LAW 223A

POLITICAL SCIENCE (PS) I

LECTURE 1

MEANING, NATURE AND SCOPE OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

PERPETUAL N. B. KODOM
GHANA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
(GIMPA)
FACULTY OF LAW
 Objectives
• At the end of the lecture, students should be able to understand;
• The meaning and definitions of political science
• The scope of political science
• The nature of political science
• Elements of the state
• Importance of political science
 Introduction
• The great Greek political philosopher, Aristotle was the first thinker
to use the term ‘politics’. The term politics is derived from the Greek
word ‘Polis’ which means ‘city – state’.
• In ancient Greece, polis/city state was the most popular and general
form of political organization. It was introduced some 2500years ago.
• Political science begins and ends with the state. In short, it is the
study of the state.
• It is a branch of social science.
 Introduction Cont’d
• It deals with the study of man in the process of governing himself.
• It deals with general problems of the state and government.
• It is also proved that political science is not only the study of
government and state but also it is the application of empirical
theory and scientific methods to the analysis of political matters.
• And also deals with political ideas, ideologies, institutions, policies,
processes and behaviour as well as groups, classes, government,
diplomacy, law, strategy and so on.
 What is Political Science?
Politics Science
• Authoritative allocation of resources • Body of knowledge
and conflict resolution (David • Systematic study
Easton, 1917-2014)
• Prediction
• Who gets what, when and how? • Description
(Harold Dwight Laswell, 1902-1978)
• Explanation and
• Governing of men (J. Austin Ranney,
understanding
1920-2006)
• Validity, reliability and
• The struggle for power (Robert Alan
Dahl, 1915-2014) consistency
Debates about “Politics” and “Political Science”
• “Politics” is an activity which is an aspect of political science that
deals with current political issues facing the state. Hence, the study of
politics is the study of an aspect of political science

• “Political science” is a systematic study of political theory, political

institutions, political processes, and political forces in the state.

• Political science is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range

of knowledge relating to state, state processes, political institutions
and other political forces
 Debates about “Politics” and “Political Science”
• A “Politician” is a person who actively participates in the political
affairs of a state whereas a “Political Scientist” is an expert in the
subject who studies the subject systematically

• A 'Politician' is not necessarily a 'Political Scientist'

• The latter involves training imbued with calmness, objective analysis

of politics, which may or may not help a practicing politician.
Politics & Political Science Distinction
 Scope of Political Science
• Normally, a lay man associate politics with one aspect of politics but we
should know that politics is much larger than that.
• The scope of political science implies its area of study.
• It is classified into four zones
• Political theory
• Political institution
• Political dynamics
• International relations
• Others include; political philosophy, public administration, relations
between the state and the individual
 Scope of Political Science
Political Theory Political Institution
• It deals with the definition and • It is concerned with a study of
fundamental concepts of political formal political institution such as
science like state, government, law, the state and instrument through
liberty, equality, justice and which it runs the government.
sovereignty.
 Scope of Political Science
Political Dynamics International Relations
• The term refers to the forces and • International relations is the study
process at work in government and of relationships among countries.
politics. They influence and explain • It draws intellectual materials
political action. They include the from the fields of technology,
study of political parties. engineering, economics and
history.
 Scope of Political Science
Political Philosophy
• It is concerned with the theoretical and speculative consideration of
the fundamental principles used by political science. Eminent political
philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke,
Rousseau, Hegel, Mill, Marx and Gandhi have expressed their views
on nature, functions and ends of the state and government.
Public Administration
• This is emerging as an independent discipline in recent times. It deals
with the organization, control and coordination of administrative
machinery, public relations, administrative law and adjudication etc.
 Scope of Political Science
Relation between the State and the Individual
• The proper adjustment between the authority and power of the state
and liberty of the individual is a problem. Political science deals with
the proper sphere of state action, the limits of political control and
the area of individual freedom.
 Elements of the State
• A state is a nation or territory
considered as an organized
political community with one
government.

The state consists of 4 elements:

• The people
• The territory
• The government
• The sovereignty
 People
• It is a people who make the state. Population or people are essential
for the state.
• According to Aristotle, “the number should neither be too large nor
too small. It should be large enough to be self sufficing and small
enough to be well governed”.
 Territory
• It is a fixed area that rightly belongs to the population.
• It answers the question, ‘where?’
• It may be remembered that the territory of states include land, water
and air.
• It should be permanent and large enough to be self-sufficing.
 Government
• It is the third element of the state.
• Government is the agency through which the force of the state is
formulated, expressed and realized.
 Sovereignty
• The fourth essential element of the state is sovereignty. The word
sovereignty means supreme and final legal authority above and beyond
which no legal power exists.
• It has two aspects
• Internal sovereignty – means that the state is supreme over all its
citizens and associations.
• External sovereignty – means that the state is independent and free
from foreign or outside control.
 Brainstorm
• Is Political Science a science?
 Nature of Political Science
Is Political Science a Science?
• The controversy of whether political science is science or not is as old as the
subject itself. Even today, the controversy has not died down.

• There are a large number of people, many of whom are prominent in their
own fields, who believe that to call political science a science is simply a
charade of the word science.

• Physics and chemistry are physical science but there are also social sciences,
and political science is a prominent branch of social sciences. When we call
political science a branch of social science, we invariably use the word
science in a broad sense.
 Is Political Science a Science?
Why it is not a (pure) science
• Political Science is concerned with society, government,
law, and human behaviour, which can change its mind.
• Experimentation issues that must be overcome in order to
reach valid conclusions.
• A lack of precise and consistent definitions of terms and
concepts.
• The diversity of 'environments' in which political
developments occur.
 Is Political Science a Science?
Why it is a science
• The government is a never-ending experiment, and it is possible to make
predictions based on social experiments to some extent.
• In Political Science, broad conclusions can be drawn, such as the importance of
an independent and impartial judiciary and a free press for democracy.
• Empirical research relies on meticulous observation and classification. In
political science, a hypothesis or assumption is tested empirically.
• Theories aren't built on guesswork. Survey methods, graphs, charts, and other
scientific tools are used by political scientists today to reach their research
conclusions.
• Thus, political science is a science, though not in the same sense as the physical
sciences. It is a branch of social science.
 Importance of the Study of Political Science
1. Education for Citizenship
The primary objective of the political science curriculum is to equip students to
discharge the obligations of democratic citizenship.

2. Essential Parts of Liberal Education

Intelligent, responsible citizenship can save democracy, ignorance and
negligence can lose it.

3. Knowledge and Understanding of Government

The ‘good’ citizen knows how his government operates, what his rights and
obligations are, who his elected representatives are, and what they stand for.
Importance of the Study of Political Science
4. Make Citizen Conscious of Their Rights and Duties
Rights are the most important aspect of any individual. Rights are the one
that helps individuals to grow in terms of their talent. Besides this, it also
tells citizens about their duties to society.

5. Understand the Role of Government, Political Parties, and Pressure

Groups
What should be the role of a political party and how do pressure
groups affect the decision-making process of the government? It gives you
clear ideas of these questions that help you to understand how the
government is formed, what’s your role in the decision-making process of
the government, etc.