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Skogsbrand på norra sidan om Ljusnan strax söder om Kårböle.Runt byn Kårböle i norra Hälsingland rasar tre stora skogsbränder. Byn är sedan en vecka tillbaka evakuerad och släckningsarbetet pågår febrilt mot elden med samlade förmågor från olika myndigheter, frivilliga samt tillrest räddningstjänst från flera europeiska grannländer. Brandområdena är indelade i tre olika sektorer där man försöker isolera elden inom så kallade begränsningslinjer. Förutom att hindra vidare spridning så är det särskilt viktigt att hålla elden borta från orten Kårböle samt viktig infrastruktur.

Photo: Mats Nyström/The Swedish Armed Forces.

Political science

Political science at the Swedish Defence University has a particular focus on security policy and crisis management. At the same time, the subject is theoretically broad, drawing on several areas such as international relations, political communication, public administration, and political theory. The research is also informed by insights from other fields, both within and beyond political science.

Political science research at the Swedish Defence University examines how security and insecurity are constructed, who security is intended for, and how crises are prevented and managed. We explore threats, conflicts, decision-making processes, communication processes, identity construction, and ethical dilemmas concerning the state, society, and the individual, with a particular focus on Sweden and the Nordic countries, the EU, the United States, Russia, and East Asia.

The aim of our research and education is to contribute to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the world. Our researchers regularly share their expertise in national and international media, advise decision-makers, take part in commissioned education, and work to increase public knowledge of current issues.

Political science research at the Swedish Defence University can be divided into two overarching themes—security policy and crisis management—as well as a number of specialisations that organise researchers and doctoral students.

Security policy

Research on security policy spans a wide range of issues and perspectives. It is grounded in both established and critical theories and is used to analyse, for example, national security, great power politics, and geopolitical rivalries. It also examines the role of diplomacy and information influence in international politics.

This research is closely linked to current events and aims to understand and explain how different security orders emerge, evolve, and sometimes break down.

Crisis management

Crisis management concerns how different actors handle crises such as pandemics (for example, COVID-19), terrorist attacks, climate crises, and natural disasters. It also addresses the goal conflicts that may arise in such situations.

We study crises as political and organisational phenomena. This includes examining questions such as: How effectively do the EU, national authorities, and international organisations manage crises? How do they communicate with the public during a crisis? And what lessons can be learned to improve preparedness for the future?

Research areas in political science

The research area examines politics and international relations from a range of theoretical perspectives. This may involve philosophical, historical, or analytical approaches to understanding politics, with roots in both the social sciences and the humanities.

The research addresses central concepts and ideas concerning how politics and international relations function, as well as how these have developed over time. It also engages with key ethical questions and debates, for example regarding responsibility in the context of climate change or in conflicts between states.

The work encompasses both descriptive analyses of how the world is and normative reasoning about how it ought to be. It also includes critical and historical perspectives.

Faculty members

Doctoral students

We are interested in the role of communication in democratic political processes and focus on a broad spectrum of political actors, ranging from public authorities and national politicians to international organisations. We examine how communication is conveyed, what it contains, and how it is understood by its audiences.

We also focus on how authoritarian states and other actors conduct harmful political communication - including disinformation - across national borders, and we analyse its content, dissemination, and effects. Such information influence can polarise populations and pose a threat to democracy and security. We also research how societal resilience can be strengthened, for example through education in source criticism and increased awareness of malign information influence and disinformation.

Read more about The Information Influence Lab - knowledge builds resistance

Faculty members

Doctoral students

This area of research is based on the premise that narratives construct collective identities and analyses how, and with what security policy consequences, stories are disseminated and received within and between states and other actors. The research is conducted along overlapping strands that (a) view narratives as strategic linguistic constructions used by actors in political communication to gain influence, for example through deception; (b) explore how narratives convey and generate emotions; (c) emphasise the importance of deeper underlying metanarratives; and (d) focus on counter-narratives, for instance in the form of everyday practices.

The specialisation is partly organised within the Narrative Research Lab.

Read more about the Narrative Research Lab

Faculty members

Doctoral students

This field of research examines how governance functions in times of crisis and major change, such as disasters and security threats. We study how governments manage both acute and long-term challenges, for example by learning from crises and adapting their policies.

We also investigate how societies can become more resilient to disruptions, and how public authorities cooperate - both domestically and across different levels of governance. This includes, for instance, how the EU and NATO work with civil defence and how this relates to national systems.

An important part of the research is to understand how power - such as that linked to gender and other structural factors - shapes how this work is carried out.

We analyse these issues by examining the interplay between stable systems (such as institutions), dynamic events (such as crises), and the actors who make decisions and drive developments.

Faculty members

Doctoral students

This field of research focuses on climate change and environmental policy in a time characterised by crises and uncertainty. It examines how climate change affects security and how societies can become more resilient. The research is based on the understanding that human activity today has a profound impact on the planet.

We study how different actors respond to climate change, including states, military organisations, international institutions, civil society, and local communities, including Indigenous peoples. The Climate, Crisis, and Security Network is a central platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange in this area.

A key aspect of the research concerns knowledge. We explore how different ways of understanding the world shape how societies address climate and environmental issues. Particular emphasis is placed on the knowledge of Indigenous peoples and local communities. The research also highlights what happens when certain perspectives are given greater prominence than others.

In addition, we examine how knowledge influences climate communication and the role played by technology and artificial intelligence. Both opportunities and risks are analysed.

Faculty members

Doctoral students

Research in this area aims to increase understanding of great powers, how they interact, why rivalry between them is intensifying, and what this may mean for Sweden. The research is organised into three interrelated areas that influence one another:

  1. System Level
    At this level, great power rivalry is studied from a global perspective. This includes issues of war and peace, as well as global challenges such as climate change, nuclear weapons, pandemics, and trade.
  2. Actor Level
    Here, the focus is on individual great powers, primarily the United States, China, and Russia. A key area of study is US foreign and security policy.
  3. Regional Level
    This level examines where great power rivalry is most evident, particularly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. In both regions, power competition is already under way and is expected to intensify further.

Taken together, these three perspectives provide a comprehensive picture of how great power rivalry is evolving and the potential consequences it may entail.

Faculty members

Doctoral students

Intelligence is vital to a country’s security. At the same time, much of the work is classified, which makes it difficult to study.

Research in this area focuses on the political dimensions of intelligence. This includes, for example, the relationship between intelligence agencies and political decision-makers, as well as how risks and threats are assessed.

We study both Swedish and international cases, in everyday contexts as well as during crises and major incidents.

Faculty members

Spotlight on political science

Publications

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Staff

Here you can search for employees at the Department of Political Science:

Department of Political Science

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