Introduction to Political Science

Political Science: The study of politics, government systems, and political behavior.
Sub-disciplines:
- Comparative Politics
- International Relations
- Political Theory
- Public Administration
- Public Policy

State: A political entity with a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter relations with other states.
Sovereignty: The authority of a state to govern itself without external interference.
Power: The ability to influence others and achieve goals, often categorized as:
- Coercive Power: Through force or intimidation.
- Persuasive Power: Through argument or appeal.
- Institutional Power: Comes from positions within organizations.

Realism: Focuses on power and national interests in international relations.
Liberalism: Emphasizes cooperation, democracy, and international organizations.
Constructivism: Highlights the role of ideas, beliefs, and identity in politics.

Democracy: Government by the people, typically through elected representatives. Types include:
- Direct Democracy: Citizens directly participate in decision-making.
- Representative Democracy: Citizens elect representatives to make decisions.
Authoritarianism: Concentration of power in a single authority or small group, limiting political freedoms.
Totalitarianism: An extreme form of authoritarianism with total control over public and private life.

Unitary System: Centralized government; regional authorities derive power from the central government.
Federal System: Divides powers between national and regional governments.
Confederal System: A union of sovereign states, allowing for a weak central authority.

Conservatism: Emphasizes tradition, social stability, and maintaining established institutions.
Liberalism: Advocates for individual freedoms, equality, and government intervention for social justice.
Socialism: Seeks to redistribute resources more equitably, emphasizing social ownership and democratic management of the economy.
Libertarianism: Prioritizes individual liberty, with minimal state intervention in personal and economic matters.

Political Culture: The set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments that shape political behavior.
Political Participation: The ways in which citizens engage in politics, including voting, activism, and civic engagement.
Public Opinion: The collective attitudes and beliefs of individuals on political issues.

Quantitative Methods: Use of statistical techniques to analyze data (e.g., surveys).
Qualitative Methods: In-depth analysis of political phenomena (e.g., case studies, interviews).
Comparative Analysis: Examining similarities and differences across political systems.

Globalization: Increasing interconnectedness of states and economies.
Populism: Political approach that seeks to represent the interests of ordinary people, often in opposition to the elite.
Environmental Politics: Evolving focus on climate change and sustainability within policy-making.

Political science studies power, government, and political behavior.
Sub-disciplines include comparative politics, international relations, political theory, public administration, and public policy.

A state features a defined territory, permanent population, government, and capacity for external relations.
Sovereignty refers to a state's self-governing authority without external interference.
Power is the ability to influence outcomes.
- Coercive power uses force or intimidation.
- Persuasive power relies on argument or appeal.
- Institutional power derives from organizational positions.

Democracy involves government by the people.
- Direct democracy allows citizens to directly participate in decision-making.
- Representative democracy involves elected representatives making decisions.
Authoritarianism concentrates power in a single authority or small group, limiting political freedoms.
Totalitarianism represents an extreme form of authoritarianism with total control over public and private life.

A unitary system features a centralized government where regional authorities derive power from the central government.
A federal system divides power between national and regional governments.
A confederal system is a union of sovereign states with a weak central authority.

Conservatism emphasizes tradition, social stability, and maintaining established institutions.
Liberalism advocates individual freedoms, equality, and government intervention for social justice.
Socialism seeks equitable resource distribution, emphasizing social ownership and democratic economic management.
Libertarianism prioritizes individual liberty with minimal state intervention in personal and economic matters.

Political culture encompasses the attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments shaping political behavior.
Political participation refers to citizen engagement in politics, including voting, activism, and civic engagement.
Public opinion represents the collective attitudes and beliefs of individuals on political issues.

Quantitative methods use statistical techniques to analyze data (e.g., surveys).
Qualitative methods involve in-depth analysis of political phenomena (e.g., case studies, interviews).
Comparative analysis examines similarities and differences across political systems.

Globalization refers to the increasing interconnectedness of states and economies.
Populism is a political approach seeking to represent ordinary people's interests, often in opposition to the elite.
Environmental politics focuses on integrating climate change and sustainability concerns into policy-making.