nature and scope of Political Science,

Is it a Science?

Dr. M. Jashim Uddin

Spring 2018
NSU
 Why Politics Matters
 Michael Roskin and others argued in their book, Political
Science— An Introduction, “It is the thesis of the text that
politics matters.”
 A few crucial questions were raised by the authors that if you
don’t take an interest in politics then others will influence the
decisions to govern you.
 Will they (the others) take us to war in a foreign land? Who
might have to fight in the war? You
 Will they alter the tax code to favor certain citizens and
corporations? Who will have to pay in taxes what others avoid
paying? You.
 Why Politics Matters

 Will they set up programs whose costs escalate far beyond

what anyone had foreseen? Then who will pay the costs? You.

 by raising these questions, the authors make you aware of

what politics is and how it works so that you can look after
yourself and prevent others from using you.

 “the ignorant are manipulated”

 Why Politics Matters
 Features of politics:
• Many people find politics distasteful; politics may be
inherently immoral
• But you don’t need to like the thing (politics) you study.
 Biologists study a disease-causing bacteria under a
microscope. Do they like the bacteria? Do they get angry at
the bacteria and smash the glass slide with a hammer?

 Political science ain’t politics. Political science is the objective

analysis of politics, which may or may not aid working
politicians. Side by side two professions compare like this:
 Why Politics Matters
Comparison of two Professions
Politicians Political Scientists
Love Power Are skeptical of power
Seek popularity Seek accuracy
Think practically Think abstractly
Hold firm views Reach tentative conclusions
See short-term payoff See long-term consequences
Plan for election Plan for next publication
Respond to groups See the good of the whole
 Nature of Political science/ What is
Political Science?
 Definition of Political Science
The word “Politics” has its origin in Ancient Greece. All of the
cities in Ancient Greece, e.g., Athens, Sparta, were referred to
as city states. The Greek word “Polis” has been translated as
city state.
 “Politics” from “Polis” (City state)
“Science” from “Scire” (to know, study, knowledge)
 City state provided an ideal point for the beginning of a
systematic study of political science.
 Political Science is the study of State and Government
 Nature of Political science/ What is
Political Science?

 “Man is by nature a political animal.”— Aristotle

 The essence of social existence is politics and that two or more

men interacting with one another are invariably involved in a
political relationship.

 Aristotle also argued that the only way to maximize one’s

individual capabilities and to attain the highest form of social life
was through political interaction with others in an institutionalized
setting, a setting designed to resolve social conflict and to set
collective goals— the state.
 Nature of Political science/ What is
Political Science?
• Political science is the science of the state. It deals with the
organizations of their governments, and with the activities of
these governments in making and administering law and in
carrying on interstate relations.

• It mainly focuses on state, government and law. It is concerned

not only with political institutions but also with political ideas.

• Political theories and ideals exerted a powerful influence on

state development, e.g., conflict of ideologies between
democratic countries and the autocratic countries.
 Nature of Political science/ What is
Political Science?
• Political science deals with the origin of the state. In dealing
with the present, it attempts to describe, compare, and classify
existing political institutions and ideas and also looks to the
future.

• According to Raymond Garfield Gettell, “Political Science is

thus a study of the state in the past, present and future; of
political organization and political function; of political
institutions and political theories.”
 Nature of Political science/ What is
Political Science?
 Some other definitions of political science:

• According to Harold Lasswell, political science is “who gets

what, when and how” and political science is the study of
“shaping and sharing of power.”

• The definition found in Encyclopedia Britannica, political

science is the systematic study of government process by the
application of scientific methods of political events.
 Nature of Political science/ What is Political
Science?
 Some Features of the Nature of Politics
• 1. The definition of politics is flexible. To the traditional
thinkers it was the study of state and government but today the
definition is not confined within a limited sphere. It
encompasses numerous aspects of political behavior of
individuals, groups, associations.

• 2. Controversy is a very important element of politics. It is

argued that where there are issues there must be controversy.
Wasby said, “Where no controversy exists, where no issues are
being debated, politics does not exist”.
 Nature of Political science/ What is
Political Science?
• 3. J. D. B. Miller, emphasizes the disagreement nature of
politics in his book The Nature of Politics. If there were no
disagreement among individuals, groups or organizations,
political action or activity could not get any scope to emerge.

• 4. It will be a misconception if we think that in the arena of

politics there is no place of agreement or consensus. Entities
debate among them on any political issues but at the same
time they arrive at agreed terms or solutions.
 Nature of Political science/ What is
Political Science?
• 5. Modern political scientists (Lasswell and Robert Dahl are
prominent among them) believe that politics involves power
and influence. In an analysis of politics an important question
is raised—Who gets What, When and How?

• 6. One important feature of politics is its pervasiveness. In all

forms of state and society there always exists politics.

• 7. conflict is not the exclusive feature of politics. There are

also institutional arrangements for the settlement of conflicts.
 Scope of Political Science
 Some writers restrict the scope of political science to the study
of state alone, e.g., Bluntschli. They exclude the study of
government from the scope of political science. Why?

 Others hold that political science deals only with the

government. According to Robson, “the purpose of Political
Science is to throw light on political ideas and political actions
so that the government of man may be improved.”

 Harold Laski takes a more realist view and emphasizes that the
scope of Political Science embraces the study of both the State
and the Government. Government is helmsman of the ship of
the State.
 Scope of Political Science
• The experts have divided the field Political Science into
several sub-disciplines:
 Political Theory
 Comparative Politics
 International Relations
 Public Administration
 Constitutional Law
 Public Policy
• These sub-disciplines cover the entire gamut of the modern
political economy and provide the basis for the study and
understanding of how the global political economy works.
 Is Political Science a science?
 How can politics be a science? What is the meaning of
science?

• The original meaning of science is simply “knowledge”, or

“to Know.” Now most people think of science as precise and
factual, supported by experiments and data.

• Some political scientists quantify data and manipulate them

statistically to validate hypotheses. They usually focus on
small questions because they can be quantified: such as public
opinion, election returns, and congressional voting.
 Is Political Science a science?
• But large areas of this discipline is not quantifiable. How and
why do leaders make their decision? Many decisions are made
in secrecy, even in democracies. Does this mean that politics
can never be like a natural science?

• Political science is an empirical discipline. Political scientists

begin to generalize. When the generalization become firmer,
we call them theories.
 Is Political Science a science?
• Political science cannot be an exact science, since its laws and
conclusions cannot be expressed in precise terms and since it
cannot predict political events accurately. In addition, social
and political relations are constantly changing.

• Nonetheless, if a science be described as a mass of knowledge

concerning a particular subject, acquired by systematic
observation, experience, and study, and analyzed and
classified into a unified whole, then political science may
justly claim to be a science.
 Political Science— The Master Science
 Aristotle called politics “the master science.” He meant that
almost everything happens in a political context, that the
decisions of polis governed most other thing.

 According to Lasswell, Politics is the study of “who gets

what”. But some argued that the economic system determines
who gets what in countries in free market. True, but can we
have a totally free market system with no government
involved? E.g., political decisions to bail out shaky banks
saved the economy from collapse. Politics is intimately
connected to economies.
 Political Science— The Master Science
 History
• History is one the key sources of data and information for
political scientists for conducting research. When we discuss
the growth of presidential power of Roosevelt (1933-1945),
and even the cold war, we are studying history.

• But, historians reluctant to generalize but political scientist

begin by looking for generalization, and make comparison
between or among regimes/ periods or rulers.
 Political Science— The Master Science
 Economics
• Economics is the subject matter of politics. Many political
queries are economic as Lasswell argued who gets what?
Sufficient economic development may be the basis for
democracy. Declining economy may doom democracy.

• What policies promote economic development? Is the euro

currency making Europe more united? Or ready to fall apart?
In this regard, we can refer to the impact of Brexit in Europe.
 Political Science— The Master Science
 Sociology
• Sociology and political science overlap. Political science
conventionally starts by looking at society to see “who thinks
what about politics.” Sociologist Lipset showed the connection
between democracy and level of wealth.

 Psychology
• Psychology contributes much to political science; why and
under what circumstances people obey authority figures, and
how people form national, group, and voting attachment.
Studies of Hitlar, Stalin, and Mao Zedong are often based on
psychological theories.
 Political Science— The Master Science
 Ethics
• The origin of moral ideas is closely connected with the
origin of the state. Both arose in that early group life when
custom was law.
• Right or wrong is distinguished from rights and obligations.
The proper form and functions of government must be
determined on the basis of the ethical compromise that secures
the greatest good to the individual.
Thanks