Top 30 Famous People Who Majored in Political Science (#20 to #11)

I finished my degree in Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at MSU-IIT in 2009. A couple of days ago, I searched the Internet for a list of people who also had the same major, but to my dismay, I found none.

I then took the matters into my own hands and single-handedly searched the educational background of some famous people who also happened to have the degrees in Political Science. Together with law, these degrees seem to be the most popular for current and aspiring politicians, but the fact is, people pursue to all sorts of careers afterwards.

So here’s My List of Thirty Famous People Who Majored in Political Science (#20 to #11). You might want to check out those who made it to the 30th to 21st spot, here. The Top 10 can be read here. And as how we chant it at MSU-IIT - Sikhai PolSci!

 

20. Karl Rove

Born on December 25, 1950, Rove is an American political consultant and policy advisor. He was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the George W. Bush administration until his resignation in 2007. Since leaving the White House, Rove has worked as a political analyst and contributor for Fox News, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal.

He was the ex-consultant to President George W. Bush. His intellectual political tactics led to the triumph for the Bush government. In his 2004 victory speech Bush referred to Rove as "the Architect". Through his college years, he was unsuccessful to complete his graduation at the University of Utah, but moved forward to become character of the most esteemed political scientist around the world.

 

19. Michael Ignatieff

He is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011. Known for his work as a historian, Ignatieff has held senior academic posts at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Harvard University and the University of Toronto.

He became a senior resident with the University of Toronto's Massey College, where he teaches courses in law and political science for the Munk School of Global Affairs, the School of Public Policy and Governance, and the Faculty of Law.

 18. Vice Ganda

Jose Maria Borja Viceral (b. March 31, 1976), widely known as "Vice Ganda",  is a famous Filipino stand-up comedian and actor.

An openly gay comedian, he was under heavy criticism in May 2013 due to his jokes on rape and his use of insult humor. Despite the controversies, he starred in the two of the Philippines' highest-grossing films. Viceral took Political Science at Far Eastern University.

 

17. Samuel P. Huntington†

Huntington was an influential American conservative political scientist whose works covered multiple sub-fields of political science. He gained wider prominence through his Clash of Civilizations (1993, 1996) thesis of a post-Cold War new world order.

 16. Madeleine Albright

She was the first woman to become the United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by US President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0. She was sworn in on January 23, 1997. She currently serves as a Professor of International Relations at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service. In May 2012, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by US President Barack Obama.

Korbel obtained a position on the staff of the political science department at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. He became dean of the university’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, and later taught future U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

 

15. Fareed Zakaria

(Born Fareed Rafiq Zakaria) is an Indian-American journalist and author. From 2000 to 2010, he was a columnist for Newsweek and editor of Newsweek International. In 2010 he became editor-at-large of Time. He is the host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. Zakaria is also a frequent commentator and author about issues related to international relations, trade and American foreign policy.

He has been nominated five times for the National Magazine Award, and won it once, for his columns and commentary. His show has won a Peabody award and been nominated for several Emmys.

He later earned a Doctor of Philosophy in political science from Harvard University in 1993, where he studied under Samuel P. Huntington and Stanley Hoffmann, as well as international relations theorist Robert Keohane.

 

14. President Oscar Arias Sanchez

President Sanchez was known for ending Civil War in Central America which led him to earn the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. He has received numerous prizes for his contribution towards the progress of humanity. He is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award, the Liberty Medal of Philadelphia, among others. He has also received approximately fifty honorary doctorates from colleges and universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Oberlin, Marquette, and Washington University in St. Louis.

He was enrolled in the London School of Economics in 1967 and received a doctorate degree in Political Science from the University of Essex in 1974. After renouncing the chair of President, Oscar Arias Sanchez associated himself with the non-partisan, non profit organizations working for the progress of mankind.

 

13. Robert Alan Dahl

Born on 17 December 1915 in Inwood, Iowa, is the sterling professor emeritus of political science at Yale University, where he earned his Ph.D. in political science in 1940. One of his lasting contributions is his explication of the varieties of power, which he defines as “A” getting “B” to do what “A” wants.

He is past president of the American Political Science Association and an honorary member of Manuscript Society. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from Harvard University in 1998. Dahl has often been described as "The Dean" of American political scientists. His book on Political Analysis is one of the most read political science books of all time.

 12. Miuccia Prada Bianchi

Born on 10 May 1949, Miuccia Prada Bianchi is a famous entrepreneur and Italian fashion designer for Prada and Miu Miu. Miuccia attended Teatro Piccolo to study and perform as a mime for five years. She was known to be a member of the Communist party and a champion for women’s rights during the seventies in Milan. In 1978 she entered into her family’s business of manufacturing luxury leather bags, a company established by her grandfather in 1913. She has a Ph.D. in Political Science [1]. 

11. President Jacques Chirac

Jacques Chirac is one of the most influential politicians in France. He is a former Mayor of Paris, former Prime Minister of France, and former President. Born on 29 November 1932, he is the second-longest serving President of France. Chirac entered French national politics in 1950s. His popularity increased after his opposition to George W. Bush's decision of invading Iraq in 2003 [2].

Jacques Chirac completed his graduation in in Political Science in 1953, from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques, which was one of the prestigious institutes of France at that time.

Reference:

[1] http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/biographies/miuccia-prada-biography

[2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6465773/Jacques-Chirac-former-French-president-charged-with-embezzlement.html

Picture Credits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Rove
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ignatieff
http://coloradocollege.edu/Academics/Anniversary/Participants/Huntington.htm
http://www.theory-talks.org/2008/05/theory-talk-9.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marianne-schnall/madeleine-albright-an-exc_b_604418.html
http://www-cgi.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/fareed.zakaria.gps/
http://costaricanpresidents.blogspot.com/2010/06/oscar-arias-sanchez-1986-1990-2006-2010.html
http://www.booksincanada.com/article_view.asp?id=4647
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6465773/Jacques-Chirac-former-French-president-charged-with-embezzlement.html
http://www.newgenfashion.co.uk/miucca-prada-and-patrizio-bertelli-earned-14-million-each-last-year.htm

Author’s Note:

To all the political science majors out there, if you known a famous person (politician, actor, businessman, etc.) in your country who also took up Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, please add to something to this list by leaving it in the comment box below.