Introduction to the Discipline of Political Science

Vocabulary flashcards based on the introductory lecture for political science, covering definitions, historical philosophers, and various branches of the discipline.

Politics

The organization of thoughts, processes, systems and human behaviors in order to have a political result, originating from a Greek word meaning citizens or affairs of citizens.

Political Science

The study of politics and the concept of state and nation.

Political power

The idea of having influence and control in a country based on a legitimate claim by virtue of laws or lineage.

State

A group of people living in a specific territory with a legitimate government enjoying sovereignty from any foreign control recognized under international law.

Elements of a State

The four specific political elements of people, government, territory and sovereignty.

Nation

An ethnical concept that considers the history, social, cultural and belief system of a group of people.

Aristotle

A philosopher who wrote Nicomachean Ethics and argued that citizens should lead a virtues life supported by the state community.

Plato

A Greek philosopher who wrote The Republic and explored the concept of justice as the foundation of a great state to promote the common good.

St. Augustine

Author of The City of God who taught that governments should be run by rulers with high moral standards to lead citizens in submission to God.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Author of The Social Contract who argued that a state is legitimate only if guided by the general will of its members to reconcile individual freedom with state authority.

Baron de Montesquieu

A thinker who suggested a system of laws and accountability between government branches to ensure proper function and prevent corruption.

Citizenship

A status related to the state which a person can loss and gain, or choose through legal procedures.

Nationality

A status related to the nation that is permanent to the person because of birth.

Ancient Times (History)

A period characterized by Aristotle’s focus on the ideal state motivated by moral standards of living and virtues.

Medieval Period (History)

A period where Church and State were considered equal and complementary in human affairs.

Renaissance Period (History)

A period where secular ideas were introduced and focus shifted toward the study of the state.

Enlightenment Age

The era when the theory of social contract was born, defining the state as an agreement among people for a political structure.

Modern Era (History)

A period focused on balancing power through revolutions, deposing monarchs, and removing elite systems.

Political Theory

A branch of political science that studies concepts and ideas using critical analysis.

Comparative Politics

A branch that focuses on the differences and similarities of governments, political structures and systems worldwide.

Public Administration

The branch concerned with the actual management of state affairs, also known as governance.

Political Economy

The branch that studies the relationship between economics and politics.

International Relations

The branch dealing with maintaining, cooperating, and participating in harmonious relationships between countries.

Political Scientist

A scholar who aims to contribute to the body of knowledge in political science, often acting as a traveler, adventurer, or contributor to international and space politics.