead to political tensions in the EU?
• What policies did countries in South-East Asia implement to drive economic growth? 
• Can guaranteed income prevent socio-economic crises?
• How are pension age policies connected to a country’s economic situation?
• The impact of terrorism on oil prices and production. 
• What were the political pros and cons of the gold standard ?
• Does the trade war between the US and China have the potential to affect global trade? 
• What types of governments are more likely to engage in protectionism? 
• How is America “weaponizing” the dollar?
• Discuss risk management strategies during the financial crisis in the US.
• Utilitarian ethics in political economy.
• What is the minimum wage , and how do you calculate it?
• Do big companies have too much political influence?
• The effects of gender-biased laws on economic systems .
• What are the economic concerns behind sustainable policies?
• Why are European countries struggling to convert to green energies ?
• Does turning away from fossil fuels automatically mean a decrease in economic growth? 
• How do policies create wealth gaps?
• What do wealthy countries do to stay rich?
• Describe the political consequences of outsourcing .
• The connection between political instability and widespread poverty .
• The political economy of financing conflicts in the Middle East.
• Why do countries export weapons to war-torn areas?
• How do political power balances create inequality?
• The politics of free markets vs. planned economies.
• What are the key elements of the political economy, according to Marxism ?
• Explain the 19th-century socialist ideology.
• What effects do a country’s political institutions have on the development of organized crime ?
• Feminism in the political economy .

🍴 Food Politics Essay Topics

Decisions concerning packaging labels and food safety regulations belong in the realm of food politics. This branch also encompasses aspects related to food production, distribution, and consumption. Dive into the world of food politics with one of our popular writing ideas:

• How much should the government influence our food choices ?
• What’s political about our diet?
• How do food politics influence our eating habits ?
• Why do most American food production companies add sugar and syrup to bread?
• The politics of kid-targeted food advertising.
• What are the differences between the major labels of organic food ?
• Should conventional agriculture still be subsidized?
• What are the most dominant conflicts of interest in the agricultural industry today?
• What can governments do to make fresh and healthy foods more accessible? 
• Compare various government-sponsored programs to promote a healthy diet .
• How does the demand regulate the market in terms of food products ?
• Will we ever be able to eradicate hunger globally?
• How can policies and restrictions make the food industry more sustainable?
• Why are food politics crucial to achieving development goals?
• Should governments ban plastic bags and packaging?
• Following the annexation of Crimea, Russia received heavy sanctions. It prompted President Putin to ban the import of food products from Europe and the US. How does this affect the country? 
• Monsanto: the political influence of America’s former biggest GMO seed distributor.
• What issues are associated with eco-friendly food packaging?
• What would be the consequences of outlawing alcohol?

• Should there be a ban on advertisements for unhealthy foods?
• Lobbying tactics in the alcohol industry.
• Discuss the benefits of implementing higher taxes on soft drinks.
• When can a company label their product as “natural”?
• Discuss the problems related to US school cafeterias.
• The danger of alcopops: policies that prevent early alcohol consumption. 
• Challenges of regulating deceptive health claims.
• How does sponsored research influence nutritional guidelines?
• The biopolitics of nutrition and food distribution.
• What should all food labels contain to ensure safe consumption? 
• The vegan movement’s impact on the organic food market.
• How did industrialization change the way we eat?
• Is ethnic food underrepresented in nutritional guidelines? If so, why?
• Discuss the role of price in alcohol consumption.
• Why is cannabis banned in many countries, but cigarettes aren’t?
• Sin tax: what are its unintended social repercussions?
• How do gruesome pictures on cigarette packages influence smoking behavior?
• Consumption of harmful products in states with and without a sin tax.
• Treatment of migrant fruit pickers in Texas. 
• California removed sugary drinks and sweets from its public schools. Did this lead to a decrease in youth obesity? 
• Food safety: a policy issue in agriculture today.
• What would sustainable policies on regulating food waste be?
• Should governments allocate more resources into cloning research to satisfy the meat demand? 
• The political influence of the American meat industry.
• Should animal rights be secured in the constitution?
• The development of whale hunting laws in Japan.
• What type of regulations could ensure sustainable fishing? 
• What’s the problem with “Big food”?
• Examine the food vs. fuel dilemma.
• Discuss the court case in which a Colorado bakery refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple.
• Denial of food access as a war weapon.

🌱 Environmental Political Research Topics

Issues like sustainability and climate change need coordinated political decisions. That’s where environmental politics comes into play. This branch analyzes policymaking as well as political theories and ideas concerning the environment. Besides, it investigates what position political parties and social movements have on the matter. If you want to address environmental concerns in your essay, this section is for you.

• How can the global power of the church be used to drive sustainability agendas?
• Why do some arid countries want to tow icebergs? What are the environmental consequences of this practice?
• What are the goals of the carbon tax? 
• Why should cities endorse greenways in their urban planning? 
• How did Nigerian activists react to the environmental consequences of the country’s excessive oil production?
• Political strategies to preserve biodiversity .
• What did the Kyoto protocol achieve? 
• Why didn’t Iran and Turkey sign the Paris Agreement? 
• Explore the environmental positions of various parties across the political spectrum.
• Is sustainability a viable aspiration for a community? 
• Why are liberal governments more likely to address environmental concerns than conservative ones?
• Does it take an authoritarian state to combat global warming effectively? 
• The benefits of environmental education in class 11.
• How do interest groups manipulate political action against environmental problems ?
• Is lobbyism responsible for the hesitation in terms of setting strict sustainability goals?
• The Clean Water Act: achievements and shortcomings.
• Are governments doing enough to tackle environmental issues ?
• The success of market mechanisms in environmental policymaking.
• Discuss the progress made to control air pollution in China.
• What roles do NGOs play in driving policies to protect nature?
• Are environmental politics mostly moving forward in times of a crisis? 
• Geoengineering: should governments rely on changing the weather instead of adjusting regulations? 
• Discuss the correlation between energy crisis and climate change.
• How will Indonesia’s new Omnibus Law impact environmental politics?
• The influence of social movements in making the fishery industry more sustainable. 
• How can governments ensure green conservation without reducing their country’s living standards?
• Is ecoterrorism a good way to bring attention to under-discussed problems?
• Investigate how environmental politics can reconcile its proponents with its adversaries.
• How did Hannah Arendt influence modern political thought about nature?
• What is ecofeminism , and what are its goals?
• Implications of the Gaia hypothesis for environmental politics.
• Provide an outline of an environmental conservation project.
• Al Gore’s influence on environmental decisions during his time as vice president.
• Sustainability initiatives in the US vs. Europe.
• The significance of environmental politics in international relations.
• Discuss the link between social justice movements and the rise of green parties.
• Should the California government promote native fire tending techniques to save the state’s forests?
• An Inconvenient Truth : legacy and criticism.
• Do not let Belgrade d(r)own: environmental activism in the Balkans.
• The role of the military in protecting nature.
• What plans does the New Zealand government have to reduce carbon emissions?
• Responsible mining practices in the Philippines.

• Political cooperation efforts for protecting the Caspian Sea.
• Discuss the benefits and costs of the US acid rain program.
• How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact environmental policymaking? 
• The role of populism in addressing climate change .
• Radioactive waste management policies in the EU.
• Contrast the methods of various climate justice organizations.
• How can we use AI to protect the environment? 
• Combating food waste in Norway: consequences of introducing the phrase “best before, often good after” on food labels.

📖 Political Case Study Topics to Look Into

Case studies are valued among all social sciences. They are an excellent method to learn from real-life examples. What’s even better, you can apply the information you’ve gathered from them to a broader framework. If you prefer a practical approach to politics, check out these compelling ideas:

• The 2011 drought caused the Yangtze River to carry significantly less water. How did this affect Chinese politics?
• The Arctic ice is melting at an unprecedented pace. How do politicians cooperate in combating it?
• Pollution has caused an ecological disaster in Kamchatka. What was the Russian government’s response to the crisis?
• The economic growth of Asian countries has put them on the radar of potential Western allies. What stands in the way of a successful partnership?
• Apartheid in South Africa didn’t end until the 1990s. What events led up to the system’s abolishment?
• Botswana used to be one of the world’s poorest countries. Now, it’s considered a role model for African development. How did it achieve its wealth? 
• Environmental NGOs have positioned themselves against fracking from the very beginning. How do their actions impact congressional decision making? 
• Guinea-Bissau is a haven for the illegal drug trade. Politicians are not able to contain it. How did the situation develop?
• In Nigeria, ethnic minorities and the state claim ownership over the country’s oil reserves. How did this conflict emerge? What has been done to solve it?
• In 2016, military troops attempted to overthrow the Turkish government. Why did they fail?
• In 2020, the military took over the Mali government. How did it happen? What was the international response?
• Kenya remained under British rule until 1963. Describe the consequences colonization had on the country.
• Nornickel is a Russian Nickel and Palladium production company. In 2020, it has caused two major environmental disasters: an oil leakage and a wastewater spill. What were the consequences? What did officials do to cover it up?
• In the 20th century, Latin America was home to many dictatorships. To this day, some countries in the area are struggling with their governments. How did this happen? 
• The Universal Child Allowance is a conditional cash transfer designed to help underage Argentinian children from low-income families. Investigate their impact. 
• Microfinancing has created a debt trap for women in Sri Lanka. As a result, they formed a cooperative movement with better credit conditions. Could such cooperatives be an alternative to microfinancing worldwide? 
• Greece’s refugee camps are notorious for their harsh living conditions. Investigate their access to healthcare. 
• Few countries are as affected by HIV as India. Identify how this phenomenon connects to the nation’s high poverty rate. 
• Civil conflict in Columbia between the far-right, far-left, and the government has been ravaging the country for decades. What strategies could restore peace? 
• Bhutan has recently transitioned from an absolutist monarchy to a democracy. How did religion influence this development? 
• Class identity has been a central topic in post-apartheid South Africa . How are changes in identity perception impacting politics?
• Incarceration rates among black citizens in America are significantly higher than among white people. Discuss how this is linked to racial profiling .
• The Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán funds populist propaganda campaigns. How does he instrumentalize the national identity to drive his agenda?
• During the 2020 elections in the United States, there was no clear result on the election night. Yet, Donald Trump has falsely declared himself the winner before the official announcement. What political intentions did he have? 
• In 2014, Scotland tried to gain independence from Great Britain through a referendum. Why did it fail? Would it be more likely to succeed now? 
• Women’s rights in countries under Islamic rule are often underdeveloped. How did the Musawah movement influence lawmaking in these nations?
• Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion is the world’s most secure airport. Explore its history. What makes it unique?
• Ever since its foundation, the US has been a dream destination for many immigrants. How did this situation change since President Trump promised to build the wall?
• The Antarctic has plenty of lands to offer. Currently, governments are engaging in territorial disputes. Who does this land belong to? Why is this debate relevant?
• Since 2019, Hong Kong people have been protesting laws that potentially impose closer legal bonds with mainland China. How did these protests influence the legislature so far? How did the governments in Hong Kong and China react? 
• The Gaza strip has been a center of an ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel. How did its latest developments influence Israeli security politics?
• Child labor is a significant problem in the Philippines. What does the country do to tackle it? 
• South Ossetia is a Caucasus region fighting for autonomy. It is officially recognized as part of Georgia by most countries. Plans to integrate the de facto state with Russian North Ossetia have failed. What caused the fights? What can be done to solve the conflict?
• Asian countries are developing rapidly. It causes economic competition for the neighboring nations. What factors led China and Japan to emerge as global players? 
• In Vietnam, agriculture has undergone significant changes in the past decades. How have these transformations impacted farmers? 
• The Ottoman Empire used to be an enormous state. It encompassed most of Southeastern Europe and much of Arabia. How did its dissolution lead to modern-day conflicts on the Arabian Peninsula?
• Tokyo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. How does the government ensure enough housing opportunities?
• The Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammad bin Salman was celebrated for his liberal economic and social reforms. Why was he suspected of ordering the assassination of journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi? 
• Colton is a valuable mineral found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The excessive mining of the resource has led to increased criminal activity and conflict. How is this impacting the local civilians? What solutions have been proposed?
• Sierra Leone was engaged in a war with the Revolutionary United Front for 11 years. How did foreign intervention resolve the conflict? How did this experience impact the current political situation?
• Until its criminalization in 1997, cannabis has been a medicinal staple in Pakistan . Recently, the government approved the industrial production of the drug. What were the reasons for it? How is this going to affect the country’s economy? 
• In Japan, decreasing birth rates have led to a steep decline in the population. What plans does the government have to tackle this problem?
• 4chan is an anonymous forum that caters to all kinds of interests. It is infamous for spreading hate and online radicalization. Some of America’s recent mass shooters were connected with the site, as is QAnon. What led to this development? Should the website be taken down? 
• In 2019, American colleges were at the center of a bribery scandal. Celebrities tried to enroll their children with substandard grades into prestigious schools such as USC and Yale. How can colleges maintain their funding while ensuring equal opportunities for the less wealthy candidates?
• In the Ice Bucket Challenge , people poured a bucket of ice water over their heads. It was supposed to raise awareness for ALS. How did this activity impact disease research funding?
• In 2017 and 2018, Finland studied the consequences of universal basic income. What did the findings suggest? Should other countries adopt this strategy? 
• Tesla electric car company has reinvented the automobile industry with its vehicles. What role did the company play in raising awareness of sustainability issues?
• Facebook is financed by targeted ads and data trade. How is this influencing voter behavior?
• The Interview is a 2014 political satire film in which American journalists plot to kill Kim-Jong Un. The film sparked outrage in North Korea. How did this impact US-North Korean political relations? 
• In the US, advertisements for prescription drugs aren’t illegal. How does this influence consumer behavior in comparison with the countries where such advertisements are banned? 

✍️ How to Write an Essay on Politics

Are you eager to start your paper right away? Check these helpful essay writing tips! Keep them in mind when talking about political issue topics:

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

• Research. Read your notes first, then search the internet. Academic journals and government sites are an excellent place to start. Stay on point; don’t waste your time with sources that are not relevant to your topic.
• The introduction presents all the essential terms and relevant literature. Your thesis statement belongs there.
• Your paper’s body includes your arguments and supporting evidence. Use topic sentences to introduce your point.
• The conclusion contains a summary of the essay’s key points.
• Style and format. Write concisely in a formal manner. Ask your tutor for formatting requirements such as font, size, space, or margin. Don’t forget to include a reference list at the end.
• Editing and proofreading. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Make sure all your arguments are directly connected to your topic. Lastly, make sure to cite all your sources properly.

That’s all we’ve got for you. We hope this article was useful and wish you good luck with your assignment!

Further reading:

• 512 Research Topics on HumSS (Humanities & Social Sciences)
• 430 Philosophy Topics & Questions for Your Essay
• 560 Unique Controversial Topics & Tips for a Great Essay
• 240 Controversial Debate Topics and Questions for Discussion
• 625 Excellent Presentation Topics & Tips
• A List of 212 Brilliant Research Proposal Topics to Investigate
• 497 Interesting History Topics to Research
• 435 Literary Analysis Essay Topics and Prompts [Upd]
• 417 Business Research Topics for ABM Students
• What Is Politics?: The Open University
• Political Topics: Pew Research Center
• Politics & Political Systems: Encyclopedia Britannica
• Studying Global Politics: International Baccalaureate
• Global Politics from the View of the Political Economy Trilemma: VOX EU
• Managing 21st Century Political Risk: Harvard Business Review
• US President Donald Trump and His Administration: Statistics & Facts: Statista.com
• The Purposes of Government: US History
• Undergraduate Sample Research Topics: Political Science: Western Michigan University
• US Government and Politics: History.com
• What is Political Science?: University of Washington
• Political Philosophy: Methodology: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Social Science and Comparative Politics: Saylor Academy
• Research Guides: Writing a Case Study: University of Southern California
• Political Economy: Corporate Finance Institute
• Topics in Political Economy: Trinity College Dublin
• Food Politics and Development: Science Direct
• Food Politics: United States: Encyclopedia.com
• Importance of Environmental Ethics: Maryville University
• American Politics Courses: University of California San Diego
• Political Philosophy: Routledge.com
• Overview of Comparative Politics: Oxford Handbooks
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Macquarie's L&T Community Blog

Surely they can write ? Tackling literacy decline one scoop at a time

Using ice-cream as bait, teaching staff in Psychology delivered practical in-class exercises to improve the essay writing skills of first-year students.

Eva Tzschaschel and Spencer Arbige from the School of Psychological Sciences (Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences) teach PSYU1102 and PSYX1102 (Introduction to Psychology 2) – a large unit of almost 2000 1st year students. In this post, Eva and Spencer share how they incorporated four twenty-minute writing skills workshops into tutorials and how this positively impacted student performance in an essay assessment.

Ever been marking an essay and found yourself wanting to scream as you stare down yet another poorly constructed sentence that meanders on forever? We’ve been there too. That’s why we developed a solution to help turn those screams (hopefully for ice cream) into dreams of better writing.

Surely, they can write?

The mismatch between expectations and reality.

We noticed a disconnect between students, teachers, and future employers, as all these groups hold wildly different expectations for university-level writing.

Study shows writing skills in decline

Despite these positive expectations, Thomas (2019) highlighted that NAPLAN writing scores declined rapidly from 2011 to 2018, especially within high school cohorts. As these trends occurred despite increased performances in reading and numeracy skills, Thomas cited ineffective writing instructions from educators as one potential explanation for these decreases.

A practical approach: make it digestible – like ice-cream

To combat this, instead of just describing what good academic writing should look like, we dedicated bitesized chunks of time at the start of each tutorial – to make it digestible (like ice cream or the occasional vegetable for the health conscious out there) – to practical academic writing tasks (e.g., editing sentences for clarity).

We naturally divided these activities into segments so that each task related to that week’s targeted section of the essay, such as the introduction, body and conclusion. For example, we included the editing activity described above within one of the body paragraph lessons.

The writing skills workshops in tutorials also aligned with the recommended study timeline in the unit i.e. Weeks 1-4 Essay preparation, Weeks 4-6 Essay writing, Weeks 7-8 Essay revision and submission.

During these practical workshops, tutors introduced each week’s theme before students downloaded a worksheet from iLearn and split off to complete the day’s practical task, which involved either small group exercises, partner work, or individual assignments. Following a larger group discussion, tutors then provided answers to any outstanding questions about the worksheets. They also addressed any unique essay-related queries.

View worksheets: * Introduction worksheet * Writing clearly worksheet * Definitions worksheet * Conclusion worksheet

As the unit has three separate streams, namely on-campus tutorials, online Zoom tutorials, and asynchronous Open University (OUA) tutorials, we modified the delivery of the OUA content accordingly. For this cohort, in addition to the aforementioned worksheets, we also developed interactive content on iLearn to simulate partner work and immediate tutor feedback.

A noticeable improvement in essay performance

While the cohort was not better overall than the previous year (as evidenced by no change in performance on the lecture quizzes), students performed significantly better in the written assignment compared to the year before. The numbers are convincing – a 5% improvement in student essay performance marks compared to the previous year. This indicates our program was successful!

Student and staff feedback 

Although most students enjoyed the new format of bite-size chunks in preparation for the assignment, some wanted everything in one go. Others still didn’t like the ice-cream topic (have they no sense of humour?). However, that could be because they just wanted to work on the actual assignment topic (instead of having to transfer their newly acquired knowledge to the actual essay topic).

What we’ll change for next time

• Take students’ feedback on board and make the instructions easier to follow
• Offer an overview document for students who prefer everything in one spot
• Perhaps think of a different topic example for the exercises (instead of ice-cream)
• Provide better training for the tutors to further enhance the delivery of the program
• Ensure students understand that the topic for the practice exercises is irrelevant – they just need to transfer what they learn to the actual assignment topic.

Eva Tzschaschel is an A/Lecturer and Co-Course Director for the Bachelor of Psychology (OUA) program at the School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences. Eva is passionate about teaching psychology and focuses on imparting transferrable skills such as clear communication and critical thinking to her students. Eva is also a member of the Macquarie University Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre. Her research interests primarily lie in health and perception research. 

Spencer Arbige is a third year PhD candidate in the School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences. His research explores novel, online applications of hypnosis. Spencer has previously tutored for the introductory psychology and neuroscience units offered by the department and taught abroad in Sierra Leone through the Peace Corps. Given his extensive journalism background, he hopes to become involved in other similar research collaborations, with the aim of improving psychology writing and education.

Banner image: Adobe stock image Other images supplied by Eva Tzschaschel Post edited by Kylie Coaldrake

• Posted in: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences , Supporting Learning , Teaching Practice

Posted by Teche Editor

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What is climate change mitigation and why is it urgent?

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• Climate change mitigation involves actions to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.
• Mitigation efforts include transitioning to renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, adopting regenerative agricultural practices and protecting and restoring forests and critical ecosystems.
• Effective mitigation requires a whole-of-society approach and structural transformations to reduce emissions and limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• International cooperation, for example through the Paris Agreement, is crucial in guiding and achieving global and national mitigation goals.
• Mitigation efforts face challenges such as the world's deep-rooted dependency on fossil fuels, the increased demand for new mineral resources and the difficulties in revamping our food systems.
• These challenges also offer opportunities to improve resilience and contribute to sustainable development.

What is climate change mitigation?

Climate change mitigation refers to any action taken by governments, businesses or people to reduce or prevent greenhouse gases, or to enhance carbon sinks that remove them from the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun in our planet’s atmosphere, keeping it warm. 

Since the industrial era began, human activities have led to the release of dangerous levels of greenhouse gases, causing global warming and climate change. However, despite unequivocal research about the impact of our activities on the planet’s climate and growing awareness of the severe danger climate change poses to our societies, greenhouse gas emissions keep rising. If we can slow down the rise in greenhouse gases, we can slow down the pace of climate change and avoid its worst consequences.

Reducing greenhouse gases can be achieved by:

• Shifting away from fossil fuels : Fossil fuels are the biggest source of greenhouse gases, so transitioning to modern renewable energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power, and advancing sustainable modes of transportation, is crucial.
• Improving energy efficiency : Using less energy overall – in buildings, industries, public and private spaces, energy generation and transmission, and transportation – helps reduce emissions. This can be achieved by using thermal comfort standards, better insulation and energy efficient appliances, and by improving building design, energy transmission systems and vehicles.
• Changing agricultural practices : Certain farming methods release high amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, which are potent greenhouse gases. Regenerative agricultural practices – including enhancing soil health, reducing livestock-related emissions, direct seeding techniques and using cover crops – support mitigation, improve resilience and decrease the cost burden on farmers.
• The sustainable management and conservation of forests : Forests act as carbon sinks , absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing the overall concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Measures to reduce deforestation and forest degradation are key for climate mitigation and generate multiple additional benefits such as biodiversity conservation and improved water cycles.
• Restoring and conserving critical ecosystems : In addition to forests, ecosystems such as wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands, as well as coastal biomes such as mangrove forests, also contribute significantly to carbon sequestration, while supporting biodiversity and enhancing climate resilience.
• Creating a supportive environment : Investments, policies and regulations that encourage emission reductions, such as incentives, carbon pricing and limits on emissions from key sectors are crucial to driving climate change mitigation.

Photo: Stephane Bellerose/UNDP Mauritius

Photo: La Incre and Lizeth Jurado/PROAmazonia

What is the 1.5°C goal and why do we need to stick to it?

In 2015, 196 Parties to the UN Climate Convention in Paris adopted the Paris Agreement , a landmark international treaty, aimed at curbing global warming and addressing the effects of climate change. Its core ambition is to cap the rise in global average temperatures to well below 2°C above levels observed prior to the industrial era, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.

The 1.5°C goal is extremely important, especially for vulnerable communities already experiencing severe climate change impacts. Limiting warming below 1.5°C will translate into less extreme weather events and sea level rise, less stress on food production and water access, less biodiversity and ecosystem loss, and a lower chance of irreversible climate consequences.

To limit global warming to the critical threshold of 1.5°C, it is imperative for the world to undertake significant mitigation action. This requires a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent before 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century.

What are the policy instruments that countries can use to drive mitigation?

Everyone has a role to play in climate change mitigation, from individuals adopting sustainable habits and advocating for change to governments implementing regulations, providing incentives and facilitating investments. The private sector, particularly those businesses and companies responsible for causing high emissions, should take a leading role in innovating, funding and driving climate change mitigation solutions. 

International collaboration and technology transfer is also crucial given the global nature and size of the challenge. As the main platform for international cooperation on climate action, the Paris Agreement has set forth a series of responsibilities and policy tools for its signatories. One of the primary instruments for achieving the goals of the treaty is Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) . These are the national climate pledges that each Party is required to develop and update every five years. NDCs articulate how each country will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhance climate resilience.   While NDCs include short- to medium-term targets, long-term low emission development strategies (LT-LEDS) are policy tools under the Paris Agreement through which countries must show how they plan to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century. These strategies define a long-term vision that gives coherence and direction to shorter-term national climate targets.

Photo: Mucyo Serge/UNDP Rwanda

Photo: William Seal/UNDP Sudan

At the same time, the call for climate change mitigation has evolved into a call for reparative action, where high-income countries are urged to rectify past and ongoing contributions to the climate crisis. This approach reflects the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which advocates for climate justice, recognizing the unequal historical responsibility for the climate crisis, emphasizing that wealthier countries, having profited from high-emission activities, bear a greater obligation to lead in mitigating these impacts. This includes not only reducing their own emissions, but also supporting vulnerable countries in their transition to low-emission development pathways.

Another critical aspect is ensuring a just transition for workers and communities that depend on the fossil fuel industry and its many connected industries. This process must prioritize social equity and create alternative employment opportunities as part of the shift towards renewable energy and more sustainable practices.

For emerging economies, innovation and advancements in technology have now demonstrated that robust economic growth can be achieved with clean, sustainable energy sources. By integrating renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and geothermal power into their growth strategies, these economies can reduce their emissions, enhance energy security and create new economic opportunities and jobs. This shift not only contributes to global mitigation efforts but also sets a precedent for sustainable development.

What are some of the challenges slowing down climate change mitigation efforts?

Mitigating climate change is fraught with complexities, including the global economy's deep-rooted dependency on fossil fuels and the accompanying challenge of eliminating fossil fuel subsidies. This reliance – and the vested interests that have a stake in maintaining it – presents a significant barrier to transitioning to sustainable energy sources.

The shift towards decarbonization and renewable energy is driving increased demand for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth metals. Since new mining projects can take up to 15 years to yield output, mineral supply chains could become a bottleneck for decarbonization efforts. In addition, these minerals are predominantly found in a few, mostly low-income countries, which could heighten supply chain vulnerabilities and geopolitical tensions.

Furthermore, due to the significant demand for these minerals and the urgency of the energy transition, the scaled-up investment in the sector has the potential to exacerbate environmental degradation, economic and governance risks, and social inequalities, affecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and workers. Addressing these concerns necessitates implementing social and environmental safeguards, embracing circular economy principles, and establishing and enforcing responsible policies and regulations .

Agriculture is currently the largest driver of deforestation worldwide. A transformation in our food systems to reverse the impact that agriculture has on forests and biodiversity is undoubtedly a complex challenge. But it is also an important opportunity. The latest IPCC report highlights that adaptation and mitigation options related to land, water and food offer the greatest potential in responding to the climate crisis. Shifting to regenerative agricultural practices will not only ensure a healthy, fair and stable food supply for the world’s population, but also help to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  

Photo: UNDP India

Photo: Nino Zedginidze/UNDP Georgia

What are some examples of climate change mitigation?

In Mauritius , UNDP, with funding from the Green Climate Fund, has supported the government to install battery energy storage capacity that has enabled 50 MW of intermittent renewable energy to be connected to the grid, helping to avoid 81,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. 

In Indonesia , UNDP has been working with the government for over a decade to support sustainable palm oil production. In 2019, the country adopted a National Action Plan on Sustainable Palm Oil, which was collaboratively developed by government, industry and civil society representatives. The plan increased the adoption of practices to minimize the adverse social and environmental effects of palm oil production and to protect forests. Since 2015, 37 million tonnes of direct greenhouse gas emissions have been avoided and 824,000 hectares of land with high conservation value have been protected.

In Moldova and Paraguay , UNDP has helped set up Green City Labs that are helping build more sustainable cities. This is achieved by implementing urban land use and mobility planning, prioritizing energy efficiency in residential buildings, introducing low-carbon public transport, implementing resource-efficient waste management, and switching to renewable energy sources. 

UNDP has supported the governments of Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Indonesia to implement results-based payments through the REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries) framework. These include payments for environmental services and community forest management programmes that channel international climate finance resources to local actors on the ground, specifically forest communities and Indigenous Peoples. 

UNDP is also supporting small island developing states like the Comoros to invest in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure. Through the Africa Minigrids Program , solar minigrids will be installed in two priority communities, Grand Comore and Moheli, providing energy access through distributed renewable energy solutions to those hardest to reach.

And in South Africa , a UNDP initative to boost energy efficiency awareness among the general population and improve labelling standards has taken over commercial shopping malls.

What is UNDP’s role in supporting climate change mitigation?

UNDP aims to assist countries with their climate change mitigation efforts, guiding them towards sustainable, low-carbon and climate-resilient development. This support is in line with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to affordable and clean energy (SDG7), sustainable cities and communities (SDG11), and climate action (SDG13). Specifically, UNDP’s offer of support includes developing and improving legislation and policy, standards and regulations, capacity building, knowledge dissemination, and financial mobilization for countries to pilot and scale-up mitigation solutions such as renewable energy projects, energy efficiency initiatives and sustainable land-use practices. 

With financial support from the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund, UNDP has an active portfolio of 94 climate change mitigation projects in 69 countries. These initiatives are not only aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also at contributing to sustainable and resilient development pathways.

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