POLITICAL SCIENCE

BA semester- 1
UNIT-1

MEANING, DEFINITION AND SCOPE OF POLITICAL SCIENCE:

ORIGIN AND MEANING of word ‘Politics’:

Origin and meaning: The word ‘Politics’ is derived from the Greek word ‘Polis’ which means ‘City
Community’. In ancient Greece, people used to live in small communities. The city communities were
centers of culture and were self- sufficient and independent in themselves. The city community which was
politically sovereign and an inclusive association aimed at good life of its people. The study of the subject
relating to the administration of city community was called ‘Politics’.
In those days Politics included all types of social, economic and moral problems. That was why Aristotle
named his book concerning the Politics of city community. In course of time, the pattern of city community
gave way to the nation States and the subject which deal with the study of Nation States is known as
Political Science.

DEFINITION:

Definition of Political Science- Traditional View: The most of the traditional thinkers have
named ‘politics’ as ‘political science’ and they have considered political science as the study of state and
government. Traditional definitions of political science as the study of state and government. Traditional
definitions of political science are given by scholars like Bluntschli, Paul Janet, Garner, Gatell, Seelay,
Leacock, Willowby, Laski etc.
1. According to Bluntschli, “Political Science is the science which is concerned with the State, which
endeavors to understand and comprehend the State in its fundamental conditions, in its essential
nature, its various forms of manifestations and its development.”
2. According to Paul Janet, “Political Science is that part of social science which the foundations of the
State and principles of government.”
3. According to Garner, “Political Science begins and end with the state.”
4. According to Gettel, “the study of the past, present and future, of political organizations and political
theories.”
5. According to Seeley, “Political Science investigates the phenomenon of government as political
economy deals with wealth, Biology with life, algebra with numbers, Geometry with space and
magnitude.”
6. According to Leacock, “Political Science deals with government.”
 7. According to Willowby, “Generally speaking, there are three topics with which Political science has to
deal with- The State, law and government.”
8. According to Laski, “The study of Political concerns itself with the life of men in relation to organized
States.”

Definition of Political Science- Modern View: Modern scholars do not call political science as
‘Political Science’. They name it as ‘Politics’. In the beginning of the 20th century there developed a new
way of looking at political science. This new approach is known as behavioural approach. The main thrust
of the new view is the treatment of politics as an activity and a process. Modern political scientists
consider politics as a process centering around power and influence. They are concerned with not just the
state and the government, but also the study and evaluation of political activities, political power,
processes and nongovernmental institutions. In this context, new definitions emerged:

1. According to Harold Laswell, “Politics is the study of influence and the influential or the study of the
shaping and sharing of power”
2. According to David Easton, “Politics is the authoritative allocation of values as it is influenced by the
distribution and use of Power.”
3. According to Catlin, “Political Science is the study of the act of human and social control.”
4. According to Andrew Heywood, “Politics can be defined as an activity through which people make,
preserve and amend the general rules under which they live.”
5. According to Herbert J. Spiro, “Politics is the process by which a human community as small as two
persons or as large as community of mankind, deals with the problems.”
6. According to Henry Mayo, “Politics is not only a dispute but it is the way to solve disputes and struggles
and thus to pave way to administrative policies which may prevent escalation or re- emergence of such
issues.”
7. According to Robert A. Dahl, “Politics involves to significant power, rule or authority.”
8. According to Eric Rowe, “Politics is the sum-total of political activities of a social system. The political
activity is the activity which occurs in an ordered community and by which disagreements are resolved
and translated into policies.”

Conclusion: From the above given definitions of political science given by modern scholars, it becomes
clear that today the subject of politics has become very wide. Every such activity comes under the
scope of political science which is related with the attainment and distribution of power, influence and
authority etc. In short, it can be said that political science is that subject which is related with state and
government and political activities performed by human beings living the state.

SCOPE:
After the study of definitions of political science given by traditional and modern scholars, it becomes clear
that the scope of political science is very wide. Its scope is not limited to institutions only, rather it includes
whole of political system and it studies all types of conflicts and struggle hidden in political system, power
and influence, leadership, decision- making process, authoritative allocation of values, consensus and
cooperation etc. Following are included in the scope of political science.
A)Scope of Political Science according to Traditional View:

I. Study of State and Government:

Political Science is the science of the state and the government; hence it studies both the state and the
government. It is concerned with the nature and creation of the state, as well as the many forms and
functions of government; just as experts disagree on the definition of Political Science, so do they on its
scope.

On the one hand, Bluntschli, Garris, and others feel that the scope of Political Science is limited to the study
of the State alone, but on the other hand, researchers such as Leacock argue that the study of the
Government is more important than the study of the State.

If we study Political Science closely and thoroughly. We learn that, regardless of the differences between
the State and the Government, the scope of one cannot be separated from the scope of the other. The
State is the agency through which the Government operates. The State is a figment of the imagination, and
the Government gives it physical form.

As a result, one completes the other. The absence of the Government precludes the existence of the State.
This is why Laski, Gilchrist, Gattell, and others have included the study of the State and Government within
the purview of Political Science.

II. Study of Associations and Institutions:

The scope of Political Science also includes the study of associations and institutions. “In an organised way,
the fundamental problems of Political Science include, first, an investigation of the origin and nature of the
State, second, an inquiry into the nature, history, and forms of political institutions, and third, deduction of
laws of political growth and development from there, as far as possible.”

In other words, we study the origins and growth of the State, as well as many other political institutions
and groups, in Political Science.

There are various types of institutions in a country or society, and the State, as the top institution, controls
all of them. These institutions serve the nation and serve a purpose in society. This is why, in Political
Science, we study these institutions alongside the State.

III. Study of National and International Problems and the Political Study
of Man
Political Science is closely related to the English word “Politics,” which is derived from the Greek
word “Polis.” It denotes a city-state. Greece was divided into small city-states in ancient times, and the
affairs of those city-states were known as Politics. However, the definition of “Politics” is no longer
recognised to be so limited. Political Science is no longer limited to city-states, but now deals with national
and international issues.
Regardless, it is not incorrect to state that the scope of Political Science includes the political study of man;
otherwise, the study of Political Science will be inadequate. He writes, “It may be said that the character of
Political Science in all of its parts is determined by its basic pre-supposition regarding man.”

Burgess, in clarifying the scope of political science, has stated that modern aspirations for land-extension,
representative governance, and national unification have become political science not just the science of
political independence, but also of state sovereignty. The study of political science, in the words of Laski,
“concerns itself with the life of man in relation to organised states.”

IV. Study of Past, Present and Future development of State

Political science is concerned with the past, present, and future developments of the state. Gettell states
about the scope of political science: “Political science, in its historical aspects, deals with the origins of the
state and the development of political theories in the past….in its current aspects, it strives to characterise
and classify existing political institutions and ideas. Political science also looks to the future, to
strengthening political structures and actions in the face of changing situations and ethical norms.” It is
thus a study of the state in the past, present, and future, of political organisation and political function, of
political institutions and political philosophies.

In other words, political science seeks to explain the meaning and basic nature of the state, as well as the
laws that govern its progression and evolution. It sheds light on its genesis, form, and structure, as well as
its interactions with other governments and international organisations. Political science studies also
include a historical examination of the origins and history of the state. Its scope is not limited to the study
of the past and present, but it also determines the future direction of the state’s growth. It makes timely
recommendations for enhancing political institutions and adjusting political activity to suit the new
demands of a changing environment.

B)Scope of Political Science according to Modern View:

The traditional definition and nature of political science is a corpus of knowledge concerned with the study
of state and government. In the new or modern approach, political science is synonymous with politics, and
the latter is chosen above the former. Political science encompasses the following aspects:

I.Study of the Concept of Power

With the political behaviour revolution, the study of ‘power’ has become the core issue of the most recent
study in Political Science. Political Science, according to Charles Marriam, Laswell, Max Weber, and Catlin, is
the study of power.

The main emphasis here is on power, which plays an important role in the fight in which individuals and
their groups may be found embroiled depending on their capacity and level of interest at all levels-local,
regional, national, and worldwide. Politics, according to Laswell and Kaplan, is the study of the formation
and sharing of power.

Political science is the study of power, its exercise, and the battle for control over it. “Politics is organised
debate about power and its application, involving choice among competing ideals, ideas, personalities,
interests, and demands,” according to one definition. Politics is concerned with the description and analysis
of how power is attained, wielded, and controlled, the purpose for which it is employed, how decisions are
made, the factors that impact those decisions, and the context in which those decisions take place.

II.Functional Studies
Modern political science studies politics less from the standpoint of legal institutions and their powers and
more from the standpoint of the functions that comprise the political process and their real functioning in
the environment. It investigates interest articulation, interest aggregation, political communication, rule-
making, rule-application, and rule-adjudication functions. Socialization, decision-making, and policy-making
etc.

III. Study of the Political System

Almond and David Easten are the prominent supporters of this technique. In its sociological context, this
approach defines Political Science. According to them, society as a whole is a system, and the political
system is a subsystem of that system. The system has a variety of functional structures, such as the state,
government organs, political parties, pressure organisations, public opinion, elections, and so on.

An individual’s political behaviour is also a component. It is the study of the breadth of people’s actual
behaviour in the political process. Voting behaviour, political engagement, leadership-recruitment elite
behaviour, mass politics, population, and other aspects of political science are all intertwined.

Modern Politics seeks to analyse the actual behaviour and performance of the political system. The scope
of Political Science includes the study of all structures-formal and informal; governmental and extra-
governmental, which are directly or indirectly involved in the struggle for power taking place in the states.

IV. Study of Human Behaviour

The emphasis in the study of Political Science switched from political institutions to the behaviour of
individuals in political situations with the introduction of behaviouralists. They studied political systems
using empirical methodologies. New assumptions, processes, and approaches were developed. New
objectives for the study of political science were established. Political Science became associated with
behavioural experiences. Political Science was concerned with the practical aspects of politics.

V.Study of Pressure Groups and Interest Groups

Every political system contains general groups. Some are founded freely by individuals to achieve specific
and common goals, such as political parties, interest groups, and pressure organisations, among others.
Furthermore, some groups emerge unexpectedly as a result of a specific occurrence and only exist for a
brief time.

There are groups that express the wishes of the people through public meetings, symbols, programmes,
demonstrations, and so on, and impact how the political system works. Political parties run for office,
create governments, criticise governments, and so on. A student of modern political science scrutinises the
structure, workings, and policy programmes of these organisations.
 VI.Study of Political Processes
In all political systems, political processes such as decision-making, policy-making, judicial process,
leadership, recruitment process, and others are constantly at work. Every political system’s actual
operation is dependent on these processes. As a result, it is now included in the scope of Modern Political
Science.

VII.Study of the Environment of each Political System

Politics requires a knowledge of the psychological, sociological, economic, and anthropological
environments in which each political system operates. Political scientists have developed ideas such as
political culture, political socialisation, political modernization, and so on to investigate this.

VIII.Study of Political Participation

Political participation is universal fact. The main distinction is that it is limited in certain states and broad in
others. Political engagement gives the government legitimacy and stability because an administration that
is built on the consent and will of the people and where the people participate is more likely to be
legitimate and stable. A modern political scientist seeks to understand the elements that influence political
involvement and its role.

IX.Study of Power, Influence, Authority and Legitimacy

Modern political scientists place a strong emphasis on the study of ‘Power,’ ‘Influence,’ and ‘Authority,’
and utilise these notions to differentiate political systems. As a result, modern political science includes the
study of ideas like as power, influence, legitimacy, and authority.

Conclusion:

After the study of traditional and modern view about political science, we can conclude that political
science is not only limited to State Government and their legislative institutions, rather its scope includes
all those formal and informal human organisations which in any way influence political process and
behaviour through their power and influence. Under political science, the study about social, economic,
religious etc. non-political forces which influence political behaviour is also made. According to Catlin,
political science is related with organized human society but mainly it studies political aspects of
community life. Many modern thinkers consider power the central point of politics. Some modern thinkers
also lay emphasis out decision making aspect of politics.

On the basis of the synthesis of traditional and modern approach, we can say that “Political Science is the
study of political organisation, political objectives, political processes and political behaviour.”