Political Science

Politics- (from the greek word polis) -meaning

"of, for, or City-state) is the practice and theory
of influencing other people on a global, civic or
individual level. More narrowly, it refers to
achieving and exercising positions
of governance organized control over a
human community, particularly a state.
-

Study of state in all its elements,

aspects and relationships.

Political Science-is a social science discipline

concerned with the study of the state, nation,
government, and politics and policies of
government. Aristotle defined it as the study of

the state .It deals extensively with the theory and

practice of politics, and the analysis of political
systems, political behavior, and political culture.
Politicians- A politician, political leader,
or political figure. is a person who is involved in
influencing.. This includes people who hold
decision-making positions in government, and
people who seek those positions, whether by
means of election, inheritance, coup
d'tat, appointment, conquest, or other means.
Characteristics of Pluralism base on Robert Dhal
Association- in other words, might belong to
another, even competing, group. Intergroup
competition leads to countervailing influence

Conflicts- Overlapping memberships reduce the

intensity of conflicts because loyalties are often
spread among many organizations.
Authority- They have the right and freedom to
do business in the political marketplace. How
well they fare depends not on the indulgence of
a higher authority but on their own skill in rallying
political resources.

Famous Quotes
Aristotle Man by nature is a political animan
Man by nature is a social living
Robert Dahl- Politics arises, then, whenever
there are people living together in associations,
whenever they are involved in conflicts, and
whenever they are subject to some kind of
power, r ulership or authority
Thomas Hobbes- For him society is a jungle
with wild animals craving for power, prey and
predator.

Book of Thomas Hobbes- Leviathan or The

Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth
Ecclesiasticall and Civil.
Leviathan- is a book written by Thomas
Hobbes (15881679) and published in 1651.The
work concerns the structure of society and
legitimate government, and is regarded as one
of the earliest and most influential examples
of social contract theory.
Karl Marx- Politics to Marx, like religion, is a
manifestation of economics and the material
world. All of history and the governance of
humanity was a struggle between the
bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

Bourgeosie- High Class

Proletariat Workers
Power- is the ability to influence or control the
behavior of people. The term authority is often
used for power perceived as legitimate by
the social structure. Power can be seen as evil
or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted
as endemic to humans as social beings.
Coercion- Force or threat
Authority - governing on a body upon which
such authority is vested.

Influence- Voluntary Actions of his/ her

constituents.
Methods in Political Science
Obeservational or Empirical Method
Observing actual political institutions and their
processes. These political institutions are
laboratories of empirically oriented political
scientists where they experiment on the
workings of these political institutions.
Historical Method origin and evolution of the
state and its institutions, by seeking to explain
what they are and what they will be. The
historical approach is not merely expository but
interpretative,

Comparative Method Brings into focus

contemporary political institutions and practices
of various countries at different periods of
history. We can draw similarities and differences
in the structures and systems of the
governments of these countries.
Analytical Method- aimed at discovering the
significant or essential elements of political
institutions in an attempt to analyze and
examine their worth and value and how they
work.

Importance of Political Science

(1) Imparting Knowledge of the State:

(2) Imparting Knowledge of government and

administration:
(3) Imparting Knowledge about the world:
(4) Creation of democratic values:
(5) Creation of good citizenship:

(6) Lesson of co-operation and toleration:

State
State - a political organization with
a centralized government that maintains
a monopoly of the legitimate use of forcewithin a
certain geographical territory.
James Gamer State is a community of
persons more or less numerous occupying a
definite territory completely free of external
control and possessing an organized

government to which the great body of

inhabitants render habitual obedience
4 Elements of State
People- Inhabitants or population of state
Territory Consists of the land within the
boundaries of the state, the air space above the
land, the inland waters.

Government Essential instrument or

machinery of the state that carries out its will,
purposes and objectives.
Sovereignty Supreme and final legal authority
of the state to enforce its will on its members by
coercive sanctions of necessary, which must not
be subject to any like power.

2 Aspects of Sovereignty
Internal supreme or absolute power of a state
to enforce on its will on the people within its
territory.
External independence of a state from control
by any other state. External sovereignty should
be respected by other nation-states.
Theories of State

Divine Right Theory-presents the view that the

state was created by God. The Authority to
goven the people was ordained by God upon
rulers who were regarded as of divine descent.
Example: Military leader ( Gideon, Saul, David
and Later, Solomon)
Social Contract Theory-explained that the
state was formed by means of a social contract
of men who lived in a state of nature. Men lived
together without any super-body to establish
peace and order and settle conflicts. The

contract is give and take. Anything a person

dont have must be filled by another.
Force Theory the state came into existence
out of conquest, force or coercion. Before the
state existed there were always leaders strong
enough to assert their leadership and power
through force, conquest or violence. (Strong
dominate the weak)
Natural Theory held that the state was a
natural institution and not an abstract or artificial

being. It was a natural system that unified its

citizens.
Patriarchal Theory- Sociologist and
anthropologists maintain that the sstate arose
through a process of evolution. At the beginning,
the stat evolved from the smallest unit of society
the family. Gradually the family headed by a
parent enlarged into a clan, tribe, nation and
state.
Instinctive Theory- state was created because
of the natural inclination of men towards political

association. A social being by nature, man

associated himself with other men for selfpreservation and security.
Economic Theory- believed that the state
developed out of mans economic wants. Man
isolation could not procure all the necessary
things that he needed.
Effect of Social Contract
Thomas Hobbes- People believe in peace but
without right except the right to self-defense.

John Locke- Those who have choice

Jean-Jacques Rousseau- Life will be fair for
employ the general will and interest.