Introduction to Political Science PDF

Introduction to Political Science 01. Politics, political science, and basic concepts Sándor Gallai, PhD Negative perceptions and connotations of politics Approaches to politics: power, institutions, deliberation, struggle, game, ruling and leadership, corruption 4 Topics of the semester ▪...

Introduction to Political Science 01. Politics, political science, and basic concepts Sándor Gallai, PhD Negative perceptions and connotations of politics Approaches to politics: power, institutions, deliberation, struggle, game, ruling and leadership, corruption 4 Topics of the semester ▪ 11. 09. Politics, political science, basic concepts ▪ 18. 09. Constitutions, legislative and executive branches ▪ 25. 09. Judiciary and other institutions ▪ 02. 10. Political systems and regimes ▪ 09. 10. Parties, party systems, political movements ▪ 16. 10. Representation, elections and referendums ▪ 23. 10. Public policy and interest groups ▪ 30. 10. Autumn break (no class) ▪ 06. 11. All Saints’ day (no class) ▪ 13. 11. Political ideologies ▪ 20. 11. Political culture and cleavages ▪ 27. 11. Media and politics ▪ 04. 12. National and international politics, globalisation ▪ 11. 12. Test writing Problems with defining politics ▪ Politics as a loaded term – few people politics without preconceptions; not the game of experts, common sense, interferences ▪ Politics inextricably linked to CONFLICT and COOPERATION ▪ Politics as a contested concept, seen variously as 1. The art of government 2. Public affairs 3. Compromise and consensus 4. Distribution of power and resources 5. ”Who gets what, when, how?” (Lasswell) + WHY? 6. ”Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed” (Mao Zedong) Molly Ivins (journalist, Texas): ”You can’t ignore politics, no matter how much you’d like to. 6 Politics as the art of government ▪ ”Politics is an art. The art of the possible, the attainable.” (Chancellor Bismarck) ▪ Politics is understood as that which concerns the state = state affairs ▪ State: territory, population, institutions+organs, legitimate used of force, citizenship ▪ To study politics is to study government – and the exercise of authority (rulers and ruled) ▪ Distinction between good and bad / government and governance ▪ Offers a highly restrictive view of politics – most institutions and activities (businesses, schools, families) seen as ‘non-political’ (”subjects”); politics WAS the ground of narrow social groups ▪ Politics / polity / policy ▪ Lorenzetti: The Allegory of Good / Bad Government (Siena) 7 Politics as the management of public affairs 8 Separation of private from public ▪ Changes over time and space (e.g. from security to welfare) ▪ Bounderies: political decision (primacy of politics) ▪ Families, tribes, city-states (polis/poleis), states, empires ▪ Modernity (from absolutism to enlightenment) 9 Politics as compromise and consensus ▪ Conflict: competition between opposing forces, diversity of opinions/needs/preferences/interests ▪ Cooperation: working together, achieving common goals through collective actions ▪ Politics as a means of resolving conflicts (by compromise and negotiation, rather than through force) – normative (vs. descriptive/realist approaches) – community/identity ▪ Based on faith in the efficacy of debate and discussion, as well as on the belief that society is characterized by consensus, rather than by irreconcilable conflicts ▪ A growing disenchantment with ”democratic politics” across much of the developed world (the rise of populism; favouring conflicts over compromise and consensus) 10 Politics as power ▪ Realists: power as the core of politics/governance (who gets, what…); power as ”acting in concert” ▪ Marxists and feminists: see politics at work in all social activities and in every corner of human existence; power/class struggle ▪ Politics is, in essence, power: gaining/keeping/exercising power ▪ ”Power over” vs. ”power to” – social vs. political power (friends/enemies) ▪ Power and ruling (the way power is exercised) ▪ Origins and justification of power – authority, legitimacy, sovereignty 11 The science of politics Notions from other fields: supply, demand, cartel (economics) class (sociology) attitude, behaviour (psychology) charisma (theology) Criteria: Falsifiability Seeking to find «truth» Normative vs. positive Objectivity / value-free Methodology Concepts, paradigms Social vs. Natural sciences Sources, methods, expected outcomes How can we measure scientific results, achievements? 12 13 Approaches to the study of politics ▪ The philosophical tradition ▪ The empirical tradition (institutionalism) ▪ Behaviouralism ▪ Rational-choice theory ▪ New/neo-institutionalism ▪ Critical approaches (posztmodern, Marxist, feminist views) ▪ Opinion, political (politician’s) knowledge, knowledge of a political scientist 14 Rules of the game, key players, mechanisms – trip to politics and political science ▪ Who decides on the rules? Who decides on the rulers? (who is the sovereign? institutions?) ▪ Is there a control over the rulers? (accountability, spearation of powers?) ▪ What is the relationship between the rulers and the ruled ones? (participation? autocracy? rule of law? legitimacy? regimes?) ▪ What drives the rulers? (beliefs, security, welfare, ideologies, public/private gains) ▪ What are the values, traditions, visions in the community? (political culture, common law) ▪ Who are the key players? (states, nations, minorities, parties, interest groups, citizens) ▪ What is the arena and the environment? (national, trans- and supranational; sovereginty and constraints) 15 Thank you for your attention! [email protected]