Governance, Politics, and Society
Understanding the world requires familiarity with political, economic and social processes within and across states.
Democratization and democratic backsliding, the rise of populist and nationalist movements, shifting labor and migration patterns, and evolving international legal frameworks shape the world in fundamental ways. These phenomena impact our daily lives at personal, communal, national and global levels. Governance and law, the interactions of states and markets, and people advocating for rights and change are essential components of contemporary international affairs.
The Governance, Politics, and Society focus area gives students the analytical methods and empirical knowledge to understand political and economic processes at all levels. Subjects of focus range from the drivers of protest in the Middle East and labor market policies in Europe to electoral mobilization in Africa and indigenous politics in Latin America. The Johns Hopkins SAIS faculty include leading scholars of political regimes, protests and social movements, and international law and political economy, as well as renowned regional experts and experienced practitioners from the public and private sectors.