Political Science in Europe: Achievements, Challenges, Prospects

The last half-century has been a defining period for the development of political science in Europe: disciplinary norms have become institutionalized in professional organizations, training units, and research centres; the scholarly community has dramatically grown in size across the continent; the analytical and methodological tools of the discipline are increasingly sophisticated; and the knowledge disseminated under the label “political science” is bigger than it has ever been.

Political Science in Europe takes stock of these developments and reflects on the achievements of the discipline, and the challenges it faces. Is there a distinctive "European" blend of political science? Is the European political science community cohesive and inclusive? How does the discipline cope with the neoliberalisation of academia, and the diffusion of illiberal politics? Leading and up-and-coming political scientists answer these questions by discussing the discipline's key concepts and intellectual trends, its professional structures, and its relationship with its social, economic, and political environment.

Thibaud Boncourt is Associate Professor of Political Science, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

Isabelle Engeli is Professor of Public Policy, University of Exeter.

Diego Garzia is SNSF Professor of Political Science, University of Lausanne.