POS 20 QTR 1 Reviewer

Lecture Series
POS 20: Introduction to Politics 1st Quarter Finals Reviewer
A. What Politics Is ■ People - plurality

■ Resources - scarce
The Political Approach to Human Behaviour: ○ More critical
III. Arena Approach
People, Resources, and Power by Leftwich
○ As an art of government
I. Two main Arguments
■ Polity: system of organization-
○ Politics covers everyone centered upon machinery of
■ Public: states, governments government
■ Private: companies, families ■ Public Policy: involves interests
○ Politics has both cooperation and of government
conflict. Whether public or private, it ■ Civil society: involves private
influences activities by social groups character, public concerns
and institutions. ○ Conventional yet limiting use of
II. Politics as a Process analysis: alienates politics
○ Resources: may be tangible or ○ More scientific
intangible, as long as used in decision IV. Power
making for proper distribution and ○ Power is direct, diffused, and dynamic
usage ○ Power is natural for state to regulate
○ Looks at formal & informal behavior
○ Cooperation, negotiation and conflict ○ Ability to make things happen that
within/between societies are present
would not have happened otherwise
anywhere that have the use,
○ Types of Power
production, and distribution of
■ Compulsory
resources
a) Direct & specific actors
○ Among people/societies, roles may
b) Ex. Government & Power
overlap
of Taxation
○ People, process, mediated by power
Atrigenio | Magno | Tolosa | Sandoval | Rodolfo
*This reviewer is only a general guide of lessons taken up on all POS20 classes.
Kakayanin, Assembly! | Assembly 2020-2021
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Lecture Series
○ Pluralist: many different groups who

compete for power
■ Institutional
a) Diffuse & specific actors B. “Political” and “Science” in Political Science
b) Government organs &
agencies Scientification of the study of politics:
c) Force
Behavioral evolution by Bond
■ Structural
a) Direct and social relations
b) Class relationship I. Key elements of Scientific Method
c) Ex. Elections, Market, War ○ Fact vs value (opinion)
■ Productive ■ Gathering facts involves judging
a) Diffuse & social relations their value
○ Diffused power doesn’t necessarily ○ Reliability and replication
imply that it’s easier to deviate from it ■ Importance of replication:
V. Abusive Power Failing to recreate the same
○ Look at constitution, laws, practicers of results debunks the meaning of
past our observations. Measures
○ Power converge must be valid.
■ 1 Dimensional: numbers game ○ Quantification for testing hypotheses
■ 2 Dimensional: Power to set demanding big numbers
agenda ■ Like any theory, it can’t be
■ 3 Dimensional: takes time, scientific if it can’t be proven
shapes preferences for people wrong
VI. Elitism vs. Pluralist II. Relevance
○ Elitism: certain group of people/ class ○ Scientification is rather a trend instead
that is able to dominate of being a behavioral revolution due to
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Lecture Series
a lag in development that they are positivists, as witnessed

■ Political science is still a science, in the rise of the scientific method in
but not the natural & material the “behavioral revolution”
(the “hard” conventional ○ Pragmatism: Positivism is a
stereotype) due to challenges of misinterpretation of the real science
observation and measurement ■ Scientists are inclined in one
○ Most people still see political science belief, which affects the way
through economic theories they interpret things. In the case
of positivism, investigation isn’t
open
Ontology and epistemology of Political Science ○ Social sciences vs natural sciences are
by Marsh and Furlong incompatible
III. Response to Criticisms
○ Theory and observation are related.
I. Ontology vs epistemology
Normative statements can’t be
○ Ontology: being
separated from the positive ones.
■ Foundationalism vs. Anti-
■ Shift to post-positivism
foundationalism
IV. Interpretivism & Realism
○ Epistemology: knowledge
○ Interpretivism
■ Hermeneutics vs. Positivism
■ Anti-foundationalist
○ Science is empirical
■ Objective analysis is impossible
■ Ontology: foundationalist
→ no objective truth
■ More direct, investigative
■ Criticisms
○ Hermeneutics interprets
● Subjective measures like
■ Ontology: anti-foundationalist
qualitative methods are
II. Criticisms
needed
○ works of many social scientists imply
● Positivism: Opinions
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Lecture Series
instead of theories are ■ Response to criticisms

offered. No concrete basis ● Realism mostly
to determine validity entertained interpretivism
■ Response to Criticism criticisms
● Counterargument from V. Globalization
Bevir & Rhodes: A basis ○ Takes on globalization
can still be created ■ Economic globalization has
● Creation of a new spread too fast; restraining the
perspective on nation-state’s independence
interpretivism from financial markets and
○ Realism TNCs.
■ Positivism influences: ■ Cultural globalization has
Foundationalist ontology and prompted US-biased
cause-effect statements of social homogeneity
activity ○ Political take on globalization
■ Interpretivism/Relativism ■ Concern with economic
influences: Not all social activity globalization done through
is tangible foundationalism and positivism
■ Criticisms: vs anti-foundationalism and
● Positivism: All social interpetivism
activity is observable; VI. Multilevel governance
assuming unobservable ○ Often contrasted with liberal
ones can’t be tested intergovernmentalism (IL)
empirically ■ MLG (institutionalism) has no
● Interpretivism: Such social hierarchy and central gov’t; IL is
structure isn’t based on national interests
independent from activity ■ MLG employs realism
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Lecture Series
■ IL employs positivism Political scientists tackle the political

○ Constructivism questions indirectly.
■ Complexity of decision-making ■ The “political” has not sparked
is rather a social construct of interest, but rather the “science”
decision-makers (agents) defining the social sciences;
exposed to various constraints however, due to such
■ MLG is normative narrowness, the qualitative side
is lost
■ Reinforces the ontology-
What’s Political about Political Science by Hay epistemology connection
○ However, that does not mean causality
I. Political vs science nor restricting political scientific as, by
the bottomline, political whether
○ Ontology
basing on a scientific (naturalism)
○ Epistemology method or no
○ Methodology
■ Research design and analysis C. Theories of the state
II. Relation between ontology and
epistemology I. Elements of the state
○ Lack of ontological & epistemological ○ People
questions creates the misconception ○ Territory
about political science → failure to ○ Government
immediately answer those questions ○ Sovereignty (most crucial; includes
since no knowledge external & internal)
III. Specifying & respecifying the political II. Evolution of Premodern state
○ ‘Political’ has a complex nature. ○ Tribal/kin-based → stratified forms of
organization
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Lecture Series
■ Issue orders
■ Exercise army, bureaucracy and V. Features of Modern state
legal authority ○ Rule of law
○ Tribal affinity → associational ○ Ability to exert complaints
citizenship ○ Exact accountability
III. Features of premodern states ○ Promote peace and order
○ Forms of kingship ○ Challenges
○ Territory not defined due to warfare ■ National territorial
○ Secular and religious authority fragmentation (e.g. Bangsamoro
IV. Transition to modern statehood + secessionist movements)
○ Territorial rule was more defined ■ Political apathy
○ Normalized state functions & legal ■ Supranational forms of
codes, became nation-states governance
■ Nation: psychocultural concept ■ Globalisation
■ State: political and legal concept
○ State building aimed to better C. Methods and frameworks to study Politics
capacity to rule
○ Theoretical explanations of modern
state “A Developmental Approach to Political
■ Military accounts Systems” by Almond
■ Economic explanations (i.e.
capitalism(
I. System and function
■ Institutionalist views
○ The use of the concept “system”
● State becomes tool and
medium for cooperation indicates penetration into political
■ Temporal and historical theory of the anthropological and
sociological theory of functionalism
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Lecture Series
○ The significance of political parties can ○ The system model is useful for the
be seen when they interact with other study of politics
institutions to make and enforce ■ Function
public policies ● realism
○ Three conditions of functional-system ■ Functionality vs dysfunctionality
theory (Parsons & Levy): ● factors making for social
■ Functional requisites stability and change
● A system has to behave in ■ Interdependence
certain ways ● systematically examine a
■ Interdependence structure’s performance
● The system as a whole is II. Critique of functionalism
affected by changes in ○ Hempel: Scientific status of
one component of the functionalism
system ○ Gouldner
■ Equilibrium ■ “System” and “function” are
● There is a limited period of terms from biology and
time in which a system mechanics
can preserve itself. A ● Social systems have more
regulatory mechanism autonomy
operates to restore ■ Systems theory tends to be
equilibrium once static
something goes wrong ● Structures are either
functional or dysfunctional

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Lecture Series
■ Components in a social system ○ The political system is linked with the

are not always equal to each use of legitimate physical coercion
other ■ Inputs: legitimize coercion
■ Not enough stress is given to the ● David Easton’s 2 kinds
special character of interaction (1) Demand
of social systems with their (2) Support
environments ■ Outputs
○ Boundaries
V. Conversion functions
III. Three types of functions ○ Adaptation/adjustment conversion
○ Capability process
■ How political system’s behavior ■ Demands (inputs) from other
affects other systems systems become decisions
○ Conversion (outputs)
■ Demands (inputs) into decision ■ This happens because of
(outputs) feedback
○ System VI. Capabilities of political systems
■ Maintenance and adaption of ○ Capabilities mean the capacity of the
system (socialization and political system to get the inputs and
recruitment) to act on them
○ Increasing capability becomes a
IV. Inputs and outputs concern
○ Five Capabilities

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Lecture Series
■ Extractive ● The amount of effective

● getting material and symbol flows from the
human resources from the political system into
domestic and society and international
international environment domain
● How resources flow into ● Flag displays, military
the political system ceremonies, official visits
● Used during times of
crises and war
■ Responsive
■ Regulative ● The link between inputs
● how the political system and outputs
controls the behavior of VII. Support aspects of capability
people and groups
● Distinguishing ability of
political systems VIII. Dysfunctional inputs
■ Distributive ○ These variables may be analyzed:
● how goods, benefits, ■ Quantitatively
services, etc. are given to ● Increases either
the members of society by continuously or suddenly
the political system ■ In their content
■ Symbolic ● Being more accepting of
changes

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Lecture Series
■ In their intensity
■ In their source ll. "Good theory"
● Domestic vs international ● How would we know if this theory is
incorrect?
■ In the number of kinds of
○ A good theory must be consistent and
dysfunctional inputs affecting
must be empirically testable
the political system at a given ○ falsifiability is key factor for
point in time Behavioralist
○ These can give way to developmental lll. Criticisms
change ● Tendency to emphasise on what can be
measured rather than what might be
Behavioral Analysis by Sanders theoretically important
● Concentrate on what is already known
l. 2 Main terms rather than deeper and subtle structural
● Terms that Behaviouralists would forces
acknowledge ● Tendency towards what can be described as
○ Empirical Theory 'statistical correctness'.
■ Interconnected abstract lV. Strengths + Contributions of Behavioral
statements consisting of analysis
assumptions, definitions and ● Behavioural research can make a
empirically tested hypotheses considerable theoretical and empirical
■ To describe and explain set of contribution to the understanding of social
phenomena behavior.
○ Explanation ● Capable of Replication leading to having a
■ For a particular event(s) with clear specification of;
conditions required ○ What is that they are trying to explain
○ The precise theoretical explanation
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Lecture Series
that is being advanced assumes moreover that the consequences

○ the way they are using the empirical of acts can
evidence in order to evaluate that ● the actor applies a decision or choice
theoretical explanation procedure to the alternatives to determine
which maximizes net gain;
Rational Choice Theory by Burns and ● in summary, rational choice action is caused
Roszkowska (motivated) by the (self-)interest of the
individual oriented to the consequences as
l. Roots/ Definition she perceives or defines them. The actor
● Formulated in universalistic terms judges/distinguishes the costs and benefits
● abstracted to a large extent From Historical of alternative actions (their consequences
and Sociocultural context. or outcomes), with concern solely about the
● Each actor pursues his or her personal consequences for herself
values and self-interest lll. Criticisms and Limitations
○ emphasises the human nature and ● asocial individual ( does not care about the
the capability of of actors to make society of society doesn't exist at all)
decisions and act that would benefit ○ The fact that social norms networks
the actors the most socialization process etc influence
ll. 4 Components of Rational choice theory individuals act and interact
● an actor or collective agent in a decision ○ norms such as altruism, justice
situation identifies or specifies alternative ● Unrealistic cognitive and psychological
actions or sequences of actions, assumptions
● she determines the consequences resulting ○ Failure to gain knowledge the society
from each of the alternatives, and experiences
● the actor has preferences among the ● Lack in innovative and creative capabilities
options, with what is assumed to be a ○ There are other factors that affect the
consistent preference ordering; this decision making of actors.
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Lecture Series
● lack of moral dimension

12

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Lecture Series

POS 20: Introduction to Politics 1st Quarter Finals Reviewer

A. What Politics Is ■ People - plurality

○ Pluralist: many different groups who

a lag in development that they are positivists, as witnessed

instead of theories are ■ Response to criticisms

■ IL employs positivism Political scientists tackle the political

Atrigenio | Magno | Tolosa | Sandoval | Rodolfo

■ Components in a social system ○ The political system is linked with the

Atrigenio | Magno | Tolosa | Sandoval | Rodolfo

■ Extractive ● The amount of effective

Atrigenio | Magno | Tolosa | Sandoval | Rodolfo

that is being advanced assumes moreover that the consequences

● lack of moral dimension

Atrigenio | Magno | Tolosa | Sandoval | Rodolfo

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