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Right now, I'm currently looking at universities around the country, trying to find a college that has a good political sciences program. I'm attracted to Idaho, as for one, it is very close to my home state, Washington. I like the fact there is a lot of conservatism here, and it looks pretty nice. Also, I want to get the heck out of California (the only reason I live in California in the first place is because I'm in a military family that moves constantly around the country).
So, is there a good university in Idaho that has a good political sciences program? Any help would be appreciated.
I don't think any of them have a political sciences program worth screaming about, but then again, that is not a degree that is going to do anything for you. Rather, it's the connections you make and internships you take.
Boise State has a masters in public administration and PhD in public policy that is probably your best bet. As far as undergraduate programs go, it really doesn't matter. Go to where you want to go and/or can get it. College of Idaho is the best academic school in Idaho, but it's an expensive private college in Caldwell.
Really, where would you rather go to school - small town Moscow in northern Idaho, medium sized Pocatello in eastern Idaho, or larger(ish) city Boise in southwestern Idaho? They each have their pros and cons.
Really, where would you rather go to school - small town Moscow in northern Idaho, medium sized Pocatello in eastern Idaho, or larger(ish) city Boise in southwestern Idaho? They each have their pros and cons.
I attended the College of Idaho decades ago, and a friend there was a political science major. I haven't heard from him in years, but several years after he graduated, we ran into each other and he said he was working for a special interest group in Boise back then. He chose the C of I because it had the best political science professors in the state at that time. That was true; I took a class from one of them, and he sure knew all the facts vs. the fantasies of our politics. He's long gone now; that was his last year of teaching. In his younger days, he had been an advisor to Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and briefly for Johnson before he quit Washington to teach.
Later news from another classmate had my buddy moving to D.C., where he was working in a campaign management outfit and doing very well. That was over 25 years ago.
Politics at the state level and higher does require professionals who usually understand the ins and outs of our complicated system better, quite often, than the candidates themselves. From what I gathered in our conversation back then was the best professionals were like mercenaries; they were much less partisan in their professional life as in their private life.
Of course, things may have changed since then, but I do think that, as a career choice, its good for someone who is very sociable, pays keen attention to small details, and has a hide thick enough to take abuse once in a while. The candidates often tend to vent on their advisors more frequently than any others, so its not a job for folks who have a quick temper or feel easily slighted. I would think that making personal connections in all directions would help a lot, as a career in politics has very little certainty. The pay is great when the job is paying, but the dry spells could last a long time, so being conservative with personal finances might be another career requirement.
While I do think that CofI is the better academic institution, Boise State has the better and more visible professors in the political science field. Freemuth, Yenor, Raymond, Moncrief, and Wampler are all very active in the state's political scene, and are go to sources for expertise. Much of that could be proximity, but that's the advantage to being in Boise, I guess.
I've not heard of any of the C of I professors (they only have 3), and I work in this field and took my MPA.
I expected as much, Vandal. After so many decades, it's only to be expected that any college changes. And back then, at least one professor was in his last year before retiring.
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