The World of Political Science: Internationalization and its Consequences

What have been the consequences of internationalization for political science as a profession? To consider this issue, Part I describes mega-trends thought to be driving internationalization, including the accelerated flow of peoples, communications, and labor. Part II describes the evidence used to examine the impact of these developments, presenting the first results of new survey data from the ECPR-IPSA World of Political Science survey (WPS-2019). Part III uses the cross-national data descriptively to compare regional political science communities in their social background and career profiles, role perceptions, methodological techniques, and subfields of expertise. Cohort analysis provides insights into the longer-term evolution of the profession over time. The conclusion in Part IV summarizes the key findings and considers their implications for understanding the current state and future trajectory of political science.