Introduction to Political Science (original) (raw)
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Approaches in the Political Science Today
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In over 2,000 years of existence, approaches in political science evolved from philosophical and normative reflections on various forms of organization of the ancient world to contemporary interdisciplinary approaches based on refining concepts and theories accumulated over time and the use of complex research methodologies, own or borrowed from related fields of studies such as sociology, political psychology, econometrics, advanced statistics. Although quantitative approaches prevails in contemporary research, does not lack political philosophy studies, theoretical and ideological approaches, inspired by everyday realities and empirical research results.
Fundamentals for Political Scientists: Preliminaries & Review
2005
The goal of a science of politics is to identify general patterns among abstract concepts. That is, political scientists think about politics and invent abstract concepts that help us describe the political world. But a science of politics requires more than inventive description. It involves the specification of expected causal relationships among the concepts and, ultimately, the determination of whether those expected relationships comport with evidence.
The Philosophy and Methods of Political Science
The Philosophy and Methods of Political Science, 2016
The course is based around my new book of this title and also extends into the field of professional practice. Sessions are based around chapters of the book, though I might cover the ground in a slightly different order from the book. Students are advised to read the book before the course so that the material is relatively familiar and can be discussed more easily. Supplementary reading is suggested at the end. This is provided for students to follow up on topics. The course is designed to examine explanation in political science and foster careful consideration of what types of method are appropriate for different research questions. It does not teach research methods as such. I do not teach any specific qualitative or quantitative techniques, but rather explore what we can do with different methods. The readings below are not required for the sessions; rather they enable students to follow up on topics. A more comprehensive list can be provided. Expectations are what students are expected to comprehend after the relevant session. READING Students should read the relevant chapters of Keith Dowding, The Philosophy and Methods of Political Science, London: Palgrave, 2016 before the course. The reading below is not required, but any reading prior to the course will be helpful. These suggestions are to enable students to follow up on topics that take their interest and as it is useful for their own work.
Politics and Political Science
The concepts of politics and political science are often confused and interchanged. Indeed, they deal with very similar topics, but they are deeply different in meaning. The term " politics " refers to the state of affairs of a country, including the structure of its government and the decisions taken by the ruling party. Conversely, the term " political science " refers to the theoretical analysis of all political systems, including their origins, their underlying values and their goals. While the idea of politics refers to the concrete implementation of social and economic policies, political science provides a more comprehensive understanding of governance and gives us the tools to interpret the government's actions.
OBJECTIVES 1) To understand the changing meaning, nature and scope of politicalscience. 2) To understand the various methods of the study of the politicalscience.