Introduction to Political Science Study Guide

Henri de saint Simon

“politics could become a positive science. based on evidence and not emotions.

August comte

“politics could become a social physics and discover scientific laws and social progress”

Institutionalism (Traditionalism)

Examining laws, government offices, to explain politics “government classes”

Mid 20th Century

new drive to make disciplines more “scientific”

Behavioralism

human behavior can be observed, quantified and explained in an objective, scientific way. (Ex. Quantified data and analytics)

late 20th Century

some question behavioralism’s ability to truly answer important questions

Post Behaviorlism - current era

-values do not have to be neglected

-research should be relevant to real world

-integrate empirical rigor of behaviorism with the normative concerns

What does Political Science fall under ?

Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Mathematics

Power

The ability to make others comply with your will

• Perhaps the defining element of the discipline of p.s

• Affects how countries interact, how resources are distributed, how people pursue interest.

Force

excersise of power by physical means

Ex. War, riots, assaults, threats, obstructing access

Non-Violent Force

Demonstrations, marches, boycotts, sit-ins

Persuasion

exercise of power by non-physical elements

(Ex. speechmaking, lobbying, and debating)

Manipulation

persuasion with concealed motivation/intent

Exchange

swapping favors for support

Political Capital

the basis in political popularity that can influence exchange

Authority

recognized right to enforce will of the government

• granted to government entities by constitutional documents, laws, and court rulings

• other countries recognize

Legitimacy

Popular acceptance go the right of government to exercise authority

• legitimacy gives government stability

• lack of it makes government unstable- prone to overthrow, and revolution

Order

Structures, Rules, Practices that maintain stability in society

• can be associated with obedience

• can be associated with adhering the laws

• can be voluntarily followed

• can be imposed by state

State

a political organization that has governance over a group of people within its territorial boundaries

Non-Governmental Organizations (Non-State Actors)

non-state, voluntary groups that pursue political or humanitarian objectives

(Ex. International Red Cross)

Intergovernmental Organizations

NGOS whose members are only states

Ex. United Nations

Sovereignty

ability of state to carry out governance

• usually recognized by other states

• non-state actors have limited soverignty

Nation

group of people who share common, custom, religion, ethnicity, language, culture, and identity

Nationalism

identification with one’s own nation and support for its interest

• sometimes to the exclusion or detriment

• often seeking aim of gaining and maintaining the nation’s sovereignty over its homeland

  Ex.Cherokee Nation/ Nazis

Constitution

Fundamental document of government’s scope, power, limits, and citizen’s rights

Institutions

branches of government, agencies, etc

actors

politicians, bureaucrats (make authoratative decisions for society)

Justice

Fairness in executing law, sharing burdens, allocating resources

Public goods

non-exclusive and available to all members of society

(Frequently administered by government)

Civil Liberties

Rights of individuals to act as they please, without hurting others; to be protected from government

Ex. Freedom of Speech

Civil Rights

Rights of people to fair and equal treatment (identify groups facing discrimination)

Ex- Due process, equal protection under law

Human Rights/ Natural Rights

Rights most people accept are universal

• should be protected by all governments, life, safety, dignity, equal treatment, education

Representation

People in government act in way to reflect this constituents beliefs and desires

• Elected or appointed representation

• Essential element of modern democratic governments

Political Culture

the political ideals, norms, beliefs and actions to which a large group adhere. “the political rule book”

• gives order and meaning to a political process

• sets the boundaries of acceptable behavior

Ideology

A certain set of ideas, principles, and beliefs about how government and society should work

• consistent and coherent (for some)

• A filter through which people politics, economics, morality, etc

Scientific Method

For political science we must follow mythology systematic scheme for investigation

Review Scientific Method

OK

Dependent Variable

The phenomena you’re trying to explain

Independent Variable

Phenomena used question changes

Empiricism/ Empirical

A way of knowing or understanding the world that relies directly or indirectly upon what can be observed

Ex. Height

Normative

The opposite of empirical (what we believe it should be)

Objectivity

Observation free from scientists’ biases

Subjectivity

Observation and analysis that is filtered through and shaped by individual beliefs

Phemenon(a)

things that happen in the real world that explains why scientists try to describe, explain or predict

Concept

An idea or mental construct that represents phenomena in the real world

Conceptual Definition

a description of the measurable properties the units of analysis to which the concept applies

Ex. Amount of money a person makes a year

Operational Defintion

A description of the instrument that is used to transform a concept into a variable through empirical measurement or quantification dollar amount (High- Middle- Low)

Quanitive Analysis

Concepts are operationalized to give numeric value and examined with statistical analysis to determine existence of relationships

Qualitative Analysis

Analysis of concepts through verbal description, especially of historical events

Experiment

Examines hypothesis using test and control group

Quasi Experiment

emulates experiment using quantified concepts and statistical analysis

Case Studies

Detailed experimentation of a single aspect of a historical episode to develop or test historical explanations that may be generalizable

Comparative Method

compare details of select few cases to test hypothesis against

observer effect

the act of observing can disturb or alter the observed system

Plato (student of Socrates)

“Only the true enlightened should rule, everyone else is too self centered to pursue public good”

Aristotle (Student of Plato)

“The state must be concerned with highest good, which is the general advantage of (common good)

St.Thomas Aquinas (Catholic Priest)

Divine Law —> Natural law (participation in divine law by rational creatures)—> human law

• these laws can be used to shape the nature of man, prevent wicked, and do good

Niccolo Machiavelli (First Realist)

• Separate study of politics from religion and ethics

• Maintaining and strategically using power

• Economy and Violence- force should only be used when nesscessary, otherwise will diminish prince’s power

Thomas Hobbes Created what ?

The Leviathan

John Locke

(Two treaties of government)

• In absence of society and government people live in a state of true nature

• “nasty, brutish, and short”

• people warring against each other

Jeremy Bentham (Utlitarinism)

The best outcome is the most common good for the greatest number of people

John Stuart Mill (On liberty)

The liberty is the ability to excersise one’s will until they may curtail someone’s else liberty

• liberty Is “protection against tyranny of the political rulers”

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (communism)

All of history is a class struggle between bourgeois and proletariant

• bourgeois work to keep proletariant unequal through control of means of protection

• limited government is not enough to protect people

• most overthrow system

John Rawls (2002)

• The best state (basic state) enshrines two principles of justice and fairness

Ideology

A certain set of beliefs, ideas, principles about how government and society should work

Ends and Means

Ideology defined by what goals they have and what methods they are willing to achieve

Démocrate Ideology (Conservatism, Liberalism)

Conservatism

Conserving some status quo

• social, economic, cultural, religious, political

• social morality

• security and order

• class (TRADITIONALLY)

• People are naturally unequal

• People need strong intuitions to teach morality churches, schools

• Morality is more important than individual freedom

Economic Conservatism

Embrace Capitalism as economic system

• individuals own means of production

• public demand drives production

• wealth can be accumulated

• little to no taxes

Liberalism

Change some status quo

• Liberalize and make more things available to more people

• Expansive liberty- freedom is broader

• Expanded Equality

• State action to enhance individual freedom

Economic Liberalism

Government should alleviate negative aspects of capitalism

• Individuals can own means of production, but no monopolies

• Regulation for safety, fair wages, but impose taxes to redistribute

• be active to promote social welfare

Socialism

Citizens are best served by guaranteeing all groups well-being and economic security

• more important than individual wealth

• Individuals can and should liver cooperatively

• more important than individual self reliance

• Public ownership of public economic sectors

Social Democracy

Believe in Integrating socialism and democracy

• collectivist ends through democratic means

• Supports peaceful, gradual efforts toward socialism

• Believe in Democratic elections and civil liberties

Libertarianism

Elements of Liberalism and Conservatism

• Less government action in as many ways possible

• Capitalism unregulated

• Very little taxes and redistribution of wealth

• individual behavior regulated

Feminism

Promotes the political, economic, and social equality of women

• critical patriarchy- rule and privilege of men as a group over women as a group

• social, cultural, economic, political, educational, health, and safety implications

Environmentalism

Humans have reposonsibility to protect resources from depletion

-caretakers of earth, not possessors

-Substainability in consumption

• prevent ecological damage

• fight climate change

Communism (background Industrial Revolution)

Mechanization of industry and manufacturing

• necessity of urbanization- overcrowding, poverty, diseases

• Discontent of working class

• challenge of capitalism and democracy emerged in form of communism

Marxism (Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels)

The communist manifesto

• Critical of capitalism (Capitalism causes in equality)

• states maintain capitalist order

• working class vs wealthy class (bourgeois)

• Revolution nesscessary to throw government

Communist Economics

Planned Economy, state decides what to produce, how much, where, and price of products

• State monopoly and organization of manufacturing, agritculture, transportation, communication

facism

WW1 aftermath —> Communist —> Threat +Depression + Racism

-Economic Collapse

• Polarization

• Democracy is weak

• cannot handle threats from left/ communists

• must establish regime under one strong leader

• establish a unified society in which all individuals exist for nation’s purpose

Totalarian

State controls and influence over all areas of society, politics, and economy

Ultra-Nationalism

The “nation” as ethnic, religious, cultural group, must be protected and prompted, above all else

Ex. Racism, Xenophobia , zealotry, bigotry)

Anti-Pacifism

violence, militarism, imperialism

Anti-Intellectual

dogma over reason, reactionary, distort, myth and religion, weaponize fear

Anti-Ethnic

Outsiders- Social Dwarfism, Racism

Anti- Individual

Totarianism control , denial of human equality

Anti international

against international organizations and law

Facist Economics (coporatism)

State and elite control of market, business and industry

• all real power lies with elites

• cooperation have great legislature power through lobbies and interest groups

• Protectionism, monopolies, anti-union

Neo-facism (Post WW2)

Ultra nationalistic (Xenophobic, Promote violence)

Ex. Proud boys, Patriotic Front, national Democratic Party

Monocharism

Only one person qualified to rule state

• usually based on heredity

• usually based on belief of divine right to rule

Fundamentalism

seeks to merge religion and state (secularism no religion is bad)

• All political institutions civil rights, and civil liberties subordinate to perceived will of gods/god

• religous law must influence state law

• leaders should be religious

Anarchism

Abolish all forms of hierarchical government

• Organize society on voluntary, cooperative basis without compulsion

• not opposed to violence or lawlessness to achieve