Government
About Government
Our Program and Courses
F&M鈥檚 Department of Government has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the country. You may either major in government or create a joint major by combining the field with public health or public policy. You鈥檒l study the processes by which societies make collective decisions, explore the theoretical and ethical foundations of political action, raise critical questions about the nature and use of power, and examine how societies and international systems attempt to address basic problems of liberty, equity and order.
Your learning won鈥檛 take place solely in the classroom; you鈥檒l have the opportunity to immerse yourself directly in the political environment through internships, civic activism, off-campus study, and service-learning. Through independent and collaborative learning, you鈥檒l develop skills in language, economics, mathematics and philosophy 鈥 all while developing skills of sound research, rigorous analysis, and clear and effective argumentation.
By the time you graduate, you will:
- Effectively describe, critique and apply various theories for understanding political processes and outcomes in a domestic, comparative and international context.
- Be able to critically connect political events with course material.
- Think conceptually about politics and immerse yourself in your political environment through internships, civic activism, off-campus study and service-learning.
Curious what government classes are like? Take a look at our course catalog to see the depth and breadth of what鈥檚 available to you.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Your ideas may start in the classroom, but they won鈥檛 be contained there. The Department of Government has a long tradition of encouraging your intellectual growth through real-world experiences.
Research Opportunities
Research the power of participatory democracy. Perform legal research for real asylum-seeking
cases. Edit, fact-check, and proofread a professor鈥檚 manuscript. As you explore all
that a government major has to offer, you鈥檒l discover areas or ideas you want to further
explore. The good news? You won鈥檛 have to wait until graduate school to launch your
investigation. At F&M, you鈥檒l work and learn side-by-side with faculty to test your
ideas 鈥 not just read or talk about them.
Explore research at F&M
Internships
Gain experience now and a competitive advantage later. Internships not only enrich your academic journey, but also allow you to immerse yourself in the day-to-day life of government prior to entering the workforce. Government students can apply for a Sidney Wise Public Service Internship, which provides paid internships through a competitive selection process. Government majors have secured internships with:
- Members of Congress
- The White House
- The Federal Reserve
- Local and state governments
- The U.S. Department of State
- Television and print media outlets
- Policy institutes
Off-Campus Study
Travel the globe to become a well-rounded scholar and person. Studying off campus
gives you extraordinary opportunities to encounter, engage with, and understand perspectives
around the world, strengthening your ability to live and work in our global society.
At F&M, you can study conflict, peace, and transition in Northern Ireland; conduct
research on migration and borders in southern Mexico; get a firsthand look at humanitarian
action in Jordan; examine political behavior in London; and connect with thought leaders
in Washington, D.C. Off-campus study experiences aren鈥檛 simply time away from campus;
they鈥檙e meaningfully woven into your entire academic journey.
Explore off-campus study at F&M
The Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers
The Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers comprises the F&M Global Barometer of Gay
Rights (GBGR (R)), the Global Barometer of Transgender Rights (GBTR (TM)) and the
F&M Global Barometers LGBTQI+ Perception Index (GBPI). Together, these barometers
provide groundbreaking research on the state of LGBT+ human rights in 204 countries
and territories. Founded in 2010 by government professor, Dr. Susan Dicklitch-Nelson,
the barometers generate annual report cards detailing the state-and societal-level
protection or persecution of LGBT+ minorities worldwide.
F&M Votes
Translate your civic engagement into tangible action. F&M Votes is a nonpartisan coalition
of 乱伦视频 students, faculty and professional staff engaged in
voter registration, education and motivation activities.
Learn more
Diplomatic Congress
As the central student government of F&M, the Diplomatic Congress unites student leaders
from all facets of the community with the common purpose of promoting a diverse and
engaging campus culture and improving all aspects of the student experience. To this
end, the Congress is tasked with coordinating student participation in the shared
governance of the college, overseeing the activities of鈥攁nd facilitating collaboration
between鈥攙arious student governing bodies, primary funding for, and oversight of, campus-wide
events and student activities, and advocacy on behalf of the student body on all critical
matters facing the college.
Public Service Leadership Fellows
Leadership through service to others.
Public service, at its core, is the pursuit of the common good. Those dedicated to public service aim to strengthen communities through democratic engagement and collaboration with community members. The Public Service Leadership Fellows program is designed to help students like you develop the skills you need to innovate in the public sphere and affect positive change as future leaders.As a Public Service Leadership Fellow, you will:
- participate in four professional development workshops during the academic year. These workshops will focus on specific leadership competencies borrowed from the 鈥淧ublic Service Leadership Model鈥 of the Partnership for Public Service
- attend periodic, seminar-style discussions with local public servants (these discussions will allow Fellows to learn from public servants about their career paths as well as the challenges and opportunities public servants face in doing their work)
- shadow local public servants at least twice during the academic year
- build bonds with other Fellows through social events like 鈥減ublic service movie nights鈥
- prepare, in consultation with the program鈥檚 academic director, an end-of-year self-assessment that examines the Fellow鈥檚 leadership preparedness (including personal and academic growth over the course of the year) and develops their long-term public service goals
Success Beyond F&M
The tremendous success of F&M graduates demonstrates the tangible value of an 乱伦视频
degree when compared to national outcomes. Within six months after graduation, 92%
of the Class of 2024 were either employed or furthering their education. This is higher
than the national average, which is typically in the mid-80% range.
This success can be yours, too. By majoring in government at F&M, you鈥檒l gain a holistic
understanding of the field and indispensable skills for any post-graduate pursuit:
reading for depth, writing for impact, thinking with clarity, analyzing with precision,
debating with conviction, and listening with purpose.
Graduate School
Many of our majors choose to pursue graduate school after F&M, with a significant number enrolling in law school. Our graduates have completed their advanced degrees at the best universities, including:
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Yale University
- Columbia University
- Georgetown University
- New York University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Villanova University
- American University
Career Paths
Government graduates build an invaluable foundation for an eclectic range of careers. They find success in education, law, government, marketing, and more, and hold positions such as:
- Attorney
- College Professor
- Deputy Attorney General
- Foreign Service Diplomat
- Government Official
- Journalist
- Judge
- Law Clerk
- Marketing Manager
- Nonprofit Executive
- Publisher
- Research Analyst
- Social Worker
Center for Career and Professional Development
F&M鈥檚 Center for Career and Professional Development offers targeted, expert guidance
while you discover your professional calling and develop the skills you need to succeed.
Our career guidance is structured through 鈥渃areer communities鈥 鈥 dynamic groups aligned
with specific industries that transform your aspirations into clear options, meaningful
opportunities, and a network of support. Among these, our Law & Government Professions
career community offers outstanding resources for those passionate about making a
difference through public service.
Learn more
The F&M Poll in the Classroom
F&M is home to the Center for Opinion Research, which is widely recognized as one of the nation鈥檚 foremost survey research organizations. The Center for Opinion Research publishes the 乱伦视频 Poll, the oldest statewide public opinion poll exclusively directed and produced in Pennsylvania, and one of the top surveys in the United States.
The Center for Opinion Research actively engages F&M students, offering you the unique opportunity to contribute to and better understand the work behind an effective survey of voters鈥 opinions. You can assist with data analysis, reporting, survey question development, and more.
鈥淏eing able to have this opportunity to help draft questions for a statewide poll that gets national media attention鈥攖hat is an incredible opportunity that a lot of students probably would not have been able to have at other schools,鈥 said Ethan Grabowski 鈥26, a government and history major.
International studies is an innovative program that combines off-campus study in a
non-English-speaking location with on- and off-campus coursework. As a student of
international studies at F&M, you will develop a global perspective and immerse yourself
in the languages and cultures of non-English-speaking countries and regions. F&M鈥檚 pre-law program is offered through our Legal Professions Advising as a supplement
to your chosen major. By engaging as a pre-law student and utilizing the skills gained
from your F&M liberal arts education, you鈥檒l be distinctly prepared to navigate the
legal profession and make a difference to the world around you. Government, economy, and society are increasingly reliant upon one another for ensuring
the well-being of a community. When you study public policy at F&M, you鈥檒l explore
the methods and institutions through which governments, economies, and societies work
together to support, regulate, protect, and communicate with diverse communities.Student Spotlight
鈥淔&M鈥檚 commitment to experiential learning has allowed me to explore my interests
and prepare for my future in ways I never imagined.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to learn about judicial reasoning in the classroom, but another entirely
to see it applied in real time and in real cases,鈥 he said.
Gerber, a government and psychology double major and philosophy minor, said his F&M
journey has been a critical component in preparing him for this internship.
鈥淭hrough the Department of Government鈥檚 rigorous curriculum, alongside my legal studies
program, and research experience with professors, I鈥檝e been equipped with the skills
necessary for the legal field,鈥 he said. 鈥淔&M鈥檚 commitment to experiential learning
through internships like this has allowed me to explore my interests and prepare for
my future in ways I never imagined.鈥
Read More 禄Student Spotlight
Exploring Lancaster's Revolutionary History the Diplomat Way
Inspired by an 乱伦视频 professor and the College鈥檚 鈥渁mpersand鈥 approach, the government
major spent his summer focused on his passion for history, serving as a research assistant
and archivist at Lancaster鈥檚 Historic Rock Ford. The estate鈥檚 grounds include the
mansion of Gen. Edward Hand, who served as adjutant general of the Continental Army
under George Washington.
鈥淎s the estate鈥檚 newest research assistant and archivist, I鈥檓 entrusted with sifting
through its Revolutionary War documents, categorizing and organizing them, and overhauling
the mansion-turned-museum鈥檚 entirely pre-digital archives,鈥 Dockery said. 鈥淎lthough
I鈥檝e flexed my research muscle in the classroom, archival work is a new labyrinth
of challenges. My diligence and conduct on the job are not only valuable for the quality
of the research, but they are also marketable skills cherished everywhere, giving
me an advantage in the post-graduation job market.鈥
Read More 禄Alumni Spotlight
鈥淭he College fosters an environment where students can broaden their perspectives
through interactions with peers from around the world and by exploring diverse academic
disciplines.鈥
鈥淭he College fosters an environment where students can broaden their perspectives
through interactions with peers from around the world and by exploring diverse academic
disciplines,鈥 she said. 鈥淎dditionally, the small, close-knit campus allowed me to
form meaningful relationships with my peers, professors, and faculty members, connections
that have been instrumental in my academic and personal growth.鈥
Read More 禄Related Fields of Study
International Studies
Pre-Law
Public Policy
Government at 乱伦视频 in Action
November 13, 2025
Trailblazing Research Examines Cigarette Label Alternatives
Three 乱伦视频 students helped conduct a groundbreaking pilot study in Lancaster this summer, assisting Professor Hollie Tripp with tobacco regulatory research. It's the first 乱伦视频 instance of biospecimen collection from non-campus participants.
November 5, 2025
鈥楰eep Exploring:鈥 Scientist Elizabeth Eide 鈥88 Shares Advice with Students
Elizabeth Eide 鈥88 spoke with students about her role as executive director for the Center for Health, People, and Places at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
October 23, 2025
Get to Know 乱伦视频's New Faculty
This fall, five new professors joined the Franklin & Marshall faculty鈥攁 vibrant community of scholars who shape the College鈥檚 distinctive academic experience. Their research interests range from parasitology to documentary film, from diplomatic networks in the Middle East to algorithmic surveillance online. Read on to get to know these new members of our campus community and hear what they had to say about the 乱伦视频 experience, life in Lancaster, and more.