Why government and law and not political science? – Lafayette

Photo by Patrick Hansell of Lafayette

This government and law school has a storied history.

According to government and law professor Ilan Peleg, Lafayette is home to the only government and law school in the United States. This title is synonymous with Political Science, a more nationally popular program. But why is it different?

The Government Legal Department was named after Fred Morgan Kirby in 1921, when he created the Kirby Professorial Endowment for Civil Rights. Albert W. Gendebien.

“I think … [Kirby] I wanted to educate potentially future lawyers, future business leaders, and future politicians about both how government works and how the law works. ” said Helena Silverstein, head of the Department of Government and Justice.

Kirby Civil Rights Hall, also built by Kirby, has also changed.

“The lower level portion of the building was updated to include representations of the 1950s civil rights movement to introduce broader concepts of civil rights and freedoms than those originally established by the founders,” Silver said. Stein added.

Peleg said the major’s name is “part of our identity.”

The university’s Government and Law website defines the program as “a comprehensive and rigorous program in the field of political science.” Courses in this department focus on American government, comparative politics, and political theory.

The major eventually evolved to incorporate new topics and programs.

“When we educate students about law and the Constitution, civil rights and civil liberties, we educate them much more broadly in terms of how the concepts of civil liberties and civil rights have developed over time. ,” Silverstein said.