What is an Approach?

“Approach is a method of
doing something of dealing
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with a problem.”
 Traditional Approaches

❑Traditional Approaches were mainly

related to the traditional view of
Politics and Government. That is

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why, Traditional Approaches are
limited in nature.
❑These Approaches believe that
studies in Political Science can’t be
Scientific.
 Traditional Approaches

❑Traditional Approaches Focus

on Values, Norms & Ideals.
❑ These Approaches dominated
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to the Political Philosophy till
second W. W.
Traditional Approaches

❑These Approaches primarily focus on….

(1) Philosophy
(2)History
(3)Law s Philosophy
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Traditional
Approaches
History Law s
1. Philosophical Approach – 18th Century

❑It is regarded as the oldest approach

to the study of Political Science.
❑The Emergence of this Approach can
be traced back to the times of the
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Greek Philosophers like Plato &
Aristotle.
❑Key Thinkers – Plato, Aristotle,
Rousseau, Hegel, Kant & Leo Strauss.
❑Era – 18th Century.
 1. Philosophical Approach – 18th Century

❑This approach firmly believes that

the values can’t be separated from
the study Politics.

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❑It is mainly focus on ethical and
normative study of Politics. That is
why it is also known as – Moral,
Normative and Idealistic Approach.
 1. Philosophical Approach – 18th Century

❑Leo Strauss was one of the main

advocate of the Philosophical
Approach.

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❑In his key work – What is Political
Philosophy?(1957). He argued that
– ‘The Philosophy is the quest for
wisdom and Political Philosophy is
the attempt truly to know about
the nature of political things and
the right or good political order.’
 1. Philosophical Approach – 18th Century
❑Credit of resurgence of political
philosophy goes to Leo Strauss.
❑He argued that values are the core

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and inevitable part of Political Theory.
Therefore, It can’t be separated from
Politics.
❑On the other hand, He criticized to the
scientific and empirical approach of
the political science.
 Features of Philosophical Approach

1. Focus on Norms & Values

2. Idealistic in nature
3. Focus of what ought to be?
4. Limited in nature
5. Ethical and Normative
6. Study of State & Govt.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
2. Historical Approach – 17th Century
❑It is based on the development
and evolution in history.
❑It uses knowledge of history and
applies it to the understanding of
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political life.
❑Historical Approach believes that
political phenomenal
could be understand better with
the help of historical
factors like age, place and
situations.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
2. Historical Approach – 17th Century

❑Key thinkers of this Approach are…

Machiavelli, Sabine Dunning, Seely,
Freeman, Montesquieu

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Oakeshott, Lindsey.
❑ In his work ‘A History of Political
Theory’ George H. Sabine focused
on – What ought to be?
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Features of Historical Approach
1. Concerned w ith the history of a State, Nation or Country
2. Emergence in the 17th Century
3. Not concerned w ith norms and informal history
4. Focus
Limited
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oninHistorical
nature Factors – Age, Place & Situations
❑ Point should be noted that this
approach however criticized and
rejected by Charles Merriam &
David Easton.
❑ They considered it as –
HISTORICISM.
❑ The idea of ‘Historicism’ was
propounded by Karl Popper.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Karl Popper (1902-1974)

❑In his two key works – ‘The Open

Societies and its Enemies.’(1945) & The
Poverty of Historicism(1957). In which
he targeted to the HISTORICISM.
❑He also considered Plato, Hegel &
Marx as an enemies of an open
societies.
❑He argued that history and historical
changes are constructed through the
static social norms and traditions.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
Karl Popper (1902-1974)

❑ He also considered Plato as a

‘Thinker of Closed Society.’
❑Popper also gave the notion of
– ‘FALSIFICATION’. In which
he argued that Science can’t
find out truth rather it can
find out that what is False?
And rejection of false is the
way to find out Truth.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS

3. Legal Approach – 19th Century

❑The origin of Legalistic Approach

can be traced back to the 19th
century when the study of Politics
also included topics like Laws and
Legal System.
❑Legal Approach stands for an
attempt to understand politics in
terms of Law and Constitution.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS

3. Legal Approach – 19th Century

❑Legal Approach regards state as the

creator and enforcer of law and deals
with legal institutions, and processes.
❑Key Thinkers are – Cicero, Dicey, jean
Bodin, Thomas Hobbes, Jeremy
Bentham, John Austin & Sir Henry Maine.
❑Dicey considered State as a ‘Legal Man’.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Features of Legal Approach

1. Concerned w ith formal laws of a society

2. Not concerned w ith the norms and values of Society.
3. Rejection of historical study
4. Attention on legal & constitutional framew ork of State
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
4. Institutional Approach– 19th Century

❑In Politics, an institutions of typically

referred to an organ of government
mandated by the Constitution.
❑In Political Science, an Institution is a
formal institution.
❑Institutional Approach came into being
in the 19th century due to the reaction
to the Historical and Legal Approach.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
4. Institutional Approach– 19th Century

❑In Institutional Approach, the formal

institutions of Govt. like legislature,
executive & judiciary provide the subject
matter of comparison in terms of their
powers, functions, role & mutual relations.
❑This Approach mainly deals with formal
aspects of the Govt. & Politics emphasizes
the study of the political institutions and
structure.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
4. Institutional Approach– 19th Century
❑Key thinkers of Institutional Approach
are --- Walter Bagehot, Harold Laski,
Arthur Bentley, James Bryce, Karl
Freidrick, Herman Finer & Mourice
Duverger.
❑Theorists of this approach see institutions
“As the cause of growth and
development.”
❑This approach also argues that
institutions influence competition in
political process.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
4. Institutional Approach– 19th Century
❑The roots of comparative political
analysis are in institutional analysis,
As for back as Aristotle, scholars
interested in understanding
government performance, and
seeking to improve that
performance concentrated on
constitutional structures and the
institutions created by those
constitutions.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Features of Institutional Approach

1. Emerged in the 19th Century

2. Study of formal Institutions of a State
3. Not concerned w ith norms, values and history
4. No space for Individual
5. Limited in nature
6. Analysis the rules of the political system.
7. Stress also in the study of Constitutions.