The minor “Government and Business” is designed to expose students to the practical problems of organizing and running human society with a particular focus on the interactions between government and business. The minor offers students a condensed exploration of the political world with a focus on the relationship between politics and political activity on the one hand and economic activity and social outcomes on the other. Government policy influences business decisions while business decisions and government policy influence individual human development choices and outcomes.

Students pursuing the Government and Business minor are expected to develop the ability to read and listen critically, to reason analytically concerning questions of public policy (especially economic policy), to engage in thoughtful moral judgment, and to write and speak clearly. The minor offers a coherent overview of the field of political science, including theories of human self-government, policy processes, decision-making, and institutional structures. Students completing the minor will have developed a greater understanding of the policy making process and the impact that government and business decisions together have in shaping “who gets what, when, and how.”

Main contacts for the minor: William Field (Undergraduate Program Director) or Christine Cahill (Undergraduate Advisor). You can sign up for an appointment at calendly.com/ccahill_officehours. Please reach out to her directly at  if none of the appointment times work for you. 

RBS Students: Speak to your RBS advisor and complete the appropriate form to declare the minor. Please inform us that you have completed this so we can schedule proper advising.

Learning Goals:

At the end of this program students will be able to:

  • Identify key theoretical factors in evaluating the moral foundations of individual behavior and the legitimacy of regulations about that behavior.
  • Explain the process through which decisions about the public regulation of individual and group behavior are made.
  • Critique boundaries between private market forces and public regulation.

The minor comprises 18 credits of course work drawn from the wider political science undergraduate curriculum. Students pursuing this minor may not also pursue a minor in political science and may not pursue a major in political science.

The following courses are required:

Students must take four additional three credit courses, drawn from the following list. No more than one may be at the introductory (100- or 200-) level.


Additional courses may be counted with permission of the undergraduate program director.