BISAC Subject Headings List
Political Science
Use the information provided here to determine the specific codes that describe your book. An asterisk (*) denotes a new heading for the current year’s edition. Not sure how to select your code? Check out our FAQ.
If you can't find the code you're looking for after reviewing all the pages below, we recommend you use whatever codes currently best represent your book. If you want to propose a new code for future BISAC additions, you can submit a suggestion here.
To download and incorporate this list into your databases and systems, you’ll need to purchase an End Users' License Agreement.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Use economic-oriented subjects in this section for works discussing economic policy. For works discussing economics from a theoretical or historical viewpoint, use economic-oriented subjects in the BUSINESS & ECONOMICS section.
Multiple subjects in this and other sections may be used to describe a work fully: for example, a book about the 2020 U.S. presidential election could be assigned "POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Campaigns & Elections" and "HISTORY / United States / 21st Century".
Use "POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Services & Welfare" for works dealing with government administration of social programs and use "SOCIAL SCIENCE / Social Work" for works of an instructional, theoretical, or historical nature.
POL000000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / General
POL040000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / General
POL040010 POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / Executive Branch
POL040030 POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / Judicial Branch
POL006000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / Legislative Branch
POL040040 POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / Local
POL030000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / National
POL020000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / State
POL039000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Censorship
POL003000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civics & Citizenship
POL004000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civil Rights
POL045000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism & Post-Colonialism
POL046000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Commentary & Opinion
POL009000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Comparative Politics
POLITICAL SCIENCE / Congress see American Government / Legislative Branch
POL022000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Constitutions
POL064000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Corruption & Misconduct
POL032000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Essays
POLITICAL SCIENCE / Federal Government see American Government / National or headings under World
POL061000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Genocide & War Crimes
POL062000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Geopolitics
POL033000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Globalization
POL010000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory
POL035010 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Human Rights
POL047000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Imperialism
POL074000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Indigenous / General *
POL074010 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Indigenous / Governance & Sovereignty *
POL074020 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Indigenous / Reconciliation *
POL074030 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Indigenous / Treaties & Agreements *
POL075000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island *
POL036000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Intelligence & Espionage
POL048000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Intergovernmental Organizations
POL011000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General
POL001000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / Arms Control
POL011010 POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / Diplomacy
POL011020 POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / Trade & Tariffs
POL021000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / Treaties
POL013000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Labor & Industrial Relations
POL014000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Law Enforcement
POL076000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Native American *
POL041000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations)
POL034000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Peace
POL023000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Economy
POL035000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Freedom
POL042000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / General
POL042010 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Anarchism
POL042060 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Capitalism
POL005000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Communism, Post-Communism & Socialism
POL042020 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Conservatism & Liberalism
POL007000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Democracy
POL042030 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Fascism & Totalitarianism
POL042050 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Libertarianism
POL031000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Nationalism & Patriotism
POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Racism see SOCIAL SCIENCE / Discrimination
POL042040 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Radicalism
POL016000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General
POL008000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Campaigns & Elections
POL065000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Media & Internet
POL043000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Advocacy
POL015000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Parties
POLITICAL SCIENCE / Practical Politics see headings under Political Process
POL066000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Privacy & Surveillance (see also SOCIAL SCIENCE / Privacy & Surveillance)
POL049000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Propaganda
POL017000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Affairs & Administration
POL071000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Opinion Polling
POL028000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / General
POL067000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Agriculture & Food Policy (see also SOCIAL SCIENCE / Agriculture & Food)
POL002000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / City Planning & Urban Development
POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Commercial Policy see BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Commercial Policy
POL050000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Communication Policy
POL038000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Cultural Policy
POL024000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Economic Policy
POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Education see headings under EDUCATION / Educational Policy & Reform
POL068000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Energy Policy
POL044000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Environmental Policy
POL077000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Gun & Firearm Policy *
POL073000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Health Care
POL070000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Immigration
POL069000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Military Policy
POL026000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Regional Planning
POL063000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Science & Technology Policy
POL029000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Policy
POL027000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Security
POL019000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Services & Welfare
POL018000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Reference
POL072000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Religion, Politics & State
POL012000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Security (National & International)
POLITICAL SCIENCE / State & Local Government see American Government / Local or American Government / State
POL037000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Terrorism
POL051000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Utopias
POL052000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Women in Politics
POL040020 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / General
POL053000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / African
POL054000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Asian
POL055000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Australian & Oceanian
POL056000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Canadian
POL057000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Caribbean & Latin American
POL058000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / European
POL059000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Middle Eastern
POL060000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Russian & Soviet
If your title does not have subject content, i.e. a blank book, please use the Non-Classifiable term below. Otherwise, use the Subject/General term in the closest descriptive area. NON000000 NON-CLASSIFIABLE
© 2023, Book Industry Study Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of these lists or any attached documents may be distributed or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc.