This entry defines Michel Foucault's concept of biopolitics. Biopolitics refers to state-governing practices aimed at monitoring, counting, and controlling human populations. It represents an important historical shift away from classical European modes of governance, which focused on territory and sovereign right. The idea of biopolitics has profound historical and philosophical significance, and has been taken up by scholars from many disciplines. The entry explores the concept's roots in Foucault's work and analyzes recent scholarship that has contested prior interpretations of the idea and suggested new ways to employ biopolitics in research.