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System Theory

System theory views political systems as sets of interacting and interdependent units that work to maintain equilibrium. David Easton was influential in applying system theory to political science. He defined the political system as interactions through which values are allocated for society. Easton analyzed political systems using an input-output model, where demands from society are inputs that are processed and result in government policies and laws as outputs, with feedback influencing future inputs.

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456 views

System Theory

System theory views political systems as sets of interacting and interdependent units that work to maintain equilibrium. David Easton was influential in applying system theory to political science. He defined the political system as interactions through which values are allocated for society. Easton analyzed political systems using an input-output model, where demands from society are inputs that are processed and result in government policies and laws as outputs, with feedback influencing future inputs.

Uploaded by

Sammy Jackson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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System theory is an important theory in comparative politics.

It roots lies in biological


science and it was fully articulated by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in his general system theory.
The system theory was used by David Easton and Karl Deutsch to explain the political
processes. A system is defined as a set of related units who interact with each other on a
continuous basis. The overall interaction within the units of the system allows the system to
function and an equilibrium is attained.
2.2 EASTON’S SYSTEM ANALYSIS David Easton was the first thinker to use system
analysis to understand the political processes. He has explained system theory in his books A
Framework for Political Analysis .Easton defines political system as “a set of interactions
abstracted from the totality of social behavior, through which values are authoritatively
allocated for society”. These values are binding on the society. He divided the political
environment into two parts: the intra societal and the extra societal. In societal refers to
various set of units existing in the same society along with the political system but they do
not have political interactions with each other. For e.g. a society may have economic, social,
cultural system and changes in these system will have impact on the political system as well.
Extra societal refers to the system that is outside the society like international organizations
or regional organizations that will also shape the political system of the given society.
Political system is separated from other system by means of boundaries but these boundaries
are difficult to identify as various subsystems in a society are closely enmeshed with each
other. Political system is an open system and is adaptive in nature and this makes political
system dynamic. Further political system interacts with other subsystems through means of
exchanges and transactions. Easton explains the concept of exchanges by using the input
output model.
2.3 INPUT OUTPUT ANALYSIS
Easton says that any political system has two component input and output.The inputs
comprise of demands and support. Demand refers to the set of claims, desires, wants or needs
made by the public before the government. A demand can be made by the general public or
particular groups. The demands can be in the forms of appeals, agitation, elections, rioting
etc. These demands can be classified in four types. First people can demand allocation 12 of
goods and services like education, food, electricity, roads, security etc. Second, it can be in
the form of regulations like controlling crime, regulating prices, regulations of marriages,
property etc. Third there can be political demands like voting rights, political rights for
minority groups, electoral reforms, opening channels of political participation for some
groups etc. And, finally there can be demands for political communication between the
government and the public like more transparency or accountability on part of the
government. Like demands there is also a support mechanism that sustains the system.
Support refers to political obedience or values or ideologies or belief system that people have
towards the system. The totality of support mechanisms gives legitimacy to the system. It
may be symbolic like waving the flag of the country or singing of national anthem or
substantial like voting regularly, attending political meetings or reading or watching political
news. The inputs then flow into the output mechanism which manifests in the form of
policies, laws, regulations, guidelines, norms etc. Not all that goes as inputs flows in the
output unit. In every political system there are certain gate keeping mechanisms that decide
what valid and invalid demands is. In democratic system political parties play the role of gate
keepers they choose certain demands made by the public as valid and legitimate and other
demands get rejected. There are certain cultural mechanisms like media, culture, ideologies
or values that act like strainer. For instance in USA any kind of communist thoughts or
policies are rejected by the media or general public. The demands made by the public on the
input gets processed and scrutinized and flows in the output unit and finally come out as
policies. The legislature or the executive, bureaucracies or judiciary can be considered as part
of output units. The policies of the government may have varying effects on the different
sections of the society. For instance Barack Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act has
benefitted to large sections of the society who earlier didn’t receive health care benefits. The
positive effects on the society helped him to win second term of Presidency. The process
whereby the negative and positive effects of government’s policies on the society and the
society’s response in form of new demand is called as feedback loop. The feedback
mechanism connects the output unit to the input unit. Thus input output system is dynamic
because there is seamless flow of information from input to output and again back to the
input due to feedback mechanism.
13 2.4 MERITS AND DEMERITS
Merits of the System Analysis 1. It offers a framework for scientific analysis of political
process. 2. Easton model is dynamic and is able to explain the changes that take place in
politics. 3. It has normative dimension. 4. Easton’s model is unified model that can be used to
study both national and international system. Demerits of the System Analysis 1. System
analysis has been criticized for being too abstract and not conforming to reality. 2. System
analysis is not able to explain certain drastic political events like revolution, civil strife or
ethnic conflicts. 3. Easton model does not clearly articulate how the conversion or feedback
system functions. 4. It is said that System Analysis supports status quo and slide into the
elitist model.

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