Put most simply, political science is the study of politics, government and public policy, both in the U.S. and around the world.
Political scientists seek to both describe and explain political phenomena.
Political scientists seek to understand the underlying ways in which power, authority, rules, constitutions and laws affect our lives. Like other social sciences, political science focuses on human behavior, both individually and collectively. Although the study of politics and power is ancient, the discipline of political science is relatively new. Some political scientists focus on abstract and theoretical questions, while others study particular government policies and their effects. Political science has gotten a bad rap.