Redesigning the Political Science Curriculum to Incorporate LGBTQ+ Issues

ABSTRACT Political science educators have a responsibility to design their programs in a way that incorporates content that involves and engages underserved populations. In recent polls, a significant majority of Generation Z identified as LGBTQ+, representing a percentage that is larger than those who identify as African American or Hispanic (Jones 2024; Public Religion Research Institute 2024). Implementing changes in mainline political science courses (e.g., introduction to American national government, the presidency, and comparative politics) will allow the discipline to better serve LGBTQ+ students. Ample examples involving LGBTQ+-themed content provide instruction in a wide battery of political science courses. Pivoting into a more supportive pedagogy may be a successful strategy for addressing the oncoming “population cliff” (i.e., a projected decline in college enrollment) that will impact the number of students beginning college in the future. Whereas the process will require substantial investment in energy to initiate, an updated approach to teaching political science courses will reap dividends in terms of student interest, engagement with course material, and LGBTQ+ representation in the profession.