1. Political Science: An Introduction
Michael G. Roskin
Robert L. Cord
James A. Medeiros
Walter S. Jones
Chapter 1
Politics and Political Science
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

2. Iraq: A Sovereign But Weak State
US troops walk by truck hit by roadside bomb in Iraq
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

3. Why Does Politics Matter?
Those who control the political system make decisions that govern your lives
They decide if and where the US may fight, such as the decision to invade Iraq
They make changes in the tax code that favor some and disadvantage others, like big write-offs for corporations
They establish government programs that may benefit some, like Medicaid for the poor
They make budget decisions that increase the national debt, a burden for you, your children, and grandchildren for decades to come
Officials and politicians may abuse power and public funds
The ignorant get manipulated in the political system
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

4. Impact of Political Decisions
A political decision provided funds for this clinic
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

5. The Master Science
According to Aristotle, politics is “the master science”
Almost everyone happens in a political context
Politics determines “who gets what” in a public sense
Political decisions determine how the economic system operates to affect how people gain or lose in economic transactions, e.g., laws hold companies liable for defective products
Political decisions set up the government structures we rely on, such as FEMA to help during disasters
Political decisions on budgets affect our well-being in the future, such as funding for flu vaccines and for research on energy efficiency
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

6. Relationship of Political Science to Other Social Sciences (1)
History – Provides much of the key data, but historians tend to focus on a single historical episode, while political scientists seek generalizations covering many historical episodes
Human Geography – aspects of territory (borders, ethnic areas, disputed waterways) affect and create political issues, e.g., “red states vs. blue states”
Economics – Many political issues concern the economic “who gets what” while economic conditions greatly affect political outcomes, such as the viability of democracy in Russia when its economy tanked
Sociology – both disciplines look at human behavior in groups – particularly regions, religions, ethnic groups
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

7. Relationship of Political Science to Other Social Sciences (2)
Anthropology – traditionally focuses on preliterate societies; important where traditional political systems predominate, such as the tribal system in Iraq and its importance to establishing a stable democracy
Psychology – social psychology gives data on and excellent methods for studying human behavior in group situations, as in the Milgram and Zimbardo studies on authoritarian influence over average people; personality psychology can help us understand how certain types of individuals, especially those in powerful positions, may behave under certain conditions, as when Saddam Hussein was challenged by the US over possible weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

8. Political Power (1)
How can we define political power – a key, distinguishing feature of political science – why some have it and others don’t? Some possible explanations:
Biological – asserts that it’s in human nature to form social groups with “dominance hierarchies,” e.g., governments; but humans often don’t obey authority
Psychological – shows how humans behave in various situations, asserts that the behaviors are innate; however, there tend to be some who violate norms
Cultural – argues that much human behavior is learned, derived from our culture; criticizing government is perceived differently in a communitarian culture like China’s than in the American individualistic culture
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

9. Political Power (2)
Rational – people form governments because it is a rational thing to do in this view – we need institutions to help us survive better; but people tend to vote the way their parents did, not really on issues
Irrational – this view argues that people are emotional, moved by myths and stereotypes; this helps explain how quite civilized Germans and Italians accepted fascism
Composite – elements of all these explanations have some truth; America’s founding fathers were rational disciples of the Enlightenment, charismatic in their ability to move the mass of the people, and products of their culture as colonials long dependent on their own efforts not needing British guidance
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

10. Political Power (3) Political power is not truly measurable and finite
It is a fluid idea, as in the ability to get someone to do something: sometimes they will, others they won’t
Power is earned, not “seized;” the Taliban may have seized power but couldn’t hold it due to their despotism; they hadn’t convinced most people of the legitimacy of their mission
Power isn’t identical to politics, but it is a key ingredient
Even the ability to persuade, by example or by teaching, for instance, is a use of power
Power enables the carrying out of policies and decisions
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

11. Key Political Concepts
Legitimacy – Mass feeling that the government’s rule is rightful and should be obeyed; most Americans grumble but still pay their taxes to the IRS
Sovereignty – A national government’s being boss on its own turf, the last word in law in that country; the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is ultimately limited in what it can do by the Israeli government, and thus doesn’t have sovereignty
Authority – A political leader’s ability to command respect and exercise power, relying on a sense of obligation based on legitimate power of office; the Shah of Iran lost it in 1970s as Persians rejected heavy-handed regime
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

12. The Subfields of Political Science
US Politics – focuses on institutions and processes, such as parties, elections, public opinion, and executive and legislative behavior
Comparative Politics – examines politics within other nations to establish generalizations about democracy, stability, and policy
International Relations – studies politics among nations, including conflict, diplomacy, international law
Political Theory – attempts to define the good polity
Constitutional Law – studies the applications and evolution of the Constitution within the legal and political system
Public Policy – analyzes the relationships of economics and politics to develop effective programs
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

13. Is Politics a Science? How the Natural Sciences Operate
In the natural sciences (such as physics) a clear process is at work
Data is collected according to a well-defined and well- tested methodology, either by observation or experiment
--A chemist could mix two chemicals and observe what results
The data is quantified and manipulated statistically to test hypotheses (speculations)
--The chemist might want to test the reaction that took place at a certain temperature, to compare with performing the reaction at a different temperature
With enough hypotheses tested, generalizations (theories) can be developed about related phenomena
--Our chemist might be trying to explain the effect of temperature on certain kinds of chemical reactions
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

14. Is Politics a Science? Key Requirements
Political Science can be empirical like natural science
But political scientists, dealing with topics charged with emotion and values, need to see things as they are, not as they wish them to be
Good scholarly work should be:
Reasoned – Clear, logical reasoning required; assumptions have to be explicit
Balanced – Need to acknowledge there are several possible viewpoints on the topic; don’t rely just on one
Supported with Evidence – Evidence (data) required for good scholarship; qualitative as well as quantitative data may be needed, as many aspects of politics aren’t readily quantifiable
Theoretical – Scholarship requires a theoretical framework that relates several factors to explain a broad array of phenomena, e.g., democracies don’t go to war with other democracies (for a host of reasons that make up the theory), but will nonetheless go to war in certain circumstances; a good theory also allows you to make predictions about new situations, such as how N. Korea will behave as it begins to bring aboard a new successor to Kim Jong-il
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

15. What Good Is Political Science?
Professional political scientists set aside personal views in their research, and the best will alter their views if their research results contradict long-held views (Note: you should also be able to change your opinions in the face of strong evidence – that shows a mature intellect)
Political science training induces objective, complex analysis, in contrast to popular politics where fixed views and oversimplification are the norm
Political science contributes to good government by informing policy officials of problems, drawing on a wealth of experience and data, which can help prevent disasters such as Iraq
Political science can also offer solutions and good public policy choices, and help bring public support for them, by providing thorough, sophisticated analysis
2010, 2008, 2005 Pearson Education, Inc.