Resource Guide
Research Project Ideas in Politics & International Relations
Specific, answerable questions across political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and political behaviour, with guidance on reasoning from evidence.
How to Use This List
Politics is the field where it is easiest to mistake strong opinions for strong work. Admissions readers see no shortage of applicants with views; far rarer is the student who can investigate a political question with genuine rigour, taking opposing arguments seriously and following the evidence rather than their preferences.
The questions below are framed to reward that discipline. Take one that interests you and narrow it to something specific and answerable. Our guide to writing a research question shows how, and our literature review guide explains how to map the existing debate.
Ideas by Sub-Field
Political theory
- ↳ What is the strongest justification for democracy, and what are its most serious challenges?
- ↳ How should liberty and equality be balanced, according to competing political philosophies?
- ↳ What does a key thinker, such as Rawls or Hobbes, actually argue, and how well does it hold up?
Comparative politics
- ↳ Why do some democracies prove more stable than others, according to the evidence?
- ↳ What explains the rise of populist movements across different countries?
- ↳ How do electoral systems shape the party systems that emerge under them?
International relations
- ↳ How well do the main theories of international relations explain a specific conflict?
- ↳ What does the evidence say about whether economic interdependence reduces the risk of war?
- ↳ How effective are international institutions at addressing a chosen global problem?
Political behaviour & elections
- ↳ What does the data reveal about what actually drives how people vote?
- ↳ How does media coverage measurably shape public opinion on an issue?
- ↳ What explains differences in political participation between groups?
Argument Held to Evidence
The defining move in strong political research is to treat your own view as a hypothesis to be tested, not a conclusion to be defended. That means seeking out the best evidence against your position, engaging the strongest version of the opposing argument, and being willing to revise. A project that does this is doing political science; one that only marshals support is doing advocacy.
A mentor helps a student hold that line: choosing a question that evidence can actually bear on, distinguishing correlation from cause, and building an argument robust enough to survive challenge, which is exactly what a politics or PPE interview will provide.
Taking a Question Further
Politics overlaps with law, economics, history, and philosophy. For the wider context, see our Law, Politics & International Relations field page, our companion guides to law and economics, and our broader research project ideas across all six fields. When you are ready to turn a question into a finished project with a mentor who works in the field, the Research Scholar programme is built for exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to study politics at school to do a politics research project?
No. Students arrive through history, economics, philosophy, or a strong interest in current affairs. What matters is curiosity about power, institutions, and collective decisions, and a willingness to weigh evidence and argument carefully.
What kind of politics research can a high school student do?
A great deal: evaluating a political theory against evidence, analysing why a policy succeeded or failed, comparing political systems, or studying patterns in elections using public data. Most projects are argument-driven or data-driven and need only public sources.
How do I avoid a politics project becoming just an opinion piece?
Anchor it to evidence and to a specific, answerable question. The aim is not to argue for your side but to investigate honestly, taking the strongest version of opposing views seriously. That discipline is exactly what distinguishes political science from punditry.
Is a politics project useful for PPE or international relations applications?
Yes. These courses reward students who can frame a question, handle evidence, and reason about competing arguments. A focused project demonstrates all three and gives an applicant something specific and genuine to discuss at interview.
Summer cohort deadline · Applications due June 25. A few places remain. We assess applications in order of receipt.
ScholarBridge matches students with doctoral-level or equivalent research mentors across six academic fields. Every project is student-led and completed to a standard the student can stand behind in any university interview.
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