SUMMER 2020
POL 101: SESSION 2 (NHA)
BASICS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
Origin, Definitions, Meaning and Fields
ORIGIN
• The word ‘politics’ is derived from the Greek word ‘polis’, which means a
city-state.
• Aristotle is known as the Father of Political Science. He is famous for his statement
“Man is a political animal”.
• This legendary Greek philosopher said, Man is by nature a social animal; an
individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice
or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual.
• He must satisfy certain natural basic needs in order to survive and has an impulse
toward a partnership with others.
• Only man is a political animal, because only man lives in a polis i.e. in a city or
state.
• Aristotle wrote the book Politics.
• To Aristotle, collective life needs political mechanism of
rules, regulations and leadership. An organized society
needs some system to make and enforce rules for orderly
behaviour in society. This led to the evolution of a political
system & procedures in each society.
• Thus he endorsed man is also a political animal.
• Political science is one of the oldest subjects of study of
this political life of man.
WHAT IS POLITICS?
• Politics is the way that people living in groups, make decisions.
• In everyday life, the term "politics" refers to the way that countries are
governed, and to the ways that governments make rules and laws.
• Politics is the activity by which differing interests within a given unit of rule
are conciliated by giving them a share in power in proportion to their
importance to in the whole community.
• Politics is the set of activities associated with the governance of a country,
state or an area. It involves making decisions that apply to groups of
members.
• Power and politics are opposite faces of the same coin. Exercise of power is
itself a political activity and politics is nothing but study of power. Politics is
study of the state's power, it's possession and distribution.
WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE?
• The study of politics in universities/academic institutions is
called political science or political studies.
• Political science is the study of politics and power from domestic, international,
and comparative perspectives. It entails understanding political ideas, ideologies,
institutions, policies, processes, and behavior, as well as groups, classes,
government, diplomacy, law, strategy, and war.
• It is the academic subject centering on the relations between governments and
other governments, and between governments and people. The study of politics
is both humanistic and scientific, and is centuries old.
WHY POLITICAL SCIENCE IS SCIENCE?
• For Aristotle, politics was the "master science" on which all branches of human
activity depended. Politics is all around us.
• Aristotle called it the “master science” because it influences all aspects of human
life: what we can do, what we can say, where we can live, even what we can eat.
There is no escaping politics, but we can discover more effective ways to use it by
studying Political Science.
• Politics is no less central to an understanding of our own society.
• It teaches skills in courses that convey extensive information about political ideas
and behavior.
• Political science is a social science which deals with systems of governance, and the
analysis of political activities, political thoughts, and political behavior.
It is science because
Science is defined as “a systematically organized body
of knowledge on a particular subject” and political
Science is systematically organized.
Political scientists provide the frameworks from which journalists, special interest groups, politicians, and the
electorate analyze issues.
This discipline deals with various aspects like:
a. Study of state and government
b. Study of associations and institutions
c. Study of national and international problems
d. Study of political behavior of man
e. Study of the past, present and future of development
f. Study of the concepts of power, authority & influence
• It is a science because a political scientist thinks critically and
a political scientist tests and improves explanations, ideas,
theories and rules over and over again - including the rules for
conducting good research.
• Like other social sciences, political science uses a “scientific”
approach and their study has objective, rational, and systematic
manner.
• Some political scientists focus on abstract and theoretical
questions, while others study particular government policies and
their effects.
POLITICIAN
• A politician is a person active in party politics,
or a person holding or seeking office in
government.
• Politicians propose, support and create laws or
policies that govern the land and its people.
Politicians Political Scientists
love power are skeptical of power
seek popularity seek accuracy
think practically think abstractly
hold firm view reach tentative conclusions
offer single causes offer many causes
see short-term payoff see long-term consequences
plan for next election plan for next publication
respond to groups seek the good of the whole
seek name recognition see professional prestige
Subfields of Political Science
Political theory
Public policy
National politics
International relations
Human rights
Environment politics
Comparative politics.
Subfields Contd..
■ Government and Politics focuses on institutions and processes at central,
state and national levels. It includes parties, elections, public opinion, and
executive and legislative behavior.
■ Comparative Politics examines politics within other nations, trying to
establish generalizations about institutions and political culture and theories
of democracy, stability, and policy. It may focus on various regions, as in
“South Asian politics” or “Latin American politics.”
■ International Relations studies politics among nations, including conflict,
diplomacy, international law and organizations, and international political
economy.
Subfields Contd..
■ Political Theory, both classic and modern, attempts to define the
good polity often focused on major thinkers.
■ Public Administration studies how bureaucracies work and how
they can be improved.
■ Constitutional Law studies the applications and evolution of the
Constitution within the legal system.
■ Public Policy studies the interface of politics and economics with an
eye to developing effective programs.
Required Reading
■ Roskin, M. G., Cord, R. L., Medeiros, J. A., & Jones, W. S. (2014). Political Science: An
Introduction (14th Edition). Pearson. (Chapter 1, Page: 3-15)
