In recent times, the study of France has been changing. Globalisation, Europeanisation, and interdependence have meant that it is less easy to see developments in contemporary France in a purely national context. External factors have intruded on the French political system. In the academic context the trend towards large-scale collaboration in comparative projects has meant an increasing opportunity for bringing France into the mainstream of academic research. Long considered to be an exceptional case, recent scholarship in political science has tended to emphasize the points of comparison between France and other polities. In short, the context of French politics is changing and the study of French politics is changing.

French Politics is designed to reflect these developments. It is an international, peer-reviewed journal of the highest quality that promotes the study of contemporary and comparative French politics, policy and society.

In addition to the focus on France, the journal has taken the decision to publish papers on the politics of Francophone countries and regions generally. Among others, we welcome submissions on Quebec, Francophone Belgium and Switzerland, and countries in Francophone Africa. We encourage submissions that adopt a comparative perspective as well as stand-along papers on these countries and regions.'

The journal focuses on the role of political institutions, political behaviour, public policy, political economy, international relations, public administration and public law. It particularly encourages and welcomes submissions that seek to incorporate the French and Francophone cases into more broad comparative and cross-national analyses, and that use these cases in theory-testing and theory building.

The journal also seeks contributions from a wide variety of methodological perspectives, including institutional analysis (historical, empirical, sociological), behavioural studies (survey data and timeseries analysis), rational choice (including game theory and rational choice institutionalism), political theory, political sociology and post-modern approaches (cultural theory).