University of San Jose - Recoletos

Department of Social Sciences & Philosophy

Political Science Degree-Program
PS Major 3: Political Analysis and Research

PRELIMINARY PERIOD EXAMINATION

Name: ___Gabatan, Heavenly T._______________ Year level: ______2nd Year______________

Instructions: Choose one of the questions below, to answer. Word limit is set at 800-100 words.
APA-style citation and reference. You may quote from the source materials or use other sources
provided you cite properly. Submit your output on or before 2400 hours of September 24,
2020.
______

The concept of ‘Discipline’ was explored by Moran (2006). What is a ‘Discipline’ and why
Political Science is considered as such? How does Political Science as a discipline stays
relevant?

Politics exists everywhere. It keeps a great impact in our practical lives. It is all-pervading
and as old as human beings. Politics prevails in every sphere of human life. In fact, it deals with
almost all the necessary things which are related to our day to day life. It’s been with us
throughout the years but only few are interested and wants to engage in the field of politics.
Some of them think that to be involved in politics is just a waste of time since it’s dirty,
unbelievable and unconvincing. In order to support that politics plays a vital role in our society,
different scholars searched and studied what is politics or political science is all about.

Political science is the field of the social science concerning the theory and practice of
politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. According to
Moran (2006), “The notion of the discipline is virtually as old as the practice of scholarship
itself: the conception of worlds of knowledge systematically organized into discrete hierarchies
can be found in the Aristotle of the Metaphysics and the Politics.” Being one of the oldest social
sciences, its nature and scope of the study have undergone several changes over the centuries.
The word politics has its origins in Ancient Greece. It comes from the 3 Greek words: (1) Polis –
city state (2) Polity – Government and (3) Politeia – Constitution. R. G. Gettel defined politics as
“The study of the state in the past, present and future, of political organization and political
function, of political institutions and political theories.” This is about a man’s conception of the
state and of government from the very beginning until to the present day. Combining the
essentials of political science by showing the interrelations among the various divisions of the
subject by outlining and suggesting the origin, development, organization, and activities of the
state.

On the 30th day of December 1903, American political science existed as an organized
discipline when American Political Science Association (APSA) founded by John Burgess, Frank
Goodnow, Westel W. Willoughby and others. The appearance of APSA legitimated professional
commitment to political science as a coherent area of study and gave political scientists a sense
of common purpose. Political knowledge was increasingly incorporated as political scientists’
peculiar domain as discipline was established. The study of politics started to become a
professional pursuit, sanctioned by a professional association. Political science is a classical
discipline that deals with the study of political phenomena. Definitely, it is considered as a
discipline. Being a discipline itself, gives political science a status.

What is a discipline? An academic discipline is a branch of knowledge that is taught and

researched as a part of higher education. The academic discipline of political science concerned
with the empirical study of government and politics. It deals extensively with the theory and
practice of politics which is commonly thought of as the determining of the distribution of
power and resources. Discipline, academic or otherwise, is thus a classic instance of a useful
self-binding mechanism. It is interpreted at the slightest in expansive portion as strict
taskmasters. But the same received disciplinary traditions and practices which it effectively
shapes and compel us and the same time powerfully empowering. The system given by the
structure of a discipline's traditions both centers research and facilitates collaboration,
inadvertent as well as purposefulness. A shared disciplinary system makes it conceivable for
mere journeymen to stand, profitably, on the shoulders of giants. It also makes it conceivable
for giants to build, productively, on the commitments of armies of more commonly talented
practitioners. Political science draws upon the fields of economics, law, sociology, history,
anthropology, public administration, public policy, national politics, international relations,
comparative politics, psychology, political organization and political theory. As a discipline,
political science’s fundamental purpose is to understand social behaviors and processes. It must
develop a systematic and scientific view of the political world.

Farr et al. (1993) further explained, “Political scientists believed that a scientific,
disciplinary, and professional identity (that is, acceptance as "legitimate" producers of
knowledge) depended on a common and useful methodology to separate trained "political
scientists" from methodologically untrained amateurs. Scientific method would allow political
scientists to arrive at objective, value-free truth (or truths) about a certain aspect of (usually)
American politics in order to aid a modernizing polity in a purely technical way. There could be
no normative goals in a value-free science. Political scientists, in other words, should not seek
to express what ought to be done. Instead, their goal must be simply to explain the political
world.” In relation to other social sciences, political science uses a “scientific” approach,
meaning that political scientists approach their study in an objective, rational, and systematic
manner. Political science is methodologically diverse. Some political scientists focus on abstract
and theoretical questions, while others study particular government policies and their effects.
Approaches to the discipline include classical political philosophy, interpretivism, structuralism
and behavioralism, realism, pluralism and institutionalism. It also uses techniques that relate to
the kinds of inquiries sought: (1) primary sources – historical documents and official records
and (2) secondary sources - scholarly journals, survey research, statistical analysis and case
studies. It is one of the disciplines that needs research, observation and understanding. The
study must be authentic and reliable for the individual to be able to comprehend on what is the
study all about and what’s its application to the real world. Studying politics is seeking more of
it and discover the unknown things.
 How does Political Science as a discipline stays relevant? The relevance of political
science as a discipline stresses the importance of ‘real world problems’ through conducting a
research or a study. Political science still continues to exist and there is a room for growth that
would be a subject of interest. Not all of us want to engage in politics, but you will gain a better
understanding of the relevance of Political Science as a discipline once you’ll look for its deeper
meaning. It has a big impact to the society. Political scientists’ study and explain the different
government processes and protocols to be followed so that the individuals can be informed
about the policies that are mandated by the government. They used critical thinking and
evidence to understand and evaluate rival theories and interpretations. Political scientists must
arrive at a well-organized argument supported by evidence to further demonstrate the practical
application of political science. It brings influence in the way that it affects our lives because
there is a conduct of rules and regulations made by our policymakers. Activities are set that are
associated with decision makings in groups. It will introduce the individuals to political
concepts, political behavior, policy issues and structure of government within societies. There is
a reflection between the study and its practical implications. It exists because it has a purpose.
Political science is one of the ingredients that nourished a country’s condition towards to its
progress.

References:

Moran, M. (2006). Interdisciplinarity and Political Science. Politics, 26 (2), 73-83.

References
Moran, M. (2006). Interdisciplinarity and Political Science . Politics, 26(2), 73-83.
Political Science - Definition, Nature and Scope of Political Science. (2015, December 7).
Retrieved from Learn 2 Conquer: https://learn2conquer.blogspot.com/2015/12/political-
science-definitionnature-and_65.html