The Politics and Governance department of the Institute of Public Administration focuses on the complex interaction between politics and governance. Our research explores contemporary issues such as the impact of global crises, populism, and polarisation at various levels of government.

What makes some international organisations more likely to succumb to crises where others manage to survive or even thrive? And what can international organisations do to become resilient and withstand existential challenges? Political Scientist Gisela Hirschmann (Leiden University) studied the example…

The specialisation Global Political Economy of the master’s in International Relations at Leiden University provides you with a cutting-edge understanding of the world economy and its social and political foundations.

Are you thinking about studying European Politics and Society? Learn more and watch the programme presentation.

This research cluster is a part of the Institute of Political Science’s research programme ‘Institutions, Decisions and Collective Behaviour’. Its members focus on the democratic role of citizens and the representative links between voters and politicians.

Politics and Aesthetics is one of the six research themes of the LUCAS Modern and Contemporary cluster.

This book concentrates on the regulation of political parties in the EU post-communist democracies, and on Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania, in particular.

Explore the MSc in International Politics at Leiden University: a one‑year programme focused on international conflict, crisis management, diplomacy and global cooperation.

East European Politics is a refereed journal which publishes articles on the government, politics and international relations of the post-communist world.

Let’s get this out of the way: Hillary Clinton won the 26 September 2016 presidential candidates television debate. Handily.

This book focuses on policing in city-regions in Europe bringing together experts from across the continent to develop a sociology of urban policing and a unique methodology for comparing different metropolises in the same country.

For every period, it is a challenge to unearth the details of political trafficking; yet the effort needs to include all relevant persons, groups, and institutions – not only those wielding formal responsibilities. We hope to reinvigorate this effort by inviting specialists to present their research…

The Indonesian Experience after the Fall of Suharto

An interdisciplinary collection of the best international scholarship on Muslim youth.

Get in touch for enquiries about the MSc International Politics at Leiden University, including programme questions and support from the Admissions Office.

Mari Nakamura defended her thesis on 14 March 2017

Political scientist Wouter Veenendaal received an NWO Veni grant for his research on the political stability of small states. 'I find small states fascinating, they are almost always excluded from comparative research, while in fact they often challenge existing theories in political science.'

View the programme structure for the MSc International Politics at Leiden University: semester layout, ECTS credits, core courses, and the September intake in The Hague.

Find out about information activities for the MSc International Politics at Leiden University, such as webinars, online Q&A sessions and events for prospective students.

This research cluster is a part of the Institute of Political Science’s research programme ‘Institutions, Decisions and Collective Behaviour’. Its members study phenomena such as migration, immigration, citizenship, integration, ethnic parties, minority and caste-based politics, borders and migration,…

Discover the career prospects for graduates of the MSc International Politics at Leiden University: roles in diplomacy, think tanks, government institutions, and international organisations.

The master's programme in Philosophy: Moral and Political Philosophy at Leiden University offers an excellent opportunity to explore fundamental issues in moral and political philosophy.

Sophie Vériter explores a small state’s impact on EU security governance, a hard challenge means against big states in this policy area.

Find out which documents you need to apply for the MSc International Politics at Leiden University: diplomas, transcripts, CV, motivation letter, recommendation letters, and supporting materials.

Study European politics, society, and international relations across four major European cities: Prague, Leiden, Krakow, and Barcelona. This two-year joint Master's programme offers a unique interdisciplinary experience.

An overview of new research project: Politeness in Arabic Papyrus Letters

The Khoesan were the first people in Africa to undergo the full rigours of European colonisation. By the early nineteenth century, they had largely been brought under colonial rule, dispossessed of their land and stock, and forced to work as labourers for farmers of European descent.

In the track Terrorism and Political Violence you will be familiarised with the academic debate regarding these contested concepts.

Are you thinking about studying International Relations: Culture and Politics? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

Are you thinking about studying Global Political Economy? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

Explore student life for the MSc International Politics at Leiden University: student associations, social events, extracurricular opportunities, and living in The Hague.

Political Science: National and International Politics is a broad study with a lot of depth. You will study political issues at the local, national and international levels, from a variety of perspectives. You will be taught by renowned, committed professors. In Leiden you will find a real student city…

The central theme of the NWO-project ‘The Promise of Organization’ is the evolution of political organization during the 19th century. We focus on the enthusiasm, arguments and concrete activities of the organizers as well as the criticism offered by opponents of modern political organization.

Slavoj Žižek is one of the most prominent public intellectuals of the left. His central claim holds that “today, it is more crucial than ever to continue to question the very foundations of capitalism as a global system”.

Alumnus Stan van Haasteren went to Northern Ireland in 1995 as a freelance journalist with a guitar strapped to his back and recently wrote a book about his experiences in Belfast. ‘The big difference with then is that today there is no more violence. But it's still a divided city.’

Political scientist Rebekah Tromble (Leiden University) and computational sociolinguist Dirk Hovy (University of Copenhagen) analyse how much hostility and sexism Clinton faces on Twitter, as well as who seems to be behind such attacks.

Political scientists John Gerring (University of Texas, Austin) and Wouter Veenendaal (Universiteit Leiden) evaluate the political implications stemming from the size of a political unit – on social cohesion, the number of representatives, overall representativeness, particularism ('pork'), citizen…