--- title: Introduction to Political Science description: This foundational field introduces the systematic study of government, political systems, and political behavior. Learners will understand key political ideologies, the structure of state institutions, and the basic methodologies used to analyze political power. category: social-sciences subcategory: political-science difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/introduction-to-political-science --- # Introduction to Political Science This foundational field introduces the systematic study of government, political systems, and political behavior. Learners will understand key political ideologies, the structure of state institutions, and the basic methodologies used to analyze political power. ## Available Resources 3 Books • 4 Courses • 2 Websites ## Courses ### 1. Introduction to Political Philosophy Explore fundamental questions about justice, liberty, and power in this introductory political philosophy course by Steven B. Smith. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://oyc.yale.edu/political-science/plsc-118 **Tags:** political-philosophy, political-theory, classic-texts, open-courseware ### 2. POLSC101: Introduction to Political Science Explore fundamental political concepts and theories. A perfect introduction to political science! **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://learn.saylor.org/course/view.php?id=44 **Tags:** political-science, comparative-politics, political-ideologies, government-institutions, free-course ### 3. American Government Learn US government and public policy through engaging videos and practice exercises! Free course from Khan Academy. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-government-and-civics **Tags:** us government, civics, constitution, public policy, ap us government ### 4. Moral Foundations of Politics **Author:** Ian Shapiro Yale political scientist Ian Shapiro's lecture course on Enlightenment, utilitarian, Marxist, and social-contract answers to what makes a government legitimate. Students finish able to apply each tradition to contested questions about rights, distribution, and democracy. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/moral-politics **Tags:** political-theory, political-legitimacy, social-contract, utilitarianism, marxism, democracy ## Podcasts ### 1. PoliSci Podcast **Author:** Joel Turner Explore the fundamentals of government and politics! Polisci Podcast offers an accessible introduction to political science concepts. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** en-us | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/wkupolisci **Tags:** american-politics, political-behavior, public-opinion, university-podcast ## Websites ### 1. constitutioncenter.org National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan educational resource in Philadelphia that teaches the U.S. Constitution through interactive exhibits, primary sources, and explainers (such as Interactive Constitution and Constitution 101), plus articles, videos, and lesson plans on constitutional basics, landmark cases, and amendments. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://constitutioncenter.org **Tags:** websites, law-legal-studies, legal-literacy ### 2. apsanet.org APSA.org is the official website of the American Political Science Association, offering access to scholarly journals, teaching and learning resources, conference and career information, member services, and field news for students and researchers in political science. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://apsanet.org **Tags:** websites, humanities-social-sciences, political-science ## Books ### 1. The Prince **Author:** Niccolò Machiavelli Machiavelli's 1532 treatise on acquiring and holding political power, written for a Renaissance ruler. Reading it shows where the study of politics separated from moral philosophy, and supplies the arguments later theorists spend centuries answering. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486272745?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, political-science ### 2. Introduction to Political Science **Author:** Mark Carl Rom, Masaki Hidaka, Rachel Bzostek Walker OpenStax's free peer-reviewed survey covering political theory, institutions, comparative government, and international relations, with chapter exercises. Covers the same ground as a paid intro textbook and works as a spine for a first course. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/1711470694?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, political-science ### 3. Politics **Author:** Aristotle Aristotle's analysis of the city-state: what constitutions exist, how they degrade, and what makes citizens and rulers good. The origin of comparative constitutional analysis, and still the reference point for debates about the purpose of political community. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0486414248?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, political-science --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/introduction-to-political-science