Political science professors and instructors know that most of the students in their classes are not majoring in the field and are usually enrolled in the course solely to satisfy graduation requirements. However, if students have some leeway to choose the topic of their political science research papers, they can use the opportunity to research an idea related to their academic major. Politics, after all, affects nearly all areas of life. For education majors, there are many opportunities to write a research paper on education policy or the politics of education. For example, a student could explore the impact of federal education policy on the academic achievement of the disadvantaged. A business major might choose to write a research paper relating to the political clout of business lobbyists or the impact of government tax policy on business growth.
Many students use their research papers to examine a particular area of government policy. Some students explore issues of foreign policy or national security, and others might be interested in tax issues, education or environmental policy.
Exploring a policy area that relates to a student's major field of study or another area of interest broadens the range of possible research paper topics and helps a student's paper stand out from the usual research papers. Most political science professors have read dozens, if not hundreds, of research papers on the usual hot-button topics of abortion, civil rights and gun control.
An election year, especially a presidential election year, is one of the best times to take a political science course. Events in the real world of politics, including campaign commercials and candidate debates, create great opportunities for research paper topics. Students might write a paper in which they assume the role of an adviser to a particular candidate and craft a campaign strategy or media campaign. Students can write the papers in the form of a memo or briefing paper to the candidate. Such a paper allows a student to gain a better understanding of political campaigns and learn about the candidates and issues in an upcoming election.
Regardless of the type of political research paper idea a student selects, the paper requires in-depth research, critical thinking and clear writing that demonstrates an understanding of the topic as well as an understanding of the course material.