Political Science: Introduction to Politics and Government PDF

Political Science: Introduction to Politics and Government Lecture 1: Studying Politics  What is Political Science? We could define political science simply as the systematic study of politics. The origins of political science are traced back to the works of ancient...

Political Science: Introduction to Politics and Government Lecture 1: Studying Politics  What is Political Science? We could define political science simply as the systematic study of politics. The origins of political science are traced back to the works of ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle. As an academic discipline it developed in the late 19th century and focused on institutions and constitutional law.  Why Study Politics? Understanding politics is essential in order to take effective action to achieve our goals and ideals. Understanding politics can help you to think about: the issues that arise in politics how to achieve what is best for yourself and your community and how to recognize some of the obstacles that hinder the achievement of your goals.  Politics: An Introduction Politics surrounds and affects our daily lives Cynicism is common, but healthy skepticism leads to better informed citizens Politics is actually a progressive discipline This course will look at politics critically, but will consider how politics could improve our lives at home and abroad  Politics Politics is part of the social sciences Social sciences: scientific study of human society and social relationships Not a ‘trade’, but a discipline It teaches analytical thought, critical analysis, description, argumentation, and importance of balanced research It shows us why events take place, how situations can be improved, and how it is we come to know what we do  Questions of Politics What do governments do? Rights and responsibilities What do citizens want? Rights and responsibilities Who has power? How do individuals and groups participate?  Questions of Politics How do we distinguish political systems? Why is conflict so prevalent in the world? How is wealth distributed? Why does such inequity exist? Harold Lasswell neatly described the fundamental question of politics in his book Politics: Who Gets What, When, How?  Liberal Democracy? How decisions are made and carried out depends on your political system Two main types looked at in this course: Liberal democracy: a political system based on freedom, individual liberty, and the principle that governance requires the assent of all citizens through participation in the electoral process, articulation of views, and direct or indirect representation in governing institutions Authoritarianism: political system requiring absolute obedience to a constituted authority  Basic Concepts - Power Power is often defined as the ability to achieve an objective by influencing the behaviour of others. The resources that give individuals and groups the potential to exert political power are unequally distributed. Power is often thought of in terms of some having power over others, or in a more positive way as the power to achieve collective goals. Basic Concepts – Power cont’d Political power can be exerted in different ways. Through coercion, which involves using fear or threats of harmful consequences to achieve an outcome. Through inducements, which involves achieving an outcome by offering a reward or bribe. Through persuasion, which may involve the use of truthful information to encourage people to act in accordance with their own interests, or the use of misleading information to manipulate people.  Basic Concepts - Authority and Legitimacy Authority represents the right to exercise power that is accepted by those being governed as legitimate. Max Weber described three basic types of authority (charismatic, traditional, legal- rational) each of which could try to establish its legitimacy in its own way. A government whose rule is considered legitimate can rely more on authority than on coercion to get people to obey laws.  Basic Concepts - The Common Good Ideally politics is about pursuing the common good of a political community. In the contemporary world, democracy is seen as the form of government most likely to actually pursue the common good. The common good of the country may not be the same as the common good of other political communities to which we belong (i.e. local, provincial, global).  Approaches to Politics Like any field, politics has many different methods and approaches These are based on the rich history of political thought and ideologies Aristotle said humans possess ‘logos’ which means we reason, and we communicate Justice in society is our goal Injustice often exists instead  Empirical, Normative and Policy Analysis Empirical analysis involves explaining various aspects of politics, particularly by using observation and comparison to develop generalizations. Normative analysis includes examining ideas about how the community should be governed and what values should be pursued through politics. Policy analysis involves evaluating existing policies and assessing possible alternatives to deal with particular problems.  Analytical Approach Also called the ‘traditional approach’ Analytical approach: perspective that views politics as an empirical (that can be observed) discipline, rather than a science; politics cannot be broken down into parts, but must be seen comprehensively Oldest approach in politics Sees politics as a comprehensive study, based on empiricism  Behaviouralism After World War II, universities were pressured by governments to spend more on sciences That affected social sciences, too Politics was urged to be more rigourous and use the ‘scientific method’  Scientific Method Using variables, theories, axioms, and hypotheses in research Rigour, where accuracy is sought through consistency, testing, and use of accepted principles, laws and approaches Focus on the tangible, rather than values Humans and human behaviour Behaviouralism: perspective that concentrates on the ‘tangible’ aspects of political life, rather than values; objective was to establish a discipline that was ‘scientific’ and objective  Post-Behaviouralism Understood that values cannot be ignored Post-behaviouralism brought values back in Post-behaviouralism: approach that attempted to reconcile the problems encountered by behaviouralism by allowing for values and ideology in its analysis The human is the focus of attention, so human sentiment and views cannot be removed  Structural-Functionalism Politics is not just about behaviour Importance of institutions and their functions Structural-functionalism: approach that focuses on the role of political structures and their functions in society Government structures bind with individual action  Questions All approaches attempt to answer these questions: 1. What is the political issue at hand? 2. Who is involved? 3. How did the events unfold? 4. Why did the events take place? 5. How was society affected by these events?  Citizens and Canada What does it mean to be ‘Canadian’? What does it mean to be a citizen? Citizenship: status granted to citizens that comes with responsibilities and duties as well as rights Conditions come with citizenship, either through abiding by laws and norms, or even writing a test!  Multiculturalism For Canadians, citizenship is a many varied thing Canada is an immigrant nation, meaning that its growth in numbers has always been a fact since Europeans first met First Nations peoples Multiculturalism: where several racial, cultural, or ethic identities coexist peacefully in one nation