The focus of our department is on fostering civic engagement:

Individual and collective activism, designed to address issues of public concern.

We expect our students to become informed and active citizens, involved in individual volunteerism, organizational involvement, and electoral participation.  Through the department, our students will learn how to identify and address an issue, work with community members to solve a problem or to interact with the institutions of representative democracy.  For students interested in American government, this may mean getting involved in elections or working for an interest group.  Students interested in a career in law and jurisprudence will find opportunities to engage in advocacy or to intern in law offices or with local courts.  And for those interested in comparative or international politics, we have students working on border security and foreign policy initiatives.  At Niagara, you will not only learn in the classroom, you will put your coursework to use in the field.