Political science developed from moral philosophy and initially focused on institutions and governance structures. In the early 20th century, there was a push to make the study of political science more scientific using empirical methods. Over time, the discipline shifted from philosophical to historical to behavioral approaches, with behavioralism in the mid-20th century emphasizing observation and quantification. More recently, other approaches have emerged like post-behavioralism, feminism, and those examining new social movements and subaltern perspectives.

1. Tracing the History of the Discipline:
Political Science like all social science developed out of
moral philosophy – institutional analysis dominated the
last half of the nineteenth century
First quarter of the 20th century – intellectual movement
to make the study scientific – led by the behavioural
approach

2. Phase I: Classical period upto 1850 – a philosophical
emphasis prevailed – relied on deductive method of
explanation
Phase II : Institutional Period -1850-1900 – historical
and comparative method – focus was on formal govt.
institutions.
Phase III: Transition Phase 1900-1923 –Reformism –
emphasised on scientific method – observation, survey,
measurement
Phase IV: Behavioural period -1923- continuing –
increased emphasise on scientific method – empirical
and focus on individual/groups as unit of analysis

3. Nearly Two Centuries – focus has been on scope,
method and objective of the discipline
Scope: basic definition and boundaries – central
question
Method: tools and procedures to answer the
question posed
Objective: deals with the desirable answer and end
product of the inquiry

4. Scope – deals with the what is appropriate for
study
Method – deals with why it is appropriate and how
it can be studied
Objective – tells us for what purpose it is studied.

5. Ancient Thinkers – ideal state
Medieval Thinkers- evolved framework for
establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth
Modern – dealt with problems of power,
authority—
Still it continued to be historical rather than
analytical

6. History of the Discipline & Approaches
Germanic influence played an important role
in development of PS in the US
Lieber moved to US in 1827
Prof. of History and Political Economy at
South Carolina College (1835)
1857 – Professor of History and Political
Science – Columbia College
Born
Franz
Lieber
March 18,
1800
Berlin
Died
October 2,
1872
(aged 72)
New York
City

7. Parallel Efforts - John Hopkins University (1876)
Herbert Baxter Adams – advanced training and research
in history and political science and 1877 founded the
John Hopkins Historical and Political Science Association
and 1883 established the John Hopkins studies in
Historical and Political science
Charles Kendall Adams – introduced MA and Ph.D.
research in History and Political science – Michigan
University

8. Lowell’s Essay on government 1889 – functions of govt.
rather than institutions
“Anyone who attempts to study a steam engine at rest,
will find its mechanism hard to understand”
Walter Bagehot – The English Constitution –(1865-66) –
influence of social conditions – highlighted ‘unseen’
political process – contributes to maintain the political and
social stability
Graham Wallas (1908) Human nature in Politics – socio-
pyschological foundation of political behaviour – analysis
of man.

9. 1903 – establishment of American Political Science
Association – New Orleans along with
is the leading professional organization for the study of
political science
American Historical Association - 1884
American Economic Association – 1885
APSA: Networking a World of Scholars
serves more than 15,000 members in over 80 countries. With a range
of programs and services for individuals, departments and institutions
APSA brings together political scientists from all fields of inquiry,
regions, and occupational endeavors within and outside academe in
order to expand awareness and understanding of politics.

10. Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques in Paris (1871),
the Facoltà di Scienze Politiche in Florence (1874),
the London School of Economics and Political Science
(1895),
the Deutsche Hochschule für Politik in Berlin (1920),
the Civic College in Helsinki (1925)
the Higher School of Political Sciences in Athens (1927)
Also
demonstrate that these schools have played a crucial role
in the birth of political science as a discipline. Without
them, the road to becoming a legitimate academic
discipline in universities would have been far more
difficult.

11. Political Science is a very comprehensive field –
includes subjects and sub Subjects as
Origin and development of state
Analysis and comparison of constitutions
political process, system of law
Organisation and Activities of political parties,
public opinin
International relations
Shares inquiry with history, economics,
sociology, philosophy, psychology ..

12. UNESCO – delimited the scope into
A: Political theory – history of political idea
B: Political Institution – Constitution, Govt etc.
C: Parties & Public Opinion – Pol. Parties,
groups, association, public opinion
D: International Relations: Int. politics,
institutions, and Int. Law.

13. Aurther Bentley & Merriam – laid the foundation of
behaviouralism..
Charles Merrian – intellectual God Father of the
Behavioural political science – University of Chicago
National Conference on Science of Politics – 1923, 1924
& 1925 held – Merriam
Behaviouralism – “Measurement Conquers Chaos”
Influence of European Sociologist – Comte,
Durkheim, Weber – precursors of behaviouralism

14. The “Behavioral” Revolution
 In the 1950s and 60s, political science,
which could finally be considered an
independent discipline among social
sciences, experienced a dramatic shift.
 Behavioralism aimed, more explicitly
than political inquiry ever had before, at
scientific explanation
 Whether it was a “logical and direct
extension of the Chicago movement” or
something new, the focus of political study
changed dramatically after WWII

15. Second World War : brought Scientist out of their ivory
towers
“state of the discipline” – dead –
Too much emphasis on theory
Reshaping the discipline –
Post War Years: Although announced its arrival in 1925 –
low ebb- Behaviouralism revived –
Renewed effort to take the science of pol.scie more
seriously

16. Behavioural Approach:
Stresses on the study of Political behaviour as against
the role of institution alone.
Emphasis on the collection and examination of facts
relating to the actual behaviour of man
Drawing from sociology – it discards the subjective
method of analysis and inducts scientific methodology
– observation, tabulation, quantification and empiricism

17. Systems Approach: allows one to see the subject in
such a way that each part of the political canvass does
not stand alone but is related to each other – parts
Easton, Gabriel Almond, David Apter, Karl Deutsch,
Morton Kaplan, Lasswell – leading American scientist
to pioneered system analysis in political science
More specifically – Easton – Political System – input –
output approach – a derivative of system analysis was
the first to have introduced it to the study of politics

18. Approach to the Study of Politics
Traditional Modern/Scientific
Philosophical
Historical
Institutional
Legal or Juristic
Comparative
Behaviouralism
Post –Behaviouralism
Feminism
Subaltern/new social
movement

19. Approach to the Study of Politics
Normative and Institutional studies are the twin pillars of
traditional political science and despite
criticism/limitations they remain central to the study of
the discipline

20. Easton: Intellectual foundation of the discipline
•Regularities: discoverable uniformities – generalised –
prediction
•Verification: such generalisation must be testable – for
their validity
•Techniques: Use of proper techniques for observing,
recording and analysing
•Quantification: Data recorded & exactitude of finding
require measurement – quantification can be done
systematically

21. Easton: Intellectual foundation of the discipline
•Systematisation: Research and Theory – intertwined
•Pure Science:
•Integration:
•Value Free:

22. Post Behaviouralism:
Critic of behaviouralism – Easton himself criticicised
behaviouralism
Over reliance on Methods – hyper factualism
Ignored the role & nature of state
Ignored important ethical and moral consideration of
politics –
Should be value oriented – value neutrality

23. Feminism: Various strand
First Wave – early 19th Century – concerned – equal
rights
Second Wave – 60’s -70’s – equality not only political
but area of family and work
Third Wave – 1980’s post modern – much radical
Question the gendered society –
Society deeply entrenched structure of domination –
politics like Marxism linked to subordination –
Change social, economic, political and cultural order to
reduce & overcome discrimination.
Reform Public & Private Sphere –equal distribution of
rights and opportunities.

24. Feminism: Various strand
First Wave – early 19th Century – concerned – equal
rights
Second Wave – 60’s -70’s – equality not only political
but area of family and work
Third Wave – 1980’s post modern – much radical
Question the gendered society –
Society deeply entrenched structure of domination –
politics like Marxism linked to subordination –
Change social, economic, political and cultural order to
reduce & overcome discrimination.
Reform Public & Private Sphere –equal distribution of
rights and opportunities.

25. Feminism
Lifting the Veil
Feminism

26. Post Modernism: Mid 1980’s – wide variety
Decline of absolute truth – Scientific or modern
Societies structured by industrialisation - scientific
rise of relativity theory of knowledge -
Playful celebration of Chaos

27. New Social Movement – subaltern studies
Concern of the people at the grass root level
Rajni Kothari – signalling another attempt to carve out
an autonomous zone of politics with its own content,
idioms and methodologies
Eg. Medha Patkar – questions the end and means of
natural resources management, harnessing and
distribution of resource within the framework of
sustainability, equality and justice