UMKC Political Science and Philosophy Department

Home
United States
Kansas City, MO
UMKC Political Science and Philosophy Department

Call Directions Website Contact the university

UMKC Political Science & Philosophy: cutting-edge analyses & engaging courses. Think. Lead. Learn. We also provide many activities and events for students.

UMKC’s Political Science Department provides students with a vocabulary and a set of tools for analyzing the central questions of power and governance within societies and across the globe. The Department of Political Science offers majors and minors, along with our new International Studies minor, and exciting and dynamic courses to help understand and shape the political world. We have 6 full-time faculty members, including Dr. Rebecca Best, Dr. Debra Leiter, Dr. Mona Lyne, Dr. Beth Vonnahme, Dr. Greg Vonnahme, and Dr. Ben Woodson. Political Science Links
The Monkey Cage http://themonkeycage.org
APSA's What is Political Science http://www.apsanet.org/content_9181.cfm?navID=727
Political Violence @ a Glance http://politicalviolenceataglance.org
IPE at UNC blog http://ipeatunc.blogspot.com
Duck of Minerva http://www.whiteoliphaunt.com/duckofminerva/
Th G20 Foreign Ministers Monitor http://g20foreignministers.blogspot.ca

Some Journals We Like (& recommend for paper writing):
American Political Science Review
American Journal of Political Science
Journal of Politics
International Organization
Comparative Politics
Political Psychology
Journal of Conflict Resolution
Conflict Management and Peace Science
Journal of Peace Research
Public Opinion Quarterly
World Politics
British Journal of Political Science
Comparative Political Studies
International Studies Quarterly
Electoral Studies
Poverty and Public Policy

10/28/2026

PSP has world-wide reach!

Our faculty are internationally renowned! Reporter Augustinas Šemelis of Lithuanian National Radio And Television flew into Kansas City to talk to our own Greg Vonnahme about the tight senate race in Kansas.

10/19/2026

Want to go to law school but don't know where to start? Getting ready to apply and want to make sure your application is as strong as possible? Join us for the PSP Law School information session, 10.21 at noon in Scofield 109. All are welcome! UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences UMKC University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

10/12/2026

Join us for a talk from Dr. Carla Martinez Machain this Thursday at 1pm in Scofield Hall, Room 109! Dr. Martinez Machain will present her current research "School of Influence: Human Rights Challenges in US Foreign Military Training."

09/30/2026

Congratulations to Associate Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Science and Professor of Political Science Beth Vonnahme for 20 wonderful years at UMKC! UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences UMKC.

09/15/2026

It’s National Voter Registration Day! Get registered and get ready for November!

08/27/2026

In a new piece in the Kansas City Star, Dr. Woodson and Dr. Leiter examine why Kansas voters decided not to switch to electing judges in the August primary elections. Looking at changes before and after the election, the new piece shows that judges may not have been the only thing on the mind of voters when casting their ballots.

Why Kansas voted no on electing Supreme Court justices might surprise you | Opinion
A new study shows how the campaign against the referendum worked — and it wasn’t about political partisanship. | Opinion
Read more in the full story: bit.ly/46aI3GJ

08/05/2026

Welcome back, PSP Roos! We are kicking off the hot new semester with ice cold treats! Join us on August 26 for classic ice cream truck treats and tunes from 1-2:30pm in the Cherry Hall 4th Floor Lounge. C'mon out and meet other political science and philosophy majors, minors, and faculty. Learn about department plans and opportunities for the upcoming year.

07/30/2026

In a new piece for the Kansas City Star, UMKC political science professor Greg Vonnahme and UMKC political science undergraduate researchers Sahar Faizan and Sarah Johnson examine the impact of the proposed changes to the Missouri constitutional amendment process. The results might surprise you!
https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/article316688870.html

UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences Undergraduate Research-UMKC

Political scientists at UMKC looked at whether a yes vote would affect politics in the state. Their conclusions were surprising. | Opinion

07/16/2026

Hey we get it - between the economy, wars, the job market, politics, etc, life is stressful! Join Professor Bruce Bubacz this fall for Phil 480 to learn the ancient Greek approach to living a well-reasoned life and finding peace in even the most tumultuous of times.

07/16/2026

Did you know that you can earn credit toward your degree while preparing for the LSAT? At UMKC, you can! Pol-Sci 377, offered this fall is a one credit hour college course focused on analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, and reading comprehension - the very skills the LSAT is designed to measure.
With Greg Vonnahme, UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UMKC Career Services, UMKC Pi Sigma Alpha

Address

Cherry Hall Fourth Floor
Kansas City, MO
64110

Telephone

+18162351326

Website

https://shss.umkc.edu/areas-of-study/political-science-and-philosophy/index.html

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when UMKC Political Science and Philosophy Department posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.