Political science is the study of constitutions, law, and government, at the local, national, and international levels, and of those things that influence the exercise of political power, such as individual interests and attitudes, norms, institutions, and culture.
On Monday August 17 2026, Dr. Ricardo Sánchez Méndez presented his new book titled “El Servicio Exterior Mexicano en el siglo XXI” (The Mexican Foreign Service in the 21st Century), at the headquarters of the National Institute of Public Administration (INAP) in Mexico City. The event was attended by Dr. Eber Betanzos, President of the Institute, accompanied by Drs. Ricardo Uvalle, Federico Seyde, and Juan Pablo Pampillo—who served as commentators on the book—as well as distinguished academics, officials, students, and diplomats.
Within the presentation, Dr. Sánchez expounded upon the fundamental objectives of his text. The first objective is to explain the historical and political development of the Mexican Foreign Service since its inception, as well as that of the career civil service. To this end, it analyzes the national and international legal frameworks governing the Mexican Foreign Service (SEM) and reviews public administration performance evaluation systems, emphasizing the importance of performance assessments and promotion competitions.
The second objective is to present a series of proposals and recommendations that, from an academic and non-partisan perspective, seek to improve, continuously professionalize, and institutionally strengthen both the career SEM and the Mexican Foreign Ministry. The aim is for these insights to be considered in the academic training of international relations students—including those aspiring to join the Mexican Foreign Service (SEM)—and by those responsible for formulating Mexico’s foreign policy.
Dr. Ricardo Sánchez Méndez is a Mexican diplomat, academic, author, and specialist in international relations, Mexican foreign policy, diplomacy, and public administration. He served for 35 years as a career diplomat in the Mexican Foreign Service, retiring with the rank of Minister. He has taught at UNAM’s FES Acatlán and ENEP Aragón, as well as at the Universidad del Valle de México, where he also served as academic coordinator of the International Relations program.
He currently serves as a lecturer in Political Science at Texas State University. His scholarly interests include Mexican foreign policy, international relations, diplomacy, public administration, and the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region. His publications include works on Mexico’s relations with Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific, Mexican foreign policy, and international economic relations. He is the author of the book El Servicio Exterior Mexicano en el siglo XXI, published by Tirant Lo Blanch, which examines the challenges and evolution of Mexico’s Foreign Service in the 21st century.
On August 9 2026, Dr. Howard R. Balanoff and municipal attorney Alan Bojorquez were interviewed by James-Christian Blockwood of Management Matters, a podcast of the National Academy of Public Administration centered around bringing together government and private sector leaders for in-depth conversations about the big issues impacting public service and government.
The interview focused on defining “good government” amid declining public trust and growing conflict at even local meetings. In particular, the discussion was built around dictating how to define good government, discussing the role of ethics in governance, public cynicism, the ten traits of good governance, training elected officials, and transparency in the public-sector. Dr. Balanoff captures the ten traits of good governance by articulating them sequentially – respect, responsiveness, effectiveness, transparency, competence, ethics, lawfulness, innovative, sound fiscal management, and accountability.
Dr. Howard Balanoff holds the Texas State University William P. Hobby Endowed Professorship for Public Service and directs the Texas State University William P. Hobby Center for Public Service. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and the recipient of the 2019 International/County Management Association (ICMA) Academic Award for Excellence in Education. He is a Public Administration generalist and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in public policy administration, international and comparative public administration, and personnel and human resources administration.
On July 30, 2026. Dr. Ionut C. Popescu published an article in The American Conservative titled The Iran War Is Lose-Lose. In the article, Dr. Popescu argues that The Iran War promulgates a vicious cycle between Washington and Tehran that is born out of a misunderstanding in the relationship between coercive military pressure and regime capitulation.
In particular, Dr. Popescu highlights that although the United States has achieved short-term tactical successes through the aerial bombardment of key Iranian infrastructure, the war has failed in a strategic manner due to how it has failed to achieve long-term goals such as thwarting the development of Iranian military / nuclear capabilities and inciting the capitulation of the regime through popular revolt. In essence, the United States’s reliance on coercive pressure has only led to entrenchment of Iran’s regime and its “doctrine of resistance.”
Dr. Popescu writes “Further U.S. military force is in fact actively counterproductive to creating favorable political change in Iran because the perception of foreign sponsorship delegitimizes opposition movements, as shown in this case by the ascendancy of hardliners to positions of power after the killing of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other leaders.”
Using the realist school of thought, Dr. Popescu concludes that the Iranian war leads to the continued depletion of American financial and military resources in a way that actively inhibits its capacity for international deterrence. In effect, as the United States continues pursuing a strategy of coercive pressure, it will continue to lose financial and military resources that will create vulnerability in the Pacific, where rising hegemonies such as China are incentivized to take action against U.S. allies and interests. As opposed to continuing the conflict, it is mutually beneficial to both states for the war to end so that the United States is able to rebuild the capital / arms necessary for deterrence in the Pacific, and to allow for capital to flow back into the Middle East so that adjacent states are less vulnerable and volatile.
Ionut Popescu is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Texas State University and Graduate Director of the Masters in Political Science program. Dr. Popescu is the author of No Peer Rivals: American Grand Strategy in the Era of Great Power Competition (University of Michigan Press, 2025) and Emergent Strategy and Grand Strategy: How American Presidents Succeed in Foreign Policy (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017).
On Wednesday, September 2nd, more than 250 students, faculty, and staff gathered for the Department of Political Science’s Fall Open House event. The event welcomed both new and returning students and highlighted the department’s academic programs and available resources.
Those in attendance connected with faculty members, met departmental staff, and built relationships with graduate students in a welcoming environment. Attendees learned more about the department’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs, student services, internship opportunities, and upcoming events for the semester.
Sarah Trayhan, a graduate student of Political Science who attended the event, said, “I love that Texas State University hosts an Open House for its students; it allows for our community to grow and fosters engagement for our incoming students!”
On Tuesday, September 1st, more than 60 students attended the Department of Political Science’s annual “Meet the Professors” event, hosted by Discourse in Democracy. The event gave political science and public administration majors / minors the opportunity to meet with faculty and to learn about the courses they teach, their backgrounds, and their areas of interest.
Students in attendance had a chance to learn about their majors and about various groups associated with the department including Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society; Supporting Women in Political Science (SWIPS); Model Organization of American States; Mock Trial, and Model United Nations. Afterwards, students mingled with faculty and representatives over pizza, cookies, and sodas.
Isabel Duarte, a graduate student of Political Science and TA for the Department who attended the event, said, “Meet the Professors was such a great opportunity to chat with professors in a casual setting and learn more about what the Department of Political Science at TXST has to offer to new students!”
On July 18, 2026, the CENTEX Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) conducted an Awards Luncheon to recognize outstanding scholarship and public service.
Awards were presented to public administrators from local governments in the area in recognition of their outstanding service to the public. In addition, Master of Public Administration (MPA) students at Texas State University were recognized for their research and scholarship. The featured speakers at the Awards Luncheon included James Earp, the recipient of the William P. Hobby Distinguished Public Service Award, Alan & Sheila Bojorquez, sponsors of the 10 Traits of Good Government Award and representatives from the Cities of Ransom Canyon and Pharr Texas who were the first recipients of the Balanoff Good Government Award.
The James McGrew Research Award for distinguished scholarship was presented to students from Texas State University’s MPA Program including that of Amberlee Adams for their project titled “Describing the Perceptions of Students and Explaining Their Performance After the Prescribed Fire Practitioner/Foundational Firing Operations Course” and Hannah Amaya for their project titled “Gauging Interagency Collaboration in the ‘One County, One Protocol’ Model for School Emergency Management in Hays County, Texas.” Both students were directed by Dr. Nandhini Rangarajan of Texas State’s MPA program.
Further, 2 Texas State MPA students were recognized as recipients of the Clarence Ridley Texas City Management Association (TCMA) Scholarship, including that of Hannah Kriese and Walker Allee. In addition, 2 MPA students named as Fellows by the International City County Management Association (ICMA) were recognized for their outstanding scholarship. This includes Riyanka Aryal and Joa Brown.
Students from Texas State University’s MPA Program were recognized for receiving a Francis Rich Family scholarship, including that of Elegy Garcia, Jazmin Guevara, Christina Kattikatt, and Hannah Kriese. Finally, MPA students graduating in the Summer 2026 semester were inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha, the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. Inductees included Riyanka Aryal, Savanna Batson, Julia Lynn Hester, Syeda Zareen Jahan, Hannah Kriese, Ishrat Jahan Ritu, Sonia Shahsavari, Kazi Halimatus Sadia, and Becky Vacek-Schmidt.
Dylann Engle, a student who attended, commented that “the Centex ASPA luncheon is always such a great opportunity for networking between various generations of public servants. It’s a gathering where students, faculty, and local community leaders are able to come together to recognize and support one-another’s accomplishments.” She added, “The bestowing of the first-ever Balanoff Good Government Awards was an absolute highlight of the evening.”
For additional information about the activities and programs of CENTEX ASPA and the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service please contact Dr. Howard Balanoff at hb02@txstate.edu.
The Department of Political Science houses two academic journals, an international mediation newsletter, and two program magazines - Political Science's Alumni NewsWire and Public Administration's Public Matters.
Every year, the Department of Political Science, Discourse in Democracy, Supporting Women in Political Science (SWIPS), and Pi Sigma Alpha host and sponsor a lecture open to all featuring a special guest speaker to celebrate Constitution Day– a federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens.
This year, Dr. Michael Zuckert, a faculty member within the Department of Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, will present a lecture titled “The Declaration of Independence and the Rule of Law”.
It will take place Thursday, September 24th at 7:00PM in the Alkek Theater!
Please refer any questions about this event to Dr. Roger Abshire at rpa14@txstate.edu
If you require accommodations due to a disability in order to participate, please contact 512.245.2143 at least 72 hours in advance of the event.Click here for more information
Please join us for the Law School Fair at LBJ Studnet Cengter on October 6, 2026 from 4-630PM. There will be over 70 law schools at the event so come out and have your questions answered!
