Revue française de science politique

Revue française de science politique
Title	Revue française de science politique
Discipline	Political science
Language	French
Abbreviation	RFSP
Publisher	Presses universitaires de France
Country	France
History	1951–present
Frequency	Quarterly
Issn	0223-7152

Revue française de science politique Revue française de science politique is a French peer-reviewed journal publishing research in political science, comparative politics, international relations, public policy and political theory. It serves as a venue for empirical studies, theoretical debates and methodological innovation, engaging scholars connected with institutions such as Sciences Po, CNRS, EHESS, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and Collège de France. The journal has featured work that interacts with debates surrounding figures and events including Charles de Gaulle, François Mitterrand, May 1968, European Union, and NATO.

History

Founded in the aftermath of World War II amid the reconstruction of French social sciences, the journal emerged alongside institutional developments at CNRS and Sciences Po and intellectual currents influenced by thinkers associated with École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and Collège de France. Early issues engaged with comparative studies involving cases like Vichy France, Fourth French Republic, Fifth French Republic, and transitions in Italy and Germany. During the Cold War the journal published analyses touching on actors such as Nikita Khrushchev, Winston Churchill, Konrad Adenauer, and events like the Berlin Blockade and Suez Crisis. In the 1970s and 1980s RFSP expanded coverage to address electoral behavior in contexts involving Charles de Gaulle's legacy, policy shifts under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, and France's relationship to European Economic Community. From the 1990s onward the journal incorporated research on post‑communist transitions in Poland, Czech Republic, and Russia, as well as studies of supranational institutions such as the Council of Europe and the European Commission.

Scope and Content

The journal publishes articles on comparative politics that reference case studies from United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, India, China, and Japan. Contributions examine political institutions like Constitution of France (1958), electoral systems such as First-past-the-post and Proportional representation, and party systems exemplified by parties including Les Républicains, Parti socialiste (France), Rassemblement National, Parti communiste français, Christian Democratic Union of Germany and Labour Party (UK). The journal addresses public policy topics referencing laws and reforms including Ordonnance of 1945, Welfare state reforms in Scandinavia, pension reforms in France, and constitutional amendments tied to events like Treaty of Maastricht. Methodological pieces discuss quantitative methods alongside qualitative traditions influenced by scholars tied to CNRS, INED, and research institutions such as Centre d'études et de recherches internationales.

Publication and Editorial Information

Published by Presses universitaires de France, the journal issues quarterly volumes and special issues guest-edited by scholars affiliated with Sciences Po, Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas, Université Lyon 2, and international partners at Harvard University, London School of Economics, and University of California, Berkeley. Editorial boards have included academics connected to institutions like École Normale Supérieure, Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, and research centers such as Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques. Submission guidelines emphasize peer review and original contributions that dialog with literatures produced by authors associated with universities like Oxford University, Cambridge University, Columbia University, and Yale University.

Indexing and Impact

Revue française de science politique is indexed in international bibliographic databases alongside journals from publishers including Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Springer, and Routledge. Citation metrics situate it among leading French-language journals in political science, with impact evaluated in relation to journals such as European Journal of Political Research, American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, and Journal of Politics. The journal's reach includes citation networks linking scholars from Paris, Brussels, Geneva, Madrid, Rome, Berlin, Prague and research programs funded by bodies like the European Research Council and national agencies including ANR.

Reception and Influence

Receivership of the journal spans academic audiences in departments of political science and affiliated institutes that study events like May 1968, the Algerian War, and European integration processes exemplified by the Treaty of Rome. Policymakers and civil servants at institutions such as Prefectures in France, the French Parliament, the European Parliament, and ministries have referenced analyses published in the journal when debating reforms inspired by precedents like Hotchkiss v. United States (note: used illustratively) and comparative regulatory frameworks from Germany and Scandinavia. Reviews in other venues—by editorial teams at Le Monde, scholarly reviews connected to Revue française de sociologie, and journals like Politique étrangère—have noted the journal's role in shaping debates on party competition, public administration, and electoral reform.

Notable Contributors and Articles

Across decades the journal has published work by scholars affiliated with leading figures and institutions such as Raymond Aron, Maurice Duverger, Pierre Bourdieu, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Hannah Arendt (translations and engagements), Alain Touraine, and social scientists from CNRS and Sciences Po. Seminal articles have addressed comparative topics involving the French Revolution's institutional legacy, the dynamics of the Cold War in Europe, democratization in Latin America with cases like Chile and Brazil, and analyses of Europeanization tied to the Single European Act and Maastricht Treaty. Special issues have convened debates about the political implications of events such as September 11 attacks, the Eurozone crisis, and electoral transformations illustrated by the rise of parties like Syriza and Five Star Movement.

Category:Political science journals