INTRODUCTION TO

POLITICAL SCIENCE
LECTURE ONE

BY
BRIAN MWIINGA

WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE

Political science just like many other social science disciplines it

falls in renders itself to different definitions by different scholars.

This is so partly because as a discipline" political science, possibly

like the social sciences as a whole, "lives on the fault line between
the 'two cultures' in the academy, the sciences and the
humanities.

SELECTED DEFINITIONS
Political science is a social science discipline concerned with the
study of the state, government and politics.
It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and
the analysis of political systems and political behavior.

 Political science studies governments in all their forms and

aspects, both theoretical and practical. Once a branch of
philosophy, political science nowadays is typically considered a
social science
Political science studies all Political institutions in their past,
present and future.

 Political science is the study of governments, public policies and

political processes, systems, and political behavior.
Political science subfields include political theory, political
philosophy, political ideology, political economy, policy studies
and analysis, comparative politics, international relations, and a
host of related fields

Political scientists "see themselves engaged in revealing

relationships underlying political events and conditions.

the

From these revelations they attempt to construct general principles

about the way the world of politics works

POLITICAL SCIENCE VS. OTHER SOCIAL

SCIENCE DISCIPLINES
Political science intersects with other fields; including
anthropology,
Public policy,
national politics,
economics,
international relations,
comparative politics, p
Psychology,

 sociology,
history,
law, and
political theory.
Although it was codified in the 19th century, when all the social
sciences were established, political science has ancient roots;
indeed, it originated almost 2,500 years ago with the works of
Plato and Aristotle
Aristotle defined it as the study of the state.

DIVISIONS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Political science is commonly divided into three distinct subdisciplines which together constitute the field: political philosophy,
comparative politics and international relations

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Political philosophy is the reasoning for an absolute normative

government, laws and similar questions and their distinctive
characteristics.

What is the most fitting political arrangement for a given

society? Is there a best form of government towards which
every human society should tend and, if there is, what is it?
What principles should inspire a political leader?

 These and related questions have been at the hearth of the

reflection on political philosophy. According to the Ancient Greek
perspective, the quest for the most appropriate structure of the
State is the ultimate philosophical goal.

COMPARATIVE POLITICS
This is the science of comparison and teaching of different
types of constitutions, political actors, legislature and
associated fields, all of them from an intrastate perspective.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
This deals with the interaction between nation-states as well
as intergovernmental and transnational organizations

POLITICS, ECONOMICS, AND THE LAW

Politics has always been inextricably linked to economics: when
new governments and policies are instituted, new economic
arrangements are directly involved or ensue shortly after.
The study of political science, hence, requires an understanding of
the basic principles of economics. Analogous considerations can
be made with respect to the relationship between politics and the
law

 If we add that we live in a globalized world, it becomes evident

that political science necessarily requires a global perspective and
the capacity to compare political, economical, and legal systems
around the world.

 Perhaps the most influential principle according to which modern

democracies are arranged is the principle of the division of
powers: legislative, executive, and judiciary.
This organization follows the development of political theorizing
during the age of Enlightenment, most famously the theory of
State power developed by French philosopher Montesquieu

THE CONCEPT OF THE STATE

State has four basic elements: people, territory, government and
sovereignty. The absence of any of these elements will not make a
state a state. Thus, the state cannot exists without a government.

The state is the ensemble of the populace, its laws, its systems, its
resources, and perhaps its intangibles

IS THE STATE AND GOVERNMENT THE

SAME
A state is permanent while a government is not. A government may
come and go, it may be overthrown. But the state continues to be
unimpaired and unaffected
There can be a government however even without there
state. Government may exist as long as a particular
wanted to continue to have institutions that will carry
rules of action which are necessary for them to live in
state

being a
society
out the
a social

The government is the bunch of people presently elected and

appointed to run, manage, and execute the state's programs and
policies, and their specific agencies and powers.
A state is an ideal person, intangible, indivisible and imitable. It can
do no wrong. The government is an agency of the state. It is
perfect if it acts within the sphere. Whatever done wrong is
attributed to the government and not to the state.

State is the ship - government is the captain and his officers.

In the case of Zambia , the state comprises of all the public servants,
the Judiciary, the armed forces, diplomatic services, the state
House staff, and so on.
The government would be the President
partnership with the civil service .

and

his

cabinet,

in

THE ROLE OF THE STATE

Society is a struggle of competing groups within an arena refereed by
the state
State represents institutionalized power and authority
State is supreme guardian of representative democracy in modern
society, from tension paves way for political competition and
pluralist democracy

State serves neither its own interests nor those of any single group
or class
State can act as bargaining agent or mediator
Primary task of state is to balance interests of a multitude of
competing groups, represents interests of society as a whole,
coordinating the other major institutions OR

Primary function is to promote harmony within system to secure

equilibrium and order OR
Or to police conflicts of interest
From these roles, state is able to institutionalize its rule and
maintain order in society