What is Behaviouralism?

“ In Political Science, Behaviouralsim

is a movement that negate to the
institutionalism and values and it

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focused on the study of scientific
method and human behavior in

”
political science.

In Political science, Behaviouralism started by

Charles Merriam in the 1930’s in the United
States but popularized by David Easton in the
1950’s.
What is Behaviouralism?

Behaviourlism

Behaviouralism Its foundations laid by

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developed as a
Criticism of
Traditionalism
Charles Merriam in
1925 but popularized
by David Easton in 1953
 Key figure’s in Behaviouralism

G. Wallace
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A. Bentley C. Merriam V O Key Jr. G. Catlin

H. Laswell D. Truman R. Dahl D. Easton G. Almond

 Behavioral Approach
➢ In his key essay ‘The current meaning of behaviourlism’
(1967) David Easton mentioned ‘8 intellectual foundations
stones’ of behaviourlism......
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1. Regularities 5. Value Free Study

2. Verification 6. Systemization

3. Techniques 7. Pure Science

4. Quantification 8. Integration
 What is Post Behavioralism?
❑ In Political Science, Post -
Behavioralism was a reactionary
movement against Behavioralism in
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the late 1960’s led by David Easton.
❑ But, it is noteworthy that it was
not complete rejection of
Behavioralism. As Easton argued ….
“ It is actual Revolution not counter
revolution.”
What is Post Behavioralism?
❑ In Political Science, Post -
Behavioralism was a reactionary
or intellectual movement against

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Behavioralism in the late 1960’s
led by David Easton.
❑ But, it is noteworthy that it was

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not complete rejection of
Behavioralism. As Easton argued..
“ It is actual Revolution not
counter revolution.”
Why Post Behavioralism started?
1. irrelevance of Political Science

2. Over focus on Science

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3. Negation of Values

4. Over stress on Research & tools

5. Behavioralism was status quo

6. Role of Easton
❑ Post Behavioralism was
propounded by David Easton
in his presidential address to
the American Political Science
Association in 1969. In this

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address Easton gave to
slogans----

1. Relevance 2. Action
❑ In 1969, Easton wrote an essay – ‘The new
Revolution in Political Science.’(Published in – The
American Political Science Review).
❑ In which gave he the notion of ‘Credo of Relevance’.
It has 7 tenets….

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1. Substance over techniques
2. Change orientation
3. Relevant Research
4. Value Laden Research
5. Focus on Critical Intellectual
6. Action Oriented Research
7. Politicization of profession
❑ Key features of Post – Behavioralism are….
1. Reforms in Behavioralism
2. Reestablishment of values & Empiricism
3. Focus on Institutions
4. Focus on Action and Relevance
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5. Study of all Facts & reality of politics
6. Social Problems & Values Oriented Study
7. Emphasis on changes
8. Focus on What should be?
9. Political Science as an Action Science ?
10. Involvement of Intellectuals in Politics
 What is Political Culture?

❑ Beliefs, norms, values, attitudes

and orientation of people towards
politics and political system can be

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define as a political Culture.
❑ In a nutshell we can say – How much
people are aware about Political
System, Government, Interests &
Power, Identities and institutions.

Political + Culture = Political Culture

 Political Culture – Almond and Verba

o In Comparative Politics, the term

Political Culture is used by
Almond and Verba.
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o 1956 Gabriel Almond used the
term Political Culture in his essay
– Comparative Political System.
o That is why Almond known as
father of Political Culture.
 Political Culture - Almond and Verba

o In their key work – The Civic Culture:

Political Attitudes and Democracy in five
Nations(1963), they did study of political
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culture of five nations namely – UK, US,
Germany, Italy and Mexico.
o In these countries they did evaluation
of stability and instability of democracy
and Political Culture as well.
 Political Culture – Almond & Verba

Political In- Out- System as

Self
Culture puts puts a Whole

Orientation
Cognitive Parochial No No No No
Orientation
Effective Subjective No Yes No Yes
Orientation
Evaluative Participant Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Political Sociological Approach
o Emerged in the early 1930’s but fully
developed after the second W. W.
o Focus on interdisciplinary study of both
Politics & Sociology.
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o In a nutshell, we can say that- ‘Political
Sociology is the study of power and the
relationship between societies, states and
Political conflict’.
o In Political Sociology, we do study that how
Society effected from Politics? And how
Society effect to the Politics?
o Under this Approach we can include
several subjects……
1. Political Consensus
2. Political Parties and Pressure Groups
3. Social Structure
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4. Political power
5. Political Ideologies
6. Political Behavior
7. Political Socialization
8. Political Participation.
o Aristotle laid the foundation of Political
Sociology in his key oeuvre – THE POLITICS.
o THE POLITICS is known as the first work of
Political Sociology.
o Point should be noted that – Max Weber

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known as the Father of – Political Sociology.
o In Indian context, Rudolph and Rudolph
used this Approach to the study of Political
Process in India.
o Elisabeth S. Clemens wrote – ‘What is
Political Sociology’(2016)?
o Key contributors of Political Sociological
Approach are…..
1.Aristotle 8.Max Weber
2.Montesquieu 9.V. Pareto
3.Charles Merriam 10.G. Mosca
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4.Adam Ferguson
5.Harold Lasswell
11.Gramhm Wallace
12.Arthur Bentley
6.Karl Marx 13.Lipset
7.Alex de Tocqueville 14.Karl Mannheim
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
System Approach
❑ System Analysis firstly used by the
Australian Canadian biologist Ludwig
Vonin Bertalonffsy in Biology.
❑ Talcott Parsons also used this method in
Sociology.
❑ But, David Easton was the first and
prominent American Political thinker
who developed the System Approach to
the study of Politics.
❑ Easton’s System Approach is associated
with the study of developed countries.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS
System Approach
❑ He did study of political behavior in China.
❑ According to David Easton, ‘System
Approach is also the system like other
approaches’.
❑ He is forefront of both Behaviouralist &
Post Behaviouralist Revolutions in the
Political Science during the 1950’s and
1970’s.
❑ In his key work – The Political
System(1953), He developed System
Approach.
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS

System Approach
❑ Easton argued that any particular
system has to be some sub-systems
and these are interdependent and
these also have boundaries. i.e.
Political system, Economic System
are also part of Social system.
❑ He argued that – “Political System
is a process to change inputs into
outputs”
 APPROACHES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS

“Political System is that system of

interaction in any society through
which binding and Authoritative
allocation of values are made and
implemented.”

…….. Easton
Environment Easton’s System Approach Environment

The Political System

INPUTS Gatekeepers OUTPUTS

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Demands

Supports
Government
BLACK BOX
Decisions

Policies
People

Feedback

Environment Environment