Grit and heart: What it really takes to study Political Science

Throughout our call, one sentence that William Bacon kept repeating was, “Hold on, how do I describe this in a politically correct way?” 

I wasn’t surprised — after all, what political science student doesn’t think that way? Especially a PhD candidate.

But it got me wondering: do we even know what being “politically correct” means anymore? Do Gen Zs know? It’s a phrase that’s made a comeback in recent years, but it’s been around for a while.

According to Britannica, the term first appeared in Marxist-Leninist vocabulary following the Russian Revolution of 1917. 

Fast forward to the late 1970s and early 1980s, and it was adopted by liberal circles to describe extreme left-wing ideologies. Then, in the early 1990s, conservatives started using it to criticise liberals. By the late 1990s, the term had fallen out of political use and become a punchline for comedians mocking the term.

Now, PC culture is often tied to social movements like gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial or ethnic advocacy. Instead of saying “policeman” or “policewoman,” for example, people use “police officer.” In today’s era, using the wrong term could get you “cancelled” — depending on who’s listening.

For Bacon, being politically correct is part of the job, 24/7.

Bacon completed a BA in Political Science from Pepperdine University and an MSc in Security Studies from UCL. Source: William Bacon

Meet William Bacon

Before political science, Bacon had his heart set on something else entirely — medicine.

“I wanted to become a doctor,” he says. “But over time, I realised I was more drawn to immunology that I’d notice small patterns, which I think has a lot to do with my ADHD,” he says.

He started at Pepperdine University as a pre-med student, but eventually, political science caught his attention. The patterns, systems, and logic weren’t so different, and that sparked his curiosity enough to make the switch.

He fell in love with it. 

Right after completing his undergrad, Bacon went on to pursue a Master in Security Studies at University College London (UCL), one of the UK’s top universities, ranked #9 in the QS World University Rankings 2026.

The master’s programme was perfect for Bacon. 

It gave him the tools to analyse global security challenges, understand the causes of civil and international conflict, and explore ways to prevent violence. He took a wide range of modules, and it was in one of these classes that he met the professor who would become his PhD advisor.

“She was working on the exact same stuff that I wanted to study — political violence in South Saharan Africa — and that was that,” Bacon says.

Today, Bacon is in his final year of his PhD in Political Science and Government at UCL.

When he isn’t studying, Bacon is an indoor cycling instructor. Source: William Bacon

Nigeria, Kenya, electoral violence, and political correctness

Bacon knows he won’t solve the world’s violence, but he hopes his work can help make a difference.

His focus is understanding how states can reduce inter-ethnic electoral violence.

“If we can figure out how these patterns work now, we can hopefully spot and prevent them in the future,” Bacon says. “Some people think electoral violence isn’t a real issue anymore, but we’ve already seen signs of it, even in countries like the US.”

After Trump’s election loss in 2020, a heavily armed, Trump-incited mob stormed the US Capitol building, leaving four people dead. During the 2024 elections, there was an attempted assassination of Trump, alongside other violent incidents.

Reuters reports that there have been at least 300 cases of political violence since Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, including at least 51 incidents in 2024 alone.

For his research, Bacon uses Nigeria and Kenya as case studies — two countries with which he has no connections, and there’s a good reason why. 

Both countries have a history of electoral violence. In Nigeria, such violence dates back to before independence in 1960 and has claimed over 1,830 lives since. The 2011 election alone left around 800 dead.

Peaceful protestors, bystanders — many innocent lives lost.

In Kenya, in 2017, at least 37 people were killed due to electoral violence. Among the dead was a six-month-old baby girl who was “clobbered” by armed security agents, Al Jazeera reports.

“Elections are high stakes, people’s livelihoods are on the line,” Bacon explains. “You see different behaviours, especially among elites. In Nigeria and Kenya, I’ve noticed that elite behaviour may signal either support for or rejection of violence.”

As a student of this topic, you may not be at the front lines but you are still exposed to secondary trauma. It’s emotionally and ethically challenging.

Bacon has to be careful with his language and tone because he’s writing about communities he’s not part of, and about trauma others have lived through.

“I have to put myself in their shoes and write in a way that’s respectful and sensitive to anyone who might be reading,” he says.

That sensitivity didn’t always come naturally. In his first year, Bacon got harsh feedback during a mock presentation with his cohort.

“I was smiling through it, and everyone said I came off as rude and unprofessional,” he says. “It hurt, but I realised there’s a cultural difference between the US and UK — and also just how I tend to express myself.”

He took the feedback seriously. Over time, he developed the ability to present his work with greater awareness and care.

Other than being politically correct, Bacon believes the resilience, emotional awareness, and empathy are key to being a good political science student. Source: William Bacon

So, what does it take to become a political science PhD student?

Have resilience

PhD life is hard — and political science is no exception.

“You need 100% resilience,” says Bacon. “Are you going to fall apart when things get tough, or will you get back up and keep going?”

He’s had his fair share of setbacks: he failed his first literature review, then his research design. In early 2025, he failed his PhD upgrade — the milestone assessment all candidates must pass halfway through their programme.

“I thought it was the end of the world,” he says. “But then I realised I was still producing original work, still getting results. If you can recognise what’s going well, that helps you push forward.”

According to Bacon, being open-minded helps build resilience: “You’ll have to smile through the stress, ignore the noise, and keep moving.”

Emotional awareness

Political science is about people, and often, about human suffering. Carrying that emotional weight can be a daunting task.

“I don’t get too emotional about what I read — that’s just how my brain works,” Bacon explains. “But for others, reading about atrocities, past or present, can bring them to tears.”

And that’s not a weakness — it’s a strength.

“It shows empathy and connection,” he says. “The fact that your body reacts at all — that’s powerful.”

Empathy in writing

Much of political science involves writing about people and communities you’re not a part of. That’s why it’s important to write with people, not just about them.

“I used to write so robotically,” Bacon admits. “But then I reminded myself that I’m talking about people who have died, people who have lost family. That shifted how I write.”

Now, he tries to write with care, using words like, “It’s very unfortunate, but here’s an explanation and what we can learn from it.”

He sees his research as collaborative.

“I’m not putting Kenya or Nigeria under a microscope,” he says. “I’m working alongside the people involved, trying to understand, not judge.”