Journal profile · POLITICAL SCIENCE
PS Political Science & Politics
ISSN 1049-0965 · eISSN 1537-5935 · Cambridge University Press
PS Political Science & Politics: CAS Zone 4 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.57; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; 151 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
PS Political Science & Politics is published by Cambridge University Press and is in Zone 4 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies, Legal case studies and regulations and Political Science Research and Education, together about 38.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
PS: Political Science & Politics, begun in 1968, is a premier outlet featuring timely and original research on a variety of topics that are relevant to political scientists and researchers in allied fields. We encourage submissions regarding research on political science pedagogy, political events in the US and abroad, and research on the state of our discipline, including survey research on political scientists. PS welcomes work authored by and reflecting the research priorities of underrepresented groups, those working outside the academy, and scholars residing outside the United States. PS: Political Science & Politics is sold ONLY as part of a joint subscription with American Political Science Review and Perspectives on Politics.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): POLITICAL SCIENCE
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 41, United Kingdom 4, Chile 2, Hong Kong, China 1, Germany 1 (54 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance15.9%
- Legal case studies and regulationsSocial Sciences13.5%
- Political Science Research and EducationSocial Sciences9.5%
- Nutrition, Health, and Society StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences9.5%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering8.6%
- Electoral Systems and Political ParticipationSocial Sciences6.3%
- Legal Cases and CommentaryMedicine4.8%
- Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social SciencesSocial Sciences3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Political Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.57LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.79LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.09LetPub ·
- h-index
- 114OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,696OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.95OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 74.52%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 115LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 15,423 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 84 | 68 | 12 |
| 2025 | 151 | 111 | 195 |
| 2024 | 103 | 95 | 453 |
| 2023 | 98 | 80 | 401 |
| 2022 | 181 | 52 | 728 |
| 2021 | 198 | 63 | 1,376 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,550 / GBP 2,460 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- ISSN
- 1049-0965
- Electronic ISSN
- 1537-5935
- Society / sponsor
- American Political Science Association
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about PS Political Science & Politics
What CAS zone is PS Political Science & Politics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, PS Political Science & Politics is in Zone 4 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Political Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of PS Political Science & Politics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.57; CiteScore 2.9, h-index 114.
Where are the editorial board members of PS Political Science & Politics based?
Of the 54 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (41), United Kingdom (4) and Chile (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index PS Political Science & Politics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, PS Political Science & Politics is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is PS Political Science & Politics open access, and what is the APC?
PS Political Science & Politics is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .