POLITICS V/S POLITICAL SCIENCE

Political Science: In the beginning Political Science was defined

as a systemic study of the political institution of the state or
government. Dr Leacock says that political science deals with
government whereas Professor G.W.Garner says that political
science begins and ends with the state. Later professor Catlin
defined it as the science of organized power in all communities.
Since the end of 2nd world war (1939-1945) Harold D. Lasswell
declared that political science is mainly concerned with the
question, “who gets what, when and how.” David defines
political science as the study of those actions more or less
directly related to the making of authoritative allocations of
resources and values.
Politics:
Definition: Politics is derived from the word “polls” of ancient
Greek language which means a city-state & all the activities
and affairs of the city-state were called by them as politics.
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) was known as the father of politics.
Every man, woman and child has a need, desire or a want
which makes him or her to do something. When a need or want
is shared by 2 or more persons a relation is established and a
group comes into being. Now the need or want or idea may be
opposed by some other individual or group due to which a
conflict arises and a struggle ensues between the 2 opposing
persons or groups, One of the groups may so exercise his or its
influence or power as to compel the other group to do what he
or it wants and to behave accordingly and not in the manner as
it initially wanted. This is the basis of politics. Thus politics
means a conflict, dispute between the opinions or choices or 2
persons or parties. Choice of the people or nation is the essence
of politics.
Example: In family life a father may tell his son to do what he
want and not what the son wants because the father has
influence over the son. Similarly in a college a dispute between
2 students or groups of students is decided by the principal in
favor of one or the other student or students because he has
the authority to do so. In an office 2 clerk may quarrel over a
chair and their dispute may be decided by another clerk who
has influence over them. Workers in a factory demand higher
wages from their employer who refuses to do so. They may
accept his decision because he has authority over them but if
they threaten to go on strike in support of their demands the
employer may be constrained to accept them due to the
influence of their strike threat. Although these disputes may be
called as, “hostel politics”, “campus politics” etc but they are
not really political because they can be settled by an appeal to
social customs, norms or laws. But they can become political if
and when 1 of the 2 actors in the dispute refuses to accept the
authority of the social norms or laws. Then the government will
be involved in it. Thus e.g. the dispute between the students in
a college or university campus can become political when 1 or
more political parties or personalities become involved in it.
Similarly a workers strike for higher wages etc is only an
industrial dispute but can become political when 1 or more
political parties or personalities, whether from ruling party or
not, become involved in the non-political disputes of the
workers and employers. The reason why political parties or
personalities get involved in the non-political disputes of the
people is that by doing so they wither aim at controlling the
government or at maintaining their control over it. Hence politic
is a struggle or confrontation between 2 or more parties or
persons with a view to control the government so that 1 of
them may impose its or his decision or policy on the other by
means of governmental power and authority.
Is Life Without Politics Possible? No because:
1. Material needs and wants of human’s beings are unlimited
but the means and resources to satisfy them are limited.
Hence there must be a power or authority to decide or
allocate them authoritatively.
2. There are difference of opinions, beliefs and outlook
among the people and one of them has to prevail over the
other which again needs an authoritative decision maker
or government.
3. There are differences of religion, language, culture, color,
sex etc and some people want to impose one of them on
others which leads to a conflict among them and the need
for a government to settle it.
Politics as an “arena”:
 Harold D. Lasswell has defined politics as an “arena” which was
not a place but the process of the struggle which began before
the arena itself called “pre-arena”. The arena produced a result
called “post-arena” which itself is a struggle waged between
new groups or classes who try again and again to get, “what,
when and how.” This arena struggle may be a national
struggle, international struggle. They may be mild or may
become fierce and even bloody. In other words politic is not s
struggle at a particular time, instead it is a continuous and
everlasting struggle which has gone on among people before
and will last so long as there are people to struggle for the good
things of life.
Is Politics Good or Bad? Disraeli a British PM in the 19th century
said that politics is the “art of governing mankind by deceiving
them.” Even if we say it is an order-creating force in the society
it may still create a social order which makes a few people
happy and many or most unhappy, poor and distressed.
However politics is also an integrative force. The goal of
political struggle is to bring about a new social order in the
state. However that does not mean that once it’s brought and a
permanent order is achieved political conflict will finish because
politics is a continuous conflictive-integrative process to
integrate the society more and more.
Politics v/s Political Science:
1. Political science deals with accurate and systemic thinking
whereas skillful use of language is necessary for the
practitioner of politics.
2. Political science remains the same all over the world
whereas politics vary from country to country and age to
age. In some countries and ages they were mainly
concerned with religious quarrels and domination e.g.
British India and now in Bharat or Iran. In others they were
mainly concerned with economic problems of poverty or
progress as it is the case in many of the world today. Also
politics in a kingdom is different from that of a republic
and dictatorship. Even within a country the politics of 1
political party is different from that of the other e.g. PPP is
different from that of PML.
3. Those who deal with Politics are called politicians, political

leader or statesman and is mainly concerned with the day-

to-day affairs of the government of his country. He is a
member of a political party or maybe a free-lance. On the
other hand a political scientist seeks to inquire into the
nature, origin, growth and organization of the state.