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Political Science and The Study of Politics

This document provides an overview of the key concepts in political science. It discusses the definition of political science as the study of government, public policy, and political processes. It outlines the main subdisciplines of political science including political theory, comparative politics, international relations, political behavior, public policy, and public administration. It also discusses models of the political system, such as David Easton's political system model, and definitions of politics, power, the state, and sovereignty.

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Bryan Jude Sulio
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206 views

Political Science and The Study of Politics

This document provides an overview of the key concepts in political science. It discusses the definition of political science as the study of government, public policy, and political processes. It outlines the main subdisciplines of political science including political theory, comparative politics, international relations, political behavior, public policy, and public administration. It also discusses models of the political system, such as David Easton's political system model, and definitions of politics, power, the state, and sovereignty.

Uploaded by

Bryan Jude Sulio
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Political Science and the Study

of Politics
What is Political Science

Comes from 2 Greek Words


Polis – City, Sovereign State
Scire – To Know, To Study

 Aims to know the activities within the state. Activities like human interaction and state
relations.
Definition from the American Political Science Association

 The study of government, public policies and political


processes, systems, and political behavior.
Sub disciplines of Political Science

 Political Theory
 Comparative Politics
 International Relations
 Political Behavior
 Public Policy
 Public Administration
Political Theory

 Examines the contemporary application of political concepts such as human rights,


equality, peace, and justice.
 Seeks to address the variance of its implementation in societies with the aim of
understanding the nature of these concepts and the elements that affect it.
Comparative Politics

 Aim to provide context to difference in government and political systems. It examines the
parallelism and divergence of political systems.
 characterized either by the use of the comparative method or other empirical methods to
explore politics within countries.
International Relations

 Study of state-to-state relations.


 The scope of international relations encompasses issues such as globalization,
diplomatic relations, state sovereignty, international security, ecological sustainability,
nuclear proliferation, nationalism, economic development, global finance, terrorism, and
human rights.
Political Behavior

 This field covers the attitudes, knowledge, and actions of an individual in response to
political variable such as policies created by government, behavior of politicians, and
general political environment.
Public Policy

 This field inquires on the types of governmental policies and the underlying motivations
for their enactment and implementation.
 This discipline is significant for evaluating the efficiency of enacted policies and the
possible revisions that it can accomodate.
Public Administration

 Examines the various administrative schemes implemented by government officials.


 Analyze the strategies applies by administrative units in implementing the existing
policies.
 Important in providing scientific evaluations of the efficiency of administrative unit.
David Easton’s Political System Model

1. Environment
2. Input
3. Political System
4. Output
5. Feedback
Environment

 Consist of the historical, social, and economic conditions of the society that affects the
types of policies accepted and declined by electorate.
 In studying environment we must consider the following questions:
1. Is the country From the Global North or the Global South?
2. Is the country culturally pluralistic or homogenous?
3. Does the country have a colonial past?
Input

Forms of political events or products that are needed by society from its government.
1. Demands – perceived needs of the population that could better their lives.
2. Support – mechanism within the system that would allow for such demand.
Political System

 “The Black Box”


 Every form of demand is sifted and decided upon, based on the nature of the Political
System the demands are either acted upon or neglected.
Output

 The decision of the government toward an input.


 Includes policies, rules, laws, regulations, and projects.
Feedback

 Opinion, responses of the affected sectors to the Government.


 Important because it provides a basis for improving its response to public demands.
Definition of Politics

Theorist Definition of Politics

Alfred Boyer Politics is the interaction between the civil society and
the government in the activity of governance

Max Weber Politics is the exercise of power within a state

David Easton Politics is the authoritative allocation of scarce


resources
Weber Power and State
Power

According to American Political Science Association, 2013


 “The ability of person A to make person B do what person b would
not otherwise do.”
 This implies the capacity to direct and influence the decision of
others
State

 A political entity that consist of 4 elements: Government, Territory, People, and


Sovereignty.
 State is independent from external control and;
 May consist of many nations.
Government

 A set of personnel who manages the affairs of the state in its act of allocating scarce
values.
 Aristotle Classification of Government

Number of Rulers Normal Form Perverted form

One Monarchy Tyranny

Few Aristocracy Oligarchy

Many Polity Democracy


Monarchy X Tyranny

 Governed by one people.


 Aristotle - a tyrant ruler only serve only his/her own interest, and use force to stay in
power.
 Monarchs are better leaders as they are prone to employ force to subjugate its members,
they also do not feel pressure to maintain their position.
Aristocracy X Oligarchy

According to Aristotle – Aristocracy is the best form of government.


 Less prone to corruption.
 Rule of aristocrat is ideal but not a possibility.
Polity X Democracy

According to Aristotle Polity a best alternative for Aristocracy.


 Polity – ruler come from middle class.

According to Aristotle, Democracy can be chaotic due to the fact that it is a government
ruled by poor people.
Sovereignty

 The Capacity of a political system to make independent


decision within its territory.
1. Internal Sovereignty
2. External Sovereignty
Territory

 This is the geographical space in which the sovereignty.


 The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and
waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has
sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains,
including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other
submarine areas. The waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the
archipelago, regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters
of the Philippines. (Article 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution)
People

 The most crucial element of a state.

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