INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE
SUMMARY
Introduction
What is politics?
“Man is by nature a political animal” – Aristotle
Two key issues
- Politics = loaded term
- ‘Essentially contested’ concept
Defining politics
Two broad approaches
- Politics is associated with an ARENA
o Behaviour becomes political because of where it takes place
- Politics as a PROCESS
o Behaviour that exhibits distinctive characteristics or qualities
o Can take place in any social context
Four different views on politics
- Art of government (arena)
- Public affairs (arena)
- Compromise and consensus (process)
- Power (process)
Art of government (arena)
Politics is what concerns the state or government
- Activity of ‘governing a country’: exercise of control within society
through the making and enforcement of collective decisions
Traditional, but restricted view on the political
- Many actors ‘outside’ politics are ignored
Even more restricted: party politics
- Politics are restricted to those state actors who are motivated by
ideological beliefs and seek to advance then through membership of
a formal organization (political party)
Public affairs (arena)
Politics is what concerns the state AND the public life/sphere
- Public sphere = social space to which the public has access and
where private citizens can engage in debates pertinent to the public
interest without interference from the state
Broader view on the political
- Political = government, political associations, interest groups, NGO’s,
social movements, voluntary associations, community groups,
(social) media
- Non-political = private life (domestic, family life)
1
,Alternative distinction: political/personal
- Line between political and personal is not always easy to draw and
sometimes intentionally blurred
Compromise and consensus (process)
Politics is a means of resolving conflict through compromise and
consensus
- Key to politics is the wide dispersal of power: if power is shared
among a variety of societal actors, compromise and consensus is
inevitable
Political solution v. military solution
- That solution to the problem of order which chooses conciliation
rather than violence and coercion
Critique: restricted to Western pluralist democracies
Power (process)
Politics as struggle over scare resources; power as a mean through which
the struggle is conducted
- Politics at work in every social interaction and in all social activities
Politics is the exercise of power by one person/entity over another
- Power = when A gets B to do something that B wouldn’t otherwise
have done
- By use/threat of force, manipulation, promise of reward, creation of
loyalty, power of numbers…
Three faces
- Decision-making
o Ability to decide on the formal rules and laws
- Agenda setting
o Ability to make sure that some issues are being discussed or to
prevent issues from being discussed
- Thought control
o Ability to influence another by shaping what that person
thinks, wants or needs
Broadest definition of politics
- Broad range of activities and actors
- Politics takes place in the public and private sphere
Defining politics
Politics is the activity through which people make, preserve and amend
the general rules under which they live
- Borad working definition
Politics is a social activity
2
,Politics is linked to conflict and cooperation
- Development of rules to resolve conflicts and foster cooperation in
society
- Politics is the continual search for conflict resolution
Studying politics
“Politics is more difficult than physics” – Einstein
Origins of political science
- Originally seen as part of philosophy, law or history
- Throughout the 20th century: developed as a scientific discipline of
its own
A scientific discipline
- More than talking about politics
- Empirical tradition: observations of objective reality as a crucial test
for any theory or model about how politics works
- Based on
o Intellectual distance: ‘scientific objectivity’ and ‘political
neutrality’
o Guided by scientific principles, methods and tools
o In search of regularities: systematic inquiry
o Scientific ‘language’
A scientific language
- Approaches
o Govern the way through which you approach the world
o Philosophical tradition
o Empirical tradition: behaviouralism– rational choice – new
institutionalism – critical approaches
- Concepts
o Tools with which we think, criticize, argue, explain and analyse
o Refers to general idea about something (e.g. democracy,
conservatism…)
o Meaning of concept needs to be expressed in a definition
o Essentially contested concepts
- Models
o Offer a representation of reality
o Indicate links and ties between
different elements: reduce
complexity + simplify reality
- Theories
o Systematic explanation of
empirical data
o Used to describe and explain
political phenomena
3
, o Result from past research and direct future research
Nation States
What is a state?
States are a way of organising government
- Historically relatively new
- Most widespread
States…
- Are a form of social life (community)
- Are the most important community
- Are political, so power is vital
- Have symbols of statehood
States are also enormously varied
- Characteristics on which states can differ:
o Size – power – age – recognition
There are also other forms of government that share characteristics with
states, but are not considered to be a state
What are key features of states?
States have three core features:
- Territory
- Sovereignty
- People
Two additional features (Max Weber)
- Monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force
- Rule of law: the state itself is subject to law
Territory
State claims a geographical area which it considers to be exclusively its
own
- Does not need to be continuous (ex. The Netherlands + Curacao,
Bonaire), but should be persistent
- Includes coastal waters and airspace
Jurisdiction of the state is geographically defined
Activities linked to territory:
- Defend territory
- Guard borders
- Exploit resources on territory
Sovereignty
State holds the highest power and can act with complete freedom and
independence within its own territory
- power: two states can be sovereign, but cannot be as powerful
4
SUMMARY
Introduction
What is politics?
“Man is by nature a political animal” – Aristotle
Two key issues
- Politics = loaded term
- ‘Essentially contested’ concept
Defining politics
Two broad approaches
- Politics is associated with an ARENA
o Behaviour becomes political because of where it takes place
- Politics as a PROCESS
o Behaviour that exhibits distinctive characteristics or qualities
o Can take place in any social context
Four different views on politics
- Art of government (arena)
- Public affairs (arena)
- Compromise and consensus (process)
- Power (process)
Art of government (arena)
Politics is what concerns the state or government
- Activity of ‘governing a country’: exercise of control within society
through the making and enforcement of collective decisions
Traditional, but restricted view on the political
- Many actors ‘outside’ politics are ignored
Even more restricted: party politics
- Politics are restricted to those state actors who are motivated by
ideological beliefs and seek to advance then through membership of
a formal organization (political party)
Public affairs (arena)
Politics is what concerns the state AND the public life/sphere
- Public sphere = social space to which the public has access and
where private citizens can engage in debates pertinent to the public
interest without interference from the state
Broader view on the political
- Political = government, political associations, interest groups, NGO’s,
social movements, voluntary associations, community groups,
(social) media
- Non-political = private life (domestic, family life)
1
,Alternative distinction: political/personal
- Line between political and personal is not always easy to draw and
sometimes intentionally blurred
Compromise and consensus (process)
Politics is a means of resolving conflict through compromise and
consensus
- Key to politics is the wide dispersal of power: if power is shared
among a variety of societal actors, compromise and consensus is
inevitable
Political solution v. military solution
- That solution to the problem of order which chooses conciliation
rather than violence and coercion
Critique: restricted to Western pluralist democracies
Power (process)
Politics as struggle over scare resources; power as a mean through which
the struggle is conducted
- Politics at work in every social interaction and in all social activities
Politics is the exercise of power by one person/entity over another
- Power = when A gets B to do something that B wouldn’t otherwise
have done
- By use/threat of force, manipulation, promise of reward, creation of
loyalty, power of numbers…
Three faces
- Decision-making
o Ability to decide on the formal rules and laws
- Agenda setting
o Ability to make sure that some issues are being discussed or to
prevent issues from being discussed
- Thought control
o Ability to influence another by shaping what that person
thinks, wants or needs
Broadest definition of politics
- Broad range of activities and actors
- Politics takes place in the public and private sphere
Defining politics
Politics is the activity through which people make, preserve and amend
the general rules under which they live
- Borad working definition
Politics is a social activity
2
,Politics is linked to conflict and cooperation
- Development of rules to resolve conflicts and foster cooperation in
society
- Politics is the continual search for conflict resolution
Studying politics
“Politics is more difficult than physics” – Einstein
Origins of political science
- Originally seen as part of philosophy, law or history
- Throughout the 20th century: developed as a scientific discipline of
its own
A scientific discipline
- More than talking about politics
- Empirical tradition: observations of objective reality as a crucial test
for any theory or model about how politics works
- Based on
o Intellectual distance: ‘scientific objectivity’ and ‘political
neutrality’
o Guided by scientific principles, methods and tools
o In search of regularities: systematic inquiry
o Scientific ‘language’
A scientific language
- Approaches
o Govern the way through which you approach the world
o Philosophical tradition
o Empirical tradition: behaviouralism– rational choice – new
institutionalism – critical approaches
- Concepts
o Tools with which we think, criticize, argue, explain and analyse
o Refers to general idea about something (e.g. democracy,
conservatism…)
o Meaning of concept needs to be expressed in a definition
o Essentially contested concepts
- Models
o Offer a representation of reality
o Indicate links and ties between
different elements: reduce
complexity + simplify reality
- Theories
o Systematic explanation of
empirical data
o Used to describe and explain
political phenomena
3
, o Result from past research and direct future research
Nation States
What is a state?
States are a way of organising government
- Historically relatively new
- Most widespread
States…
- Are a form of social life (community)
- Are the most important community
- Are political, so power is vital
- Have symbols of statehood
States are also enormously varied
- Characteristics on which states can differ:
o Size – power – age – recognition
There are also other forms of government that share characteristics with
states, but are not considered to be a state
What are key features of states?
States have three core features:
- Territory
- Sovereignty
- People
Two additional features (Max Weber)
- Monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force
- Rule of law: the state itself is subject to law
Territory
State claims a geographical area which it considers to be exclusively its
own
- Does not need to be continuous (ex. The Netherlands + Curacao,
Bonaire), but should be persistent
- Includes coastal waters and airspace
Jurisdiction of the state is geographically defined
Activities linked to territory:
- Defend territory
- Guard borders
- Exploit resources on territory
Sovereignty
State holds the highest power and can act with complete freedom and
independence within its own territory
- power: two states can be sovereign, but cannot be as powerful
4
