Political Science Al-Bayan Bilingual School

 Politics: The study by which groups of people make decisions which is generally applied to behavior within civil governments.  Politics are observed in all human interactions, including corporate, academic and religious institutions.  It consists of “social relations involving authority and power” and refers to the regulation of a political unit and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy. Political Science

 Political Science: The study of political behavior and examines the acquisition of power.  Political Philosophy: The rationale for politics and ethic of public behavior and public administration, which examines the practices of government Political Science

 An essential part of being educated is being informed about the politics of foreign countries.  For many people, there is a fascination and intellectual excitement in the study of foreign systems and in the discovery of political ways different from our own. Why study comparative politics and government?

 It allows us to gain a better understanding and appreciation of our own system by examining other forms.  It allows us to compare the ways in which governments face and respond to similar issues, needs, and demands of their citizens. Why study comparative politics and government?

 Issues, needs, and demands include:  health care  economic control  management of production  changes caused by new technology and/or  modernization, etc. Why study comparative politics and government?

 An effective comparison of political systems must accurately describe and satisfactorily explain the similarities and differences of the systems being compared.  This is the search for generalizations: to find commonalities among varied political systems. It is a search for patterns. Generalizations, Commonalities and Patterns

 Understand how individual systems or parts of those system function. Who is on which side?  What are the political attitudes of the sides? Are there conflicts in viewpoints? Are there deep divisions within the society?  Who is in charge? Who or what is the governing institution? Key Questions

 How did things get to be the way they are? How were attitudes and institutions formed?  To what extent and in what ways are systems democratic?  What is the level of their political development?  What is the level of stability?  How do political ideologies influence the policies of a political system? Key Questions

 Nature and qualities of political regimes  What?  The way in which government functions are performed  How?  The relationship between the rulers and the ruled  What? How? Why? When? Where?  The kinds of rules that exist and the actions that are taken, i.e. Are ruling groups acting in their own interest or those of the whole society?  What? Why? When?  The degree of force and persuasion being used in enforcing the rules  What? Why? When? How? Political System Analysis