Can you do a better job running your hometown? How about the state? The free world? These questions are only a subset of the topics covered in Political science. And, while we all may believe we have the skills to get work done in government, things are a lot more complicated than lowering all taxes and legalizing marijuana. Political Science is one of the few majors that combines a variety of majors into one. And, while you may experience a few setbacks along the way, the benefits are numerous. Here at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth the Political Science Department is very well known. As a result there is a lot of support on campus for Political science majors. Junior Samantha Egge says that in regards to the atmosphere surrounding …show more content…
According to Political Science Professor Doug Roscoe at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, “...proficiency in analysis, critical thinking, and writing," are pivotal to the success of Political Science students. When English professor Dr. Lucille P. McCarthy (1987) approached college junior Dave Garrison in her article, “A Stranger in Strange Lands”, from the book Writing about Writing, regarding advice he would give to incoming freshmen he said, “First you've got to figure out what your teachers want... (p. 231). Determining a teacher's 'want' within a specific assignment or text would mean to answer the professor Roscoe would call the "so what" of the text or its purpose. To do this Political Science junior Matt Montano recommends that when reading"... [underline or circle] terms you think are important, understand what...could be a big deal in the world of government, and why the professor would want us to learn it." This is where being a part of a discourse community comes into play. Members of the Political Science community would fare better when reading a text in their field because as members of that community they are familiar with what Swales referred to as the lexicon or language commonly used by other …show more content…
Political Science bleeds into other majors as well such as Sustainability, Civil Engineering, and even Statistics, because of this, the defining major connecting them all is English. Without an understanding of language and writing no matter how much you know about a subject if you can’t communicate that knowledge what’s the purpose? Writing in Political Science is perhaps the most challenging part of the major. Political Scientists write in American Psychological Association style, or APA, format that requires the writer to include a cover page, an abstract, and a reference page which are not required in MLA format a.k.a. the format used exclusively in High School. It may seem daunting but in reality these seemingly minuscule details help the writer in the long run. The cover page makes you look professional and can garner respect by the reader upon looking at it, the abstract gives the reader a quick glimpse at what you found and also forces you to make your purpose is clear. But the true secret to quality writing in Political Science doesn’t stop at APA it’s analyzing the reading, understanding the topic, and using the terminology or lexicon as Swales noted