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Political science sits between history and the other social sciences. A single lecture might cover what happened in an election, a theory of why voters behave the way they do, and a debate about whether that theory holds up. Unlike in a history class, the events are mostly examples. The real subject is the concepts and the arguments about them.
That changes what you should write down. Here's how to take notes that work across the field, from American government to international relations.
Know which kind of class you're in
Political science has several subfields, and each asks something a little different of your notes:
- American politics: Congress, the presidency, the courts, the Constitution, parties, elections and public opinion. Lots of terms and processes.
- Comparative politics: how political systems differ across countries. Lots of side-by-side comparison.
- International relations: why states fight, cooperate or trade, and theoretical schools such as realism, liberalism and constructivism.
- Political theory: close reading of thinkers like Plato, Hobbes, Locke and Marx. Closer to a philosophy seminar.
- Methods: how political scientists test claims with data.
The advice below works for all of them, but weight it toward your course. A theory course needs strong reading notes; an American government course needs a strong vocabulary deck.
Sort every note into concept, case or argument
Most of what a poli sci professor says falls into one of three types:
- Concepts: a defined term, like federalism, the security dilemma or a parliamentary system.
- Cases: a real example, like a specific election, war, treaty or country.
- Arguments: a claim about how concepts and cases connect, often with a scholar's name attached, like "democracies rarely go to war with each other."
Give each type a consistent mark. For example, box concepts, underline cases, and draw a vertical line in the margin next to arguments. When you review, you can see at a glance whether each topic has a definition, an example and an argument. Essay answers usually need all three.
Listen especially for phrases like "scholars disagree" or "critics argue." Political science is built around debates, and exams often ask you to weigh two sides.
Prepare for ID terms
Many political science exams include identification questions: a list of terms, and for each one you explain what it is and why it matters. "Why it matters" is where most of the points are.
Keep a running ID page per unit. For each term, write:
- What it is, in one or two lines.
- An example from lecture or the reading.
- Its significance: what it explains, what it changed, or which argument it supports.
Scribba's Vocabulary paper has a TERM column and a DEFINITION / EXAMPLE column, which matches this layout. Put the definition, example and significance in the second column. Scribba reads your handwriting and turns each row into a flashcard; review and fix any misread words first. This works without Apple Intelligence. See flashcards from handwritten notes.
Compare countries and theories side by side
Comparative politics and international relations are full of comparisons: presidential versus parliamentary systems, one electoral system against another, realism against liberalism. Keep each comparison on one page in columns instead of scattered across lectures. Give each country or theory a column, and each question a row: how leaders are chosen, how power is divided, what causes conflict, what the theory predicts. See the charting method.
For spatial ideas, such as voters and parties placed along a left-right line, draw the line and the positions instead of describing them. In Scribba, hold the Apple Pencil still at the end of a stroke and it snaps into a straight line or an arrow. When a model has two dimensions, Coordinate Plane paper gives you axes through the center.
Keep your view and the course's view apart
Politics is personal, and your own opinions can easily slip into your notes. That makes the notes less useful, because exams ask you to explain arguments fairly, including ones you disagree with.
Write the professor's and the authors' claims as they made them, with the name attached. If you have a reaction, put it in a different color or in a margin note marked as yours. This also makes essay planning easier, since you can see exactly where your own argument starts.
Tip: professors often open class with a current event and ask what a theory would say about it. Keep a running page where you jot a news item and the concept it illustrates. It's good essay practice and a source of fresh examples for the final.
Recording and reviewing lectures
Political science lectures are talk-heavy, and arguments are easy to half-catch. If your professor allows recording, Scribba links every stroke you write to the moment in the recording, so you can tap a note to hear the explanation again. Check your course's recording policy first; see is it OK to record lectures?
On an iPad that supports Apple Intelligence, with it turned on, you can type a question to a recorded lecture, like "What were the three critiques of realism?", and get an answer in a sentence from the transcript, with a button that plays the moment it was said. Study Guide puts the key points of every lecture in a notebook on one sheet, which makes a good starting outline for the final. See ask your lecture questions and study guide from lecture notes.
For timelines and cause-and-effect arrows, the methods in history lecture notes on iPad carry over directly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I take notes on political theory readings?
Write each author's main claim, the reasons they give, and a key passage with its page number. Then note how the author responds to the thinkers you read before.
What's the best paper for political science notes?
Ruled or Cornell Notes paper for lectures, Vocabulary paper for ID terms, and grid paper for comparison charts.
Can I search across all my poli sci lectures?
Yes. Scribba searches handwriting, typed text, PDF text and lecture transcripts, from the library or inside a notebook.