FUNDAMENTALS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

THE NATURE AND SCOPE

OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
EDWIN D. CABANERO

OUTLINE personnel and human resource management, fiscal

I. What is Political Science management, and management of public relations.
II. Meaning of Political Science • Public Policy concerned with the assessment and
III. Fields of Political Science evaluation of the various policies pursued by the
IV. Methodology of Political Science government in different areas like Defense, Health, and
V. Meaning of Politics Education.
VI. Approach to the study of Politics • Political Dynamics focused on the influence of different
VII. Varifying Views of Politics societal forces in the political action and decision-making
VIII. Images of Politics in the Philippines of the state.
• Government and Business gives emphasis to
I. WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE? Governmental exercise of corporate or business function
as well as its regulatory function affecting the national
Political Science is a systematic of the state and the economy.
government. Political comes from the word “polis” which • Legislature focused on the important role played by the
means a “city” or “state”. Science on the other hand comes legislature in making laws.
from the Latin word “scire” which means “to know”. • Geopolitics delves on critically analyzing the influences
of population, resources, and the physical environment of
II. MEANING OF POLITICAL SCIENCE a country on its local and international politics.

• Catlin defined Political Science as the study of the act of IV. METHODOLOGY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
human and social control.
• Laswell said that Political Science is the study of shaping Political Science like other fields can also be studied by
and sharing of power. He also refers it to the study of employing different methods usually used by political scientist
activities of the government determining who gets what to understand certain political phenomena in the society.
and how (1935).
• Castaneda enunciated that it deals with the allocation Empirical Method
and transfer or power in decision-making, roles and or also called as observational method is based on the
system governance, political behaviour, and public observation and capturing experiences of various political
process (2010). institutions and their processes. This empirical method may
• De Leon defined it as the association of human beings also be used in determining the voting behaviour of the
into a political community, one, organized under a electorate to predict the outcome of an election winner.
government and law.
Historical Method
III. FIELDS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE employed by the political scientists to explain the present
political phenomena, political institutions, and processes. This
method relies on facts from the past to explain the present and
• Political Theory also called as Political Philosophy, it
possible developments within state.
consists of philosophical system and theories on the
origin, form behaviour and purpose of the state.
Comparative Method
• Public Law focused on the study of legal rules and
employed by the political scientist in providing solutions to
principles governing states, governments, and individuals
certain political problems by looking into contemporary
as they relate with one another. institutions and processes of different countries.
• Government studies the structure and functions of both
national and local governments within the context of one Analytical Method
state or country. employed the analytical method by looking at the cause-effect
• Comparative Government focuses on analyzing the relationships between two or more variables.
similarities and differences among states relative to their
Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of V. MEANING OF POLITICS
Government.
• International Relations focuses on the study of foreign — The capacity to say no to something dangerous and
policies of countries, international organizations, and inimical to the interest of the public. (Salonga 1995)
international law. — Politics is everywhere. (Lasswell in dahl 1986)
• Public Administration is an actual management of the
government in the realms of administrative organization,

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Main Traditions in defining Politics VIII. IMAGES OF POLITICS IN THE PHILIPPINES

> Politics-as-war Boardroom Politics involves decision-making by business

Is a race of power among greedy individuals and groups. executives and professionals with crucial consequences for
> Politics-as-process the people.
Described as the procedures and processes by which offices,
power, and goods are distributed ass well as winners and Bureaucratic Politics involves rule making and adjudication
losers are created. by Government bureaucrats.
> Politics-as-participation
In democracy, sovereign power resides to the people. People Congress Politics involves the making of policies by
decide on matters that affect their lives. senators and congressmen that affects both private and
public interests.
VI. APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF POLITICS
Chief Executive Politics dominated by the President of the
TRADITIONAL APPROACH Philippines and local government executive.
—Political Science are idealistic, philosophical, and utopian.
Courtroom Politics consists of orders and decisions made
1. Historical Approach by prosecutors, justices, and judges in reply to various interest
—emphasizes the use of past events to analyze and groups and aggrieved individuals.
explain political reality.
2. Institutional Approach New-born Multi-media Politics refers to the shaping of
—concerned with the study of formal structures and public opinion on issues of concern in society by the
institutions like the three branches of Government. newspaper, television, radio, and other forms of mass media.
3. Legal Approach
—concerned with the judicial process, courts, quasi- Faith-based Politics pertains to decision made by leaders
judicial bodies, administration of justice, and legal and members of religious groups and congregations, which
principles. have political implications.
4. Behaviour Approach
—concerned with the individual and group as a citizen Game of the General Politics involves premeditated actions
and voter. and decisions of Police and Military officers and men to effect
5. Political Economy Approach changes in the political arena.
—concerned with the relationship between
economics and politics. Civil Society Politics refers to pro-active lobbying by cause-
6. Sociological Approach oriented groups, people organizations, and non-governmental
—is when the state is more social than that of political organizations to influence decision-making by government
institutions. leaders.

MODERN POLITICAL SCIENCTIST X-Men Politics are not directly taken part in politics but are
—Political Science as a systematic study of politics. actively engaged in fixing self-serving political decisions
exemplify this image of politics.
1. Systems Approach
—uses input and output analysis. I. REVIEW QUESTIONS
2. Structural Functional Approach ● Question 1
—treats the society as a single inter-related system ● Question 2
where each part of the system has a definite and ● Question 3
distinct role play. Answer 1
3. Communication Theory Approach Answer 2
—tries to investigate how one segment of a system Answer 3
affects another by sending messages or information.
4. Decision Making Approach II. REFERENCES
—tries to find out the characteristics of decision ● APA format
makers as well s the type of influence the individuals
have on the decision makers.

VII. VARIFYING VIEW OF POLITICS

> Politics as Science – Activities and measures enacted by

the state are products of scientific methods of inquiry and
research based on empirical observations of facts.
> Politics as Art – When one gets what he wants or gets
things done without reference to power and authority
pertaining thereto, then politics can only be at its best shape
as an art. (Dannug and Campanilla)