International Relations is the study of political processes that occur outside the domain of any single political entity. Our scholars focus on military, diplomatic, and economic interactions among national governments as well as their interactions with trans-national corporations, inter-governmental organizations, and non-governmental actors. Analysts must consider such disparate factors as the personalities of individual leaders, the dynamics of small-group decision processes, the institutional structures of particular governments, the cultural and social determinants of behavior, the uncertainties of strategic interaction, and long-term trends associated with large-scale changes in the global system as a whole. International relations is an incredibly complex subject, and a remarkably diverse set of research approaches have been used to try to understand this subject.
At Indiana University, you will have the opportunity to learn from leading figures in methodologically sophisticated forms of research. IU Political Science has a long tradition of leadership in the rigorous application of social scientific research methods to international relations.
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