Relationship between Political Science and Politics!

There is no real difference between Political Science and Politics. Political Science studies Politics i.e. all
political relations and interactions in society. Hence it cart be called Politics. Modern Political Scientists
do not make a distinction between the two. They reject the traditional view which makes a distinction
between these two.
Let us study both traditional and modern views regarding the relationship between Political Science and
Politics:

1. Traditional View:

Difference between Political Science & Politics The traditional scholars made a distinction between the
discipline of Political Science which studies State and Government, and Politics stands for current
problems and issues being faced by the government.
Scholars like Pollock suggest a distinction between Theoretical Politics (Political Science) and Applied
Politics (Politics). The former is described as the theory of State and Government and the latter as the
practice of State and Government.

Points Difference between Political Science & Politics:

1. Politics means the issues, problems and political activities which are actually taking place in
society. Against it, Political Science is a social science which studies the State and Government.

 A state is a geographic entity that enjoys sovereignty while a government is an organization that
creates, defines, and enforces the laws of the state.
 .A government is given legislative, executive, and judicial powers to administer the state while
the state must have people, land, sovereignty, and government in order to be recognized.
 .Both have different types, but while a state exists on its own and remains as it is no matter who
runs it, governments can be replaced according to the people’s will.
 A state is the territory while a government is the entity that administers or manages the territory.

2. Politics is concerned with the day to day actual activities of the Government. Political Science seeks to
study the origin, nature, and functions of the State, Government and its all organs.
3. Politics differs from State to State and within a State from time to time. The principles of Political
Science are universal. Politics in India and Britain is different but the theory of Political Science is the
same in both the countries.
4. Whereas each one of us is involved in politics, either, directly or indirectly, Political Science is studied
only by the students of this social discipline.
Explaining the difference between Politics and Political Science Bluntschli writes, “Politics is an art
which is related to the practical problems of State and Government; as against it, Political Science is the
science of State.”

2. Modern View: No difference between Politics & Political Science:

In contemporary times all political scientists believe that there is no real difference between Politics and
Political Science. Political Science studies Politics and hence can be called Politics. State and
Government are the two main institutions of political life of man. These are the main objects of study in
Politics. The terms Politics and Political Science are synonyms.
Politics or Political Science means the study of all political relations and interactions. Political relations
and interactions are those which are involved in the exercise of power in society. Modern Political
Scientists do not accept any distinction between Politics and Political Science. They hold that Politics is
an appropriate name for describing the study of state, government, political relations and political
processes

ELEMENTS OF THE STATE

State
-first used by niccolo Machiavelli in the “Prince”
o Population
o Territory
o Government
o Sovereignty- supreme authority

The Development of Political Science

For as long as humans have formed communities, people have debated and analyzed politics, or the way
groups of people, particularly governments, reach agreements and make decisions that will affect the
entire society.

The Ancient and Medieval Worlds

The word politics comes from the Greek word polis, which means “city-state.” Probably the first person
to use the term political science was Aristotle, a Greek philosopher who argued in favor of living a
virtuous life.

Political science in the ancient and medieval worlds was closely linked to philosophy and theology. It
often consisted of advice for rulers on how to govern justly. Numerous thinkers and scholars advanced the
study of politics and government, including:

Plato (c. 427–c. 347 bce): One of the greatest western philosophers, Plato wrote several dialogues
about political matters, including The Republic (c. 360 bce).
Aristotle (384–322 bce): A student of Plato’s, Aristotle applied empirical methods to the study of
politics.
St. Augustine (ce 354–430): Augustine’s City of God (419) argued for the centrality of salvation to life,
even with regard to politics.
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274): Aquinas helped reintroduce Aristotle to Europe and melded
Aristotelian thought with Christianity.

Modern Europe

In the fifteenth century, Europe began to change dramatically as the modern world slowly emerged. In art,
science, economics, religion, and politics, Europeans started to break away from tradition and forge new
ways of understanding the world. Among the key thinkers of this time were political philosophers, who
attempted to establish a systematic understanding of politics. These thinkers include:
 Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527): Machiavelli’s book The Prince (written c. 1513; published in 1532)
portrayed politics as a struggle for power, and in it he urged rulers to lie, cheat, and kill to get ahead.
Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679): Hobbes attempted to use the methods of geometry to arrive at an
irrefutable science of politics. Hobbes argued for absolute monarchy.
John Locke (1632–1704): Locke argued for a democratic government that respected individual and
property rights. His writings greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson, as reflected in the Declaration of
Independence.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778): Rousseau’s iconoclastic attack on tradition contributed to the
French Revolution. His book The Social Contract (1762) states, “Man is born free, and he is everywhere
in chains,” an important sentiment during the American and French revolutions.

Industrialization and Empire

As the Industrial Revolution overtook Europe and the United States in the nineteenth century, socials
theorists began to change their approach to political science. They began relying on statistical data and
empirical observation to understand politics; in this way, these thinkers began to emphasize the science
part of political science. Universities also began creating political science departments, which cemented
the status of political science as an academic discipline. Some significant philosophers and thinkers from
this period include:

Karl Marx (1818–1883): A philosopher and social scientist who saw the economy as the key institution
in society. He argued that employers in a capitalist society exploit their workers and that the capitalist
classes pass laws to benefit themselves. His books The Communist Manifesto and Capital spurred the
Russian Revolution of 1917.
John William Burgess (1844–1931): A professor who created a political science department at
Columbia University that sought to train students for a life of public service. This was the first such
department in the United States, and it helped institutionalize and legitimize political science as an
academic discipline.
Herbert Baxter Adams (1850–1901): A professor who introduced seminar-style learning into colleges
in the United States. According to legend, Adams was the first westerner to use the term political science
(Aristotle was the first person to use the term itself).
Max Weber (1864–1920): An economist and sociologist who argued that religion, not economics, is
the central force in social change. According to Weber, Protestants seeking an outward affirmation of
their godliness brought about the birth of capitalism.

The Twentieth Century and Beyond

In the 1950s, a new approach to political science called behavioralism emerged. Behavioralists argued
that political scientists should focus on behavior, not institutions or motives. Although behavioralism has
been heavily debated, it remains the predominant paradigm in political science today. Some of the most
influential contemporary political scientists include:

Gabriel Almond (1910–2002): A professor who not only developed the concept of political culture but
also revolutionized the subfield of comparative politics. The Politics of the Developing Areas (1960),
which he co-authored, opened the doors for American political scientists to begin studying the political
processes at work in non-Western countries.
 David Easton (1917– ): The professor who developed the behavioral model of political science in the
1950s. The Political System: An Inquiry into the State of Political Science (1953) is probably his most
famous work.
John Rawls (1921–2002): A professor who was widely considered to be the most important political
philosopher of the twentieth century. His book A Theory of Justice (1971) argued that we should strive to
develop a society based on equality.
Robert O. Keohane (1941– ): A professor who helped develop the neoliberal theory of international
relations. A 2005 poll in the journal Foreign Policy named him the most influential scholar of
international relations.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE

GOVERNMENT- is a group of people who rule or run the administration of a country. In other words, it
may be said that a government is the body of representatives that governs and controls the state at a given
time. Government is the medium through which the power of the state is employed.
GOVERNANCE- is the act of governing or ruling. It is the set of rules and laws framed by the
government that are to be implemented through the representatives of the state. Simply put, governance is
what governments do.

Government
This is a body that comprises a person or a group of persons who run the administration of a country.This
is a means in which power is exercised. There are various forms of governments such as democracyor
autocracy but this article will remain confined to the general term government which is commonly usedin
social sciences. In normal circumstances, a state is run by a government that has a mandate from
thepeople to run the affairs of the country and also a term that may be of 4-6 years to serve the state.
Thusthere is a succession of governments in any country or the same government may be elected again
for asuccessive term if people feel that it has done its job of running the country in a fair and close to
idealmanner.

Governance
The word governance refers to the activities of a government. In layman’s terms, it is the rules and
lawsmade by the government that are sought to be implemented through a chosen bureaucracy which
isreferred to as governance. The process of governing people or a state is called governance.
Difference between government and governance
To understand the differences between government and governance, one can take the example of
abusiness which is handled by a person or group of persons (called partners or owners). The way they
runthe business with the help of employees applying their knowledge and experience is called
management. In a similar manner, government is the elected body of representatives headed by a person.
This bodyhas the mandate to rule or govern people. And the manner in which they use the established
system andprinciples to run the affairs of the country is called governance. Governance can be good or
bad depending upon the perception of the people and they may accordingly choose to retain or vote a
particular government out of power.In nutshell, governance is what a government does. It is the exercise
of powers that are bestowed uponthe government according to set rules and regulations using a system of
bureaucracy that definesgovernance. Government is merely an instrument for the purpose of governance
Summary:
1.Governance is what a government does.
2.Governance is the physical exercise of the polity while the government is the body through which this is
done.

Fields of Specialization

Political theory
Political Theory helps us better understand the concepts that have shaped our politics, including
freedom, equality, individuality, democracy and justice. Importantly, Political Theory is the part of
Political Science that explores what a better political world would look like and how we can create it.
Political Theory thus frequently involves critiques of our present political reality, and may even take
explicitly political positions.

International relation
A branch of political science concerned with relations between nations and primarily with foreign
policies. The study of international relations involves many subjects such as international and regional
peace and security, international organizations, nuclear proliferation, globalization, human rights,
economic development, intervention, international financial relations, and international trade relations.
Comparative politics and government
The study of comparative politics involves conscious comparisons in studying political
experience, institutions, behaviour and processes of the systems of government in a comprehensive
manner. It includes the study of even extra-constitutional agencies having their immediate connection,
open or tacit, with formal governmental organs. It is, therefore, concerned with significant regularities,
similarities and differences in the working of political institutions and in the patterns of political
behaviour. In simple words, we can say, Comparative Politics involves a comparative study of various
political systems either as a whole or through a comparative analysis of their structures and functions.

Public administration
A branch of political science dealing primarily with the structure and workings of agencies
charged with the administration of governmental functions

Key Concepts
Sovereignty
Power
Decision-making
Policy
Distribution or Allocation