Introduction to Political Science chapter 2

These flashcards cover key concepts and definitions from the lecture on political science, including major topics such as power, authority, legitimacy, and different approaches to studying politics.

Politics

The process by which groups make decisions involving the use of power.

Power

The ability of one person to cause another to do what the first wishes, by whatever means.

Authority

The ability to concentrate power, often related to legitimacy.

Legitimacy

The belief that a government has the right to exercise authority, which can vary among the population.

Government

A group of people with ultimate authority within a territory, exercising power in society.

Political Action

A process that involves the use of power to reach collective choices for common solutions to problems.

Empirical Theories

Statements describing how things work based on observations and explaining why events occur.

Normative Theories

Statements that make judgments about what should be, rather than describing how things are.

State

An organized territory with authority over borders and the welfare of its citizens.

Behavioral Political Science

A quantitative approach focusing on analyzing broad patterns across cases using statistical data.

Interpretive Political Science

A qualitative approach emphasizing historical and philosophical aspects of politics.