political scientist
Studies power structures
A political scientist is someone who studies politics and government systematically—analyzing elections, institutions, public policy, international relations, or political behavior.
The term usually implies academic or professional credentials, distinguishing such experts from casual political observers or commentators: The political scientist predicted the coalition would collapse within months.
Lawmaking governmental branch
- executiveSenior organizational leader
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- sovereigntySupreme independent authority
governance · bureaucracy · federalism · checks and balances · separation of powers · parliament · senate · cabinet
Official enactment of statutes
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
- social welfareGovernment help for citizens
- public interestSocietal welfare and benefit
- lobbyingAdvocating to decision-makers
Organized effort toward goal
- votingFormally registering a choice
- ballotVoting document
- candidatesThose seeking selection
- partiesOrganized social gatherings
electorate · primaries · caucus · referendum · polling · suffrage · turnout · manifesto
Higher education community
- professorSenior university teacher
- tenureProtected employment status
- fellowshipMutual goodwill among companions
- lecturerOne who teaches formally
department · conference · journal · citation · teaching · seminar · grant writing · public intellectual
Structured belief framework
- realismAccepting things as they are
- liberalismPhilosophy valuing reform, tolerance
- constructivismActive knowledge-building theory
- feminismAdvocacy for sex equality
pluralism · elitism · neorealism · neoliberalism · postmodernism · structuralism · functionalism · rationalism
Based on observation, not theory
- quantitativeConcerning measurable amounts
- qualitativeRelating to characteristics, not quantities
- methodologyFormal procedural framework
- dataFacts for analysis
statistics · variables · correlation · regression · causality · sampling · survey · fieldwork
legislature
Lawmaking governmental branch
- executiveSenior organizational leader
- judiciaryLaw-interpreting government branch
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
sovereignty · governance · bureaucracy · federalism · checks and balances · separation of powers · parliament · senate · cabinet · public administration
legislation
Official enactment of statutes
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
- social welfareGovernment help for citizens
- public interestSocietal welfare and benefit
lobbying · advocacy · implementation · agenda setting · think tank
campaign
Organized effort toward goal
- votingFormally registering a choice
- ballotVoting document
- candidatesThose seeking selection
parties · electorate · primaries · caucus · referendum · polling · suffrage · turnout · manifesto · platform
academia
Higher education community
- professorSenior university teacher
- tenureProtected employment status
- fellowshipMutual goodwill among companions
lecturer · department · conference · journal · citation · teaching · seminar · grant writing · public intellectual · consultant
ideology
Structured belief framework
- realismAccepting things as they are
- liberalismPhilosophy valuing reform, tolerance
- constructivismActive knowledge-building theory
feminism · pluralism · elitism · neorealism · neoliberalism · postmodernism · structuralism · functionalism · rationalism · communitarianism
empirical
Based on observation, not theory
- quantitativeConcerning measurable amounts
- qualitativeRelating to characteristics, not quantities
- methodologyFormal procedural framework
data · statistics · variables · correlation · regression · causality · sampling · survey · fieldwork · case study
- expertsexperts, expert, specialist, masters, specialists
- scholarsscholar, professors, professor, researcher, researchers
- social scientistssociologist, psychologist, anthropologist, economist, social psychologist
- political careerscampaign manager, lobbyist, press secretary, diplomat, ambassador
- academiaprofessors, universities, graduation cap, biology department, professor
- academicsprofessor, course, university professors, math, professors
political scientistpolitician
Elected government official
campaign manager · lobbyist · party leader · elected official · statesman
political scientistnatural scientist
Researcher of physical world
physicist · chemist · biologist · mathematician · astronomer
policy, scientist, politics, political, politician, policies, politically, politicians, politicize