POL 101: SESSION 2: 25 JANUARY 2020

BASICS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Origin, Definitions, Meaning and Fields

 ORIGIN
• The word ‘politics’ is derived from the Greek
word ‘polis’, which means a city-state.

• Aristotle is known as the Father of Political

Science. He is famous for his statement “Man is
a political animal”.

• Aristotle wrote the book Politics.

• To Aristotle, collective life needs political mechanism
of rules, regulations and leadership. An organized
society needs some system to make and enforce rules
for orderly behaviour in society. This led to the
evolution of a political system & procedures in each
society.

• Thus he endorsed man is also a political animal.

• Political science is one of the oldest subjects of study

of this political life of man.
 WHAT IS POLITICS?
• Politics is the way that people living in groups, make decisions.
• In everyday life, the term "politics" refers to the way that
countries are governed, and to the ways that governments
make rules and laws.
• Politics is the activity by which differing interests within a given
unit of rule are conciliated by giving them a share in power in
proportion to their importance to in the whole community.
• Politics is the processes by which human efforts towards attaining
social goals are steered and coordinated.
• Politics is the set of activities associated with the governance of
a country, state or an area. It involves making decisions that
apply to groups of members.
 WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE?
• The study of politics in universities/academic institutions is
called political science or political studies.

• It is the academic subject centering on the relations

between governments and other governments, and
between governments and people.

• The study of politics is both humanistic and scientific, and

is centuries old.

• Aristotle called Political Science as the "queen of the

sciences".
 WHY POLITICAL SCIENCE IS SCIENCE?
• For Aristotle, politics was the "master science" on
which all branches of human activity depended.
• Politics is no less central to an understanding of our
own society.
• It teaches skills in courses that convey extensive
information about political ideas and behavior.
• Political science is a social science which deals with
systems of governance, and the analysis
of political activities, political thoughts,
and political behavior.
 It is science because
Science is defined as “a systematically organized body
of knowledge on a particular subject” and political
Science is systematically organized.
Political scientists provide the frameworks from which journalists, special interest groups,
politicians, and the electorate analyze issues.
This discipline deals with various aspects like:
a. Study of state and government

b. Study of associations and institutions

c. Study of national and international problems
d. Study of political behavior of man
e. Study of the past, present and future of development
f. Study of the concepts of power, authority & influence
 HISTORY HUMAN
chief sources of data for
GEOGRAPHY
political scientists
who gets what? borders; regions; ethnic
areas; centralization
SOCIOLOGY of power
political culture;
public opinion;
electoral studies ECONOMICS
ANTHROPOLOGY POLITICS economic development

descriptive and
interviewing
THE MASTER SCIENCE PSYCHOLOGY
techniques social psychology
 POLITICIAN
• A politician is a person active in
party politics, or a person holding or
seeking office in government.

• Politicians propose, support and create

laws or policies that govern the land
and its people.
Politicians Political Scientists
love power are skeptical of power
seek popularity seek accuracy
think practically think abstractly
hold firm view reach tentative conclusions
offer single causes offer many causes
see short-term payoff see long-term consequences
plan for next election plan for next publication
respond to groups seek the good of the whole
seek name recognition see professional prestige
 Subfields of Political Science

Political theory
Public policy
National politics
International relations
Human rights
Environment politics
Comparative politics.
 Subfields Contd..
 Government and Politics focuses on institutions and processes at
central, state and national levels. It includes parties, elections, public
opinion, ands executive and legislative behavior.
 Comparative Politics examines politics within other nations,
trying to establish generalizations about institutions and political
culture and theories of democracy, stability, and policy. It may focus
on various regions, as in “South Asian politics” or Latin American
politics.”
 International Relations studies politics among nations, including
conflict, diplomacy, international law and organizations, and
international political economy.
 Subfields Contd..
 Political Theory, both classic and modern, attempts to define the good
polity often focused on major thinkers.

 Public Administration studies how bureaucracies work and how they

can be improved.

 Constitutional Law studies the applications and evolution of the

Constitution within the legal system.

 Public Policy studies the interface of politics and economics with an eye
to developing effective programs.
Required Reading

 Roskin, M. G., Cord, R. L., Medeiros, J. A., & Jones, W. S. (2014). Political Science: An
Introduction (14th Edition). Pearson. (Chapter 1, Page: 3-15)