Political science

The systems of government, the methodology concerning the analysis of political activity and behaviour, and the theory and practice of influencing people and acquiring governance.

political behaviour
political knowledge
party political behaviour
party political discipline
political discipline
party political methodology
political methodology
party political knowledge

knowledge

cross-sector

Political science is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Political scientist: Political scientists study political behaviour, activity and systems, including the elements that fall therein. Their study of the field ranges from the origins and evolution of various political systems to topical matters such as decision-making processes, political behaviour, political trends, society, and power perspectives. They advise governments and institutional organisations on governance matters.
Politics lecturer: Politics lecturers are subject professors, teachers, or lecturers who instruct students who have obtained an upper secondary education diploma in their own specialised field of study, politics, which is predominantly academic in nature. They work with their university research assistants and university teaching assistants
for the preparation of lectures and of exams, for grading papers and exams and for leading review and feedback sessions for the students. They also conduct academic research in their respective field of political studies, publish their findings and liaise with other university colleagues.
Political journalist: Political journalists research and write articles about politics and politicians for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. They conduct interviews and attend events.
Political party agent: Political party agents manage the administrative tasks of a political party, such as budget management, record keeping, writing of agendas, etc. They also ensure productive communication with governmental bodies, and with press and media.

Political science is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Sociologist: Sociologists focus their research on explaining social behaviour and the way people have organised themselves as a society. They research and explain the way societies have evolved by describing their legal, political, and economic systems and their cultural expressions.
Political campaign officer: Political campaign officers provide support during political campaigns, advising the candidate and campaign management staff on campaign strategies and campaign staff coordination, as well as developing advertising and research strategies.
Government minister: Government ministers function as decision-makers in national or regional governments, and head government ministries. They perform legislative duties and supervise the operation of their department.
Member of parliament: Members of parliament represent their political party’s interests in parliaments. They perform legislative duties, developing and proposing new laws, and communicate with government officials to assess current issues and government operations. They oversee the implementation of laws and policies and function as government representatives to the public to ensure transparency.
Public relations manager: Public relations managers strive to convey and maintain a desired image or reputation of a company, individual, governmental institution, or organisation in general to the public and stakeholders at large. They use all sorts of media and events to promote the positive image of products, humanitarian causes or organisations. They attempt to ensure that all public communications portray clients the way they want to be perceived.
Mayor: Mayors chair their jurisdiction’s council meetings and act as main supervisor of the local government’s administrative and operational policies. They also represent their jurisdiction in ceremonial and official events and promote activities and events. They, together with the council, hold the local or regional legislative power and oversee development and implementation of policies. They also supervise staff and perform administrative duties.
Senator: Senators perform legislative duties on a central government level, such as working on constitutional reforms, negotiating on bills of law, and settling conflicts between other governmental institutions.
Election agent: Election agents manage a political candidate’s campaign and oversee the operations of elections to ensure accuracy. They develop strategies to support candidates and persuade the public to vote for the candidate they represent. They conduct research to gauge which image and ideas would be most advantageous for the candidate to present to the public in order to secure the most votes.
Human rights officer: Human rights officers investigate and handle human rights violations, as well as develop plans to reduce violations and to ensure compliance to human rights legislation. They investigate complaints by examining information and interviewing victims and perpetrators, and communicate with organisations involved with human rights activities.
Public affairs consultant: Public affairs consultants function as representatives for a client’s goal. They attempt to persuade legislative bodies and policy makers to implement laws or regulation in accordance with the client’s wishes, and negotiate with parties with potentially conflicting interests. They perform analytical and research duties in order to ensure that the client’s cause is being addressed in an appropriate way to the appropriate parties. They also consult their clients on their causes and policies.
Journalist: Journalists research, verify and write news stories for newspapers, magazines, television and other broadcast media. They cover political, economic, cultural, social and sport events. Journalists must conform to ethical codes such as freedom of speech and right of reply, press law and editorial standards in order to bring objective information.
Columnist: Columnists research and write opinion pieces about news events for newspapers, journals, magazines and other media. They have an area of interest and can be recognised by their writing style.
Philosopher: Philosophers study and argument over general and structural problems pertaining to society, humans and individuals. They have well-developed rational and argumentative abilities to engage in discussion related to existence, value systems, knowledge, or reality. They recur to logic in discussion which lead to levels of deepness and abstraction.
Provincial governor: Governors are the main legislators of a nation’s unit such as a state or province. They supervise staff, perform administrative and ceremonial duties, and function as the main representative for their governed region. They regulate local governments in their region.

References

1. Political science – ESCO