Study Notes on Politics and Political Science for POLI112

POLI112: Study Notes on Politics and Political Science

Instructor Information

  • Instructor: Dr. Seshupo Mosala

  • Contact: Seshupo.Mosala@nwu.ac.za

  • Institution: North-West University (NWU)

Study Unit Outcomes

  • Upon completion of this study unit, students should be able to:

    • Define and distinguish the concepts of government and governance, politics and political science.

    • Understand various approaches to political science.

Understanding Politics

Multiple Definitions of Politics

  • Politics has various definitions, often interpreted in different contexts.

  • General Definition: Politics is an activity through which people make, preserve, and amend the general rules under which they live.

  • Politics is significantly connected to phenomena of conflict and cooperation.

Four Definitions of Politics by Heywood

  1. Politics as the Art of Government

    • Derives from the Greek word 'polis', meaning city-state.

    • Involves affairs of the city-state and encompasses the exercise of control through making and enforcing collective decisions.

    • Associated with government policy, but viewed as a limited definition focusing solely on government and legislature, reducing the perception to that of cunning and Machiavellian influences.

  2. Politics as Public Affairs

    • Philosopher Influence: Aristotle stated that “man is by nature a political animal,” suggesting that the political community enables humans to live the 'good life'.

    • Emphasizes that politics is exercised publicly through engagements within institutions deemed public.

    • Key Concepts:

      • General Will (Rousseau): Concept that reflects collective interests.

      • Public Engagement (Arendt): Important for interaction among free and equal citizens, with a caveat that politics should respect personal affairs.

    • Critique by feminists suggesting that traditional definitions often exclude women and perpetuate patriarchy.

  3. Politics as Compromise and Consensus

    • Highlights that conflict is an inevitable aspect of societal life.

    • Defines politics as a means to resolve conflict through compromise, conciliation, and negotiation.

    • Promotes peaceful debates over violent confrontations, with all parties making compromises to achieve consensus.

  4. Politics as Power

    • Connects politics to the concept of scarcity.

    • Power dynamics dictate who gets what, when, and how, reflecting the struggle over scarce resources.

    • Key Definitions:

      • Power: The ability to influence behavior.

      • Authority: The legitimate form of power.

Approaches to Political Science

Philosophical Tradition

  • Origin: Traced back to Ancient Greece.

  • Focus: Normative questions regarding what should, ought, or must occur in politics.

  • Key Thinkers: Plato, Aquinas, Augustine.

  • Significance: Their writings laid the groundwork for the traditional approach to politics through discussions of ethical implications and moral governance.

Empirical Tradition

  • Origin: Connects to the descriptive approaches of Aristotle and Machiavelli.

  • Focus on providing unbiased, objective accounts of political reality.

  • Seeks to analyze and explain political phenomena using methods grounded in empiricism.

  • Key Thinkers: John Locke, David Hume championing empiricism, advocating experience as the sole basis of knowledge.

  • Positivism is highlighted as employing methods similar to those used in the natural sciences.

Behavioralism

  • Proposes that social theories should stem solely from observable behavior to produce quantifiable data.

  • Aligns closely with empirical methods, emphasizing the methodology of the natural sciences.

Rational-Choice Theory

  • Heavily influenced by economic theory, focusing on self-interested behavior among individuals.

  • Involves concepts from game theory, notably the prisoner’s dilemma, illustrating strategic interactions.

New Institutionalism

  • Focuses on studying institutions, such as legislatures, bureaucracies, and political parties.

  • Analyzes the role and power of institutions within political systems.

Critical Approaches

  • Aims to reveal, analyze, and confront societal power structures.

  • Key Movements:

    • Marxism

    • Feminism

    • Post-colonialism

Concepts, Models, and Theories

Definitions

  • Concept: A general idea expressed in a single word or phrase, serving as a cognitive tool for thinking, arguing, analyzing, and imparting meaning.

  • Model: A theoretical representation of empirical data to facilitate understanding, such as political system models.

  • Theory: An explanation of empirical data, seeking to interpret and establish relationships between concepts.

Politics in a Global Age

  • Examines the state in the context of globalization and the implications for traditional political structures.

  • Highlights the anarchic character of international politics and the role of multinational and transnational corporations.

Question and Answers Session

  • Open forum for further inquiries.

  • Expression of gratitude for participation in the session.