Political Science – Past Papers Analysis (CSS
2016-2020)
Prepared and Edited by Aamir Mahar
Political Science Paper – I
Part – A
I. Western Political Thought: Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli,
Montesquieu, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Mill, Bentham, Hegel,
Marx, Lenin, Mao, Gramsci, Karl Popper, Pierre Bourdieu, John
Rawls, Frances Fukuyama, Foucault, Derrida, Kierkegaard, Jean Paul
Sartre, Rene Descartes.
1. Give a critical analysis of Aristotle’s classification of
Governments. (CSS 2016)
2. Is it correct to say that Machiavelli was an apostle of Power
Politics? (CSS 2016)
3. Short Note on ‘End of History – Frances Fukuyama’ (CSS 2016)
4. Compare and contrast the different political philosophies of
Hobbes and Locke. How are these philosophies implemented in
present day political systems and policy making? (CSS 2017)
5. According to Marx “the mode of production in material life
determines the general character of social, political and spiritual
process in life”. Elucidate. (CSS 2017)
6. Critically analyze the salient features of Plato’s Republic. Do
you think that some of its features are valid, even today? (CSS
2018)
7. What is the concept of State of Nature as given by Thomas
Hobbes? Make its comparison with the Social Contract as
presented by John Locke and Rousseau. (CSS 2018)
8. Examine the view that Hegelian spirit is nothing but evolution of
human consciousness to the realization of political maturity for
global human co-existence. (CSS 2019)
9. Examine Montesquieu’s theory of separation of powers. Why
has he been called “Aristotle” of eighteenth century? Discuss.
(CSS 2020)
10. Critically analyze the social contract theory of Hobbes,
Locke and Rousseau. (CSS 2020)
11. Examine the view that the Hegelian spirit is nothing but
evolution of human consciousness to the realization of political
maturity for global human co-existence. (CSS 2020)
12. Short Note on ‘Marx’s theory of class struggle’. (CSS
2020)
II. Muslim Political Thought: Al-Farabi, Al-Mawardi, Ibn Rushd,
Imam Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyyah, Nizam-ul-MulkTusi, Ibn Khaldun,
Shah Waliullah, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Jamaluddin Afghni,
Rashid Rida
1. Describe Al-Mawardi’s theory of Imamate. (CSS 2016)
2. Discuss the upward and downward development of state, rulers
and ruled in the socio political thought of Ibn Khaldun. (CSS
2017)
3. Write a detailed note on the concept of asbiah as given by Ibn-e-
Khaldun. What is its significance in the progress and decline of
nations? (CSS 2018)
4. Write a detailed essay on the principle of Ijtihad in Islam as
given by Allama Iqbal. How it can be made possible in the
modern age? (CSS 2018)
5. Short Note on ‘Ibn-e-Khaldun’s concept of Asbiyah’. (CSS
2020)
Part – B
III. State System: The nature and emergence of modern nation-state
system, Islamic concept of state and Ummah.
1. What is the Islamic concept of state? Identify issues and
challenges to the Islamic concept of state in the modern times.
(CSS 2017)
2. Short Note on ‘Significance of religious harmony in a state’.
(CSS 2018)
3. How far is it true to say that the origin of the state lies in force?
Discuss critically the Theory of Force regarding the origin of
state. (CSS 2019)
4. Globalization restrict the autonomy of the state, generates
domestic social conflicts, and inequalities. Discuss the
interactions between globalization and domestic politics. (CSS
2019)
IV. Political Concept (Western and Islamic): Sovereignty, Justice,
Law, Liberty, Freedom, Equality, Rights and Duties, Human Rights,
Political Authority and Power.
1. The growing judicial activism in Pakistan is clearly at the
expanse of parliamentary sovereignty and supremacy. Critically
analyze the statement. (CSS 2019)
2. Why monastic or absolute concept of sovereignty has been
abandoned? Analyze legal concept of sovereignty. (CSS 2020)
V. Comparative Politics: Political Socialization, Political Culture,
Political Development, Political Recruitment, Social Change, Civil
Society, Violence and Terrorism in Politics, Gender and Politics,
Women Empowerment.
1. Short Note on: (a) Civil society (b) Women Empowerment (CSS
2016)
VI. Political Participation: Political Change and Revolution,
Elections, Electoral System, Public Opinion, Propaganda, Political
Parties, Pressure Groups and Lobbies
1. Short Note on: Public opinion (CSS 2016)
VII. Political Institutions & Role of Government: Legislature,
Executive, Judiciary, Political Elites, Civil and Military Bureaucracy.
1. What is significance of Local Government System in a country?
Discuss the reasons of repeated failures of the efforts in Pakistan
to establish a stable local government. (CSS 2018)
2. What is the significance of independent judiciary in a democratic
republic? Do you think that without an independent judiciary a
system of checks and balances can be established in the
government? Explain with appropriate examples. (CSS 2018)
3. Short Note on: Role of middle class in strengthening the
democracy (CSS 2018)
VIII. Forms of Government: Monarchy, Democratic, Dictatorship,
Totalitarian/Authoritarian, Unitary, Federal, Confederation,
Presidential and Parliamentary.
1. “Democratic Political System cannot function successfully
without organized Political Parties.” Discuss. (CSS 2016)
2. Explain, ‘Confederation’. How it is different from Federation?
(CSS 2016)
3. Short Note on: Totalitarianism (CSS 2016)
4. What characteristic of society leads to adoption of federal form
of government? How it can function successfully? (CSS 2017)
5. Short note on: Violation of parliamentary values and traditions in
Pakistan (CSS 2018)
6. How far 18th amendments will transform the existing federal
system in Pakistan? (CSS 2019)
7. Bring out clearly the difference between unitary and federal
forms of government. (CSS 2020)
IX. Political Ideologies: Capitalism, Marxism, Communism,
Socialism, Totalitarism, Fascism, Nationalism, Islamic Political
Ideology.
1. What is Fascism and why is it considered to be the child of first
half of 20th century events to place in Europe? (CSS 2017)
2. Fascism generally flourishes in countries with strong nationalism
and weak democracies. Discuss the enabling conditions for
fascism with reference to Germany and Italy. (CSS 2019)
3. Explain the concept of Nationality and distinguish between
Nationality and Citizenship. (CSS 2019)
4. Critically examine the basic principles of Fascism. (CSS 2020)
X. Local Self Government: Theory and practice of Local Self
Government with special reference to Pakistan, Comparative analyses
of systems of local governance, Public Administration and Public
Policy.
1. Compare and contrast the differing roles played by political
parties and interest groups in making public policy? (CSS 2017)
2. What is significance of Local Government System in a country?
Discuss the reasons of repeated failures of the efforts in Pakistan
to establish a stable local government. (CSS 2018)
