North South University

Undergraduate Programme
POL 101: Introduction to Political Science

Course Teacher
Saifuddin Ahmed (SuA2)
Associate Professor
Department of Peace and Conflict Studies
Dhaka University
E-mail:[email protected]

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Origin and Approaches of Political Science

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Meaning and Definition of Politics & Political Science

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 Meaning and Definition of Political Science
“Politics is the master science” – Aristotle

Everything happens in a political context

The decisions of the polis governed most of other things

Politics is the decision regarding “ who gets what and how”

Politics is intimately connected to economics

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 Meaning and Definition of Political Science

Political Science is the systematic study of politics

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 Meaning and Definition of Political Science

Political Science is that part of Social Science which analyses the foundation
of the state and the principles of government” – Paul Janet

“Political science deals with political activities of men, society and their
different social roles” – G. Catlin

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 Meaning and Definition of Political Science

Political Science is the Science of State

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Classic Origin and
Approaches to studying Political Science
Political Thoughts

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What is Political Thoughts

Political thought, or political philosophy, studies questions

about power, justice, rights, law, and other issues related to
governance. While some believe these concepts are
static, political thought asks how they originated and to
what effect.
 Classic Origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Ancient Origin Medieval Thought Modern Thought

(300 A.D. to 1450 AD) (1450 AD onward)

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 Classic Origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Modern Thought
(1450 AD onward)
Medieval Thought (Niccolo Machiavelli)

(300 A.D. to 1450 AD) Realist

Ancient Origin Contractualists
(Augustine) Marxist
Behaviouralism –
Plato Idealist/ Normative Institutionalism/Neo
Aristotle Approach Institutionalism
System Model
Modernization
Rational Choice
Game Theory

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 Classic Origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Ancient Origin

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 Classic Origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Plato
Aristotle

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 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

PLATO ‘s work is Republic

An ideal Polis is described in Republic

Polis,(plural poleis) literally means city in Greek. It can also mean a body of citizens.
In modern historiography, polis is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city
states, like Classical Athens .

The reasoning of this description was speculative (Deductive,

theory testing)
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

ARISTOTLE‘s work is Politics (4th century B.C)

Polis is also described in Politics

The reasoning of this description was based on empirical data

Politics is both descriptive and normative (prescriptive,

inductive, theory building approach, bottom up)
This method of studying political science is used by the scholars
Man is mortal

Data
 Classic origin and Approaches to Political Science

That’s why
Aristotle is considered as FATHER/FOUNDER of
Political Science
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Medieval Thought (300 A.D. to 1450 A.D.)

Political System in Middle Age

Feudalism was the leading way of political and economic

life in the Medieval era.
Monarchs, like kings and queens, maintained control and
power by the support of other powerful people called lords.
Lords were always men who owned extravagant homes,
called manors, and estates in the country.
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Idealist / Normative Approach

 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Idealist/ Normative Approach

Religious approach to the study of government and politics

Seeking to discover “what ought to do” and /or “what should do”

Effort was given to find out which system of government would

bring humankind closest to God’s wishes

(Augustine (354–430), The City of God)

 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Saint Augustine’s book (354–430) The City of God commences

academic discussion about this approach.

The main focuses of idealist/normative approach began in

Medieval Period was as follows:
✓ Religious approach to the study of government and politics
✓ Seeking to discover “what ought to do” and /or “what should do”
✓ Effort was given to find out which system of government would
bring humankind closest to God’s wishes
✓ Disobeying this norms was treated as sin and treason
✓ A nexus between Churches and King
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Modern Thought (1450 – onward)

 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Four Elements of Modern Political Thought:

1. Secularism
2. Rationality
3. State Sovereignty
4. Nationalism
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

The Approaches of Modern Political Thought:

Realist
Contractualists
Marxist
Behaviouralism – Institutionalism/Neo Institutionalism/ Historical Institutionalism
System Model
Modernization
Rational Choice
Game Theory
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Realist Approach
The focus is on POWER - Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

The Prince of Machiavelli is about getting and use of power.

“All politics is a struggle for POWER” – Hans J. Morgenthau

(explored this approach in America through Mosca, Pareto and
Michel)
Realism
The realists think that Mankind is not inherently benevolent but rather
self-centered and competitive

✓ State must be selfish

✓ State’s main aim is to protect interest of the state (its people,
resources etc.)
✓ State must gain power to protect the interest of the peoplle as well
as state itself

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 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Contractualists
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
John Locke (1632-1704)
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1788)

State is the result of CONTRACTS between the

powerless (subject) and the powerful (the ruler) EU vs UK

The SOCIAL CONTRACT creates a new political

system
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Marxist Theories - Karl Marx (1818-1883)

The political system (Power and State) is the product of three
inter-related elements:
Economics
Social Class
History

The Power and State is the bi-product of conflict between

Bourgeoisie (owner class) and proletariat (labour class)
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Behaviouralism (1950s; Woodrow Wilson)

Actual behaviour of institution of state; not thoughts or

feelings.

This actual behaviour will be identified by empirical

study.

Behaviouralism of politics has been introduced to

understand the performance of the institutions of state
 Classic Origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Neo- Historical
Behaviouralism Institutionalism
Institutionalism Institutionalism

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 Classic origin and Approaches to Political Science

Institutionalism
Constitution is the basic institution of state.

There are some other institutions of state those are directly

involved to exercise power
(for example: executive branch, legislative branch, judicial
branch)

✓ The State’s behaviour is lied in these institutions

✓ Effort was given to improve legal aspect of the institution
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Neo-institutionalism

The behaviour of the institution (i.e. constitution - executive branch,

legislative branch, judicial branch) are reflected by the behaviour of
the people work in these institution.

✓ The institutions’ behaviour is the reflection of the people’s behaviour.

✓ Effort had been given to improve individuals’ performance of the
institution
✓ Training, education, skill development etc. was emphasised
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Historical institutionalism

To what extent training, education etc can bring expected and/or

qualitative changes in behaviour

The people’s behaviour is influenced by historical background

✓ Human being/individual is important behind every institution

✓ Individuals’ behaviour (skill/performance/attitude, aptitude, norms, values, ethics)
matters in the performance of the behaviour of institution
✓ Every individual has had a background (family, schools, neighbours, peer group) etc.
- all these shape one’s behavour which is more tangible than short term training.
System Theory (David Easton, 1965)

Social, Economic and Political Environment

Conversion Process
Input Government Output
Demand Decision makers Decisions
Interest articulation Actions
Interest aggregation

Feedback

Social, Economic and Political Environment

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 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Modernization Theory

➢ Modernization is a concept used in sociology and politics. It is the view that a standard,
teleological evolutionary pattern
➢ Modernization theorists study the social, political, and cultural consequences of economic
growth and the conditions that are important for industrialization and economic growth to
occur
➢ Modernization does not refer simply to becoming current or ‘‘up to date’’ but rather
specifies particular contents and processes of societal changes in the course of national
development
➢ Modernization theory is a theory used to explain the process of modernization that a nation
goes through as it transitions from a traditional society to a modern one.
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Modernization Theory (contd….)

➢ According to theories of modernization, each society would evolve inexorably from

barbarism to ever greater levels of development and civilization.
➢ The more modern states would be wealthier and more powerful, and their citizens freer
and having a higher standard of living
➢ Modernization can be seen as processes, and as offensive
➢ The modernization of the three facets of society – economic, cultural and political which
hang together as a package
➢ The theory has not been attributed to any one person; instead, its development has been
linked to society as a whole.
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Rational Choice Theory (1970)

➢ Rational choice theory, also known as choice theory or rational action theory, is a framework for
understanding and often formally modeling social and economic behavior.
➢ The basic premise of rational choice theory is that aggregate social behavior results from the
behavior of individual actors, each of whom is making their individual decisions. The theory also
focuses on the determinants of the individual choices
➢ Rational actors make choices that are tied to goals, measured (reflective/evaluative) and
consistent
➢ The theory also assumes that individuals have preferences out of available choice alternatives.
These preferences are assumed to be complete and transitive.
➢ Every individual is selfish to maximize his/her goals
➢ Sum of such selfish behaviour is the outcome of the society/ social behaviour
➢ The idea that individuals will always make rational, cautious and logical decisions is known as the
rational choice theory
➢ The key elements of all rational choice explanations are individual preferences, beliefs, and
constraints. Preferences denote the positive or negative evalu- ations individuals attach to the
possible outcomes of their actions.
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Game Theory
Game theory is the branch of applied math used to create an optimum strategy in order to
succeed in competitive situations of uncertainty & incomplete knowledge (like most real-life
scenarios). It’s the mathematical study of decision making & modeling in situations of conflict
that are found in everyday life across all industries & disciplines.

The ideas underlying game theory appear multiple times throughout history. While many contributors
hold a place in the history of game theory, it’s widely accepted that modern analysis began in 1950s
with John von Neumann & was further provided its methodological framework by John Nash.

➢ A game is any situation in which the outcomes (pay offs) are, the product of the interaction
of more than one rational player.
➢ Game theory is a branch of mathematics concerned with the analysis of conflict situations.
➢ It involves determining a strategy for a given situation and the costs or benefits realized by
using the strategy.
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Characteristics/Elements of Game Theory

1. Player: Every game there must have at least two players. They are the decision makers in the
game
2. Actions: Choices available to a player.
3. Information: Knowledge that a player has when making a decision.
4. Strategies: Rules that tell a player which action to take at each point of the game.
5. Outcomes: The results that unfold, such as a price war, world peace
6. The Payoffs: The utilities/satisfaction that each player realizes for a particular outcomes
7. Equilibria: An equilibrium is a stable result. Equilibria are not necessarily good outcomes, a fact
that triumphs through arguments, knowledge and context. .
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Types of Game

1. Cooperative games and non-cooperative games

2. Normal Form and Extensive Form of Game
3. Simultaneous Move and Sequential Move Game
4. Zero Sum (constant sum) and Non-Zero Sum Games
5. Symmetric and Non Symmetric Game.
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Types of Game (contd. …….)

1. Cooperative games and non-cooperative games

Cooperative games are the ones in which players are convinced to adopt a particular strategy
through negotiations and agreements between players. Non-cooperative games refer to
the games in which the players decide on their own strategy to maximize their profit

2. Normal Form and Extensive Form of Game

The normal-form representation of a game includes all perceptible and conceivable strategies,
and their corresponding payoffs, for each player. It may be the case that a player does not know
exactly what the payoffs of the game are or of what type their opponents are.

3. Simultaneous Move and Sequential Move Game

While sequential games are played by turn, simultaneous games are played with each player
making their decision at the same time.
 Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Types of Game (contd…….)

4. Zero Sum (constant sum) and Non-Zero Sum Games

In Zero Sum Game no party loses or gains. It is a win-win situation while in Non-Zero Sum
game one looses other win

5. Symmetric and Non Symmetric/Asymmetric Game.

In game theory, a symmetric game is a game where the payoffs for playing a particular strategy
depend only on the other strategies employed, not on who is playing them. If one can change
the identities of the players without changing the payoff to the strategies, then a game is
symmetric.
Asymmetric games are those games where the players do not stand on equal ground. Different
options provide different advantages and disadvantages to each player. Because a head on
attack is more advantages for one player does not mean it is as advantageous for another
player
Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

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Classic origin and Approaches to studying Political Science

Thank You