Political science has a long tradition within the United States, and has played a role that has been described as "hegemonic" within the discipline.[1][2] Individuals from the country have made a disproportionate contribution upon current research. According to a 2014 article by Foreign Policy, almost all present top scholars in international relations possess American citizenship.[3] Influential political scientists from the country include Alexander Wendt, Gene Sharp, John Mearsheimer, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Joseph Nye, Robert Jervis and Kenneth Waltz.[3]
Political science emerged as a distinct academic discipline in the United States during the 1880s.[1][2]
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The article tries to link the development of American political science with a major concern of the discipline, democracy. However, the concrete forms of this development have been molded by different factors (e.g. practical politics, economic interests and cultural variants). Looking at the interplay of these factors, this paper traces the rise of American political science to a hegemonic position in the world.