Politics

Department Head: Lucas E. Morel; morell@wlu.edu; 540-458-5808

Academic Division: The Williams School

The Department of Politics at Washington and Lee University teaches students to be informed and active citizens of a free society, able to think about politics with rigor and nuance. We offer a wide array of courses in American government, political philosophy, global politics, and statistics and methods. We encourage students to pursue their education in an interdisciplinary manner and we provide opportunities to augment their study in off-campus and experiential learning programs.

To this end, the Politics Department faculty:

• Offer a broad, robust political science curriculum.
• Structure the major in an interdisciplinary spirit and encourage students to take advantage of off-campus and foreign study programs.
• Teach in a responsive, solicitous manner.
• Engage and contribute to the study of politics in the broader scholarly community.
• Teach courses that enable students to demonstrate competency in: Research and Analysis Objectively Evaluating Information and Arguments and Formulating their own thesis Integrating Knowledge into a broader understanding of Politics

HONORS: An Honors Program in politics is offered for qualified students. Politics majors who have at least a 3.500 grade-point average in the major and at least a 3.300 cumulative grade-point average at the end of their junior year qualify to write an honors thesis. Prospective honors candidates should contact the department head and potential thesis advisers in the fall of their junior year.

Offerings

Politics, B.A.  

Faculty

First date is the year in which the faculty member began regular faculty service at the University. Second date is the year of appointment to the present rank. 

Brian Alexander, Ph.D.—(2017)-2023
Associate Professor of Politics
Ph.D., George Mason University

Joseph M. Cantey Jr., Ph.D.—(2014)-2020
Lewis G. John Associate Professor of Politics
Ph.D., Duke University

Stuart J. Gray, Ph.D.—(2015)-2021
Associate Professor of Politics
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Rebecca C. Harris, Ph.D.—(2005)-2018
Professor of Politics
Ph.D., University of Illinois

Robin LeBlanc, Ph.D.—(1998)-2008
William Lyne Wilson Professor of Political Economy
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma

Lucas E. Morel, Ph.D.—(1999)-2009
John K. Boardman Jr. Professor Politics
Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School

Mark E. Rush, Ph.D.—(1990)-2002
The Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Professor of Politics and Director of International Education
Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University

Sheahan Virgin, Ph.D.—(2024)-2024
Assistant Professor of Politics
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Clyde Y. Wang, Ph.D.—(2023)-2023
Assistant Professor of Politics
Ph.D., Boston University