Approaches to study the Political Science

1. Approaches to study the
Political Science.
There are different approaches to the study of politics commonly known
as traditional and behavioral approaches. As approach is a method of
investigating the political phenomenon which explains the casual
relationship among the objects.

2. • Traditional approach
• Traditional approach is that approach which study politics in traditional manner.
The traditional approaches to Political Science was widely prevalent till the
outbreak of the Second World War. These approaches were mainly related to the
traditional view of politics which emphasized the study of the state and
government. Therefore traditional approaches are primarily concerned with the
study of the organization and activities of the state and principles and the ideas
which underlie political organizations and activities. These approaches were
normative and idealistic.
• The political thinkers advocating these approaches therefore raised questions like
“what should be an ideal state?”. According to them the study of Political Science
should be confined to the formal structures of the government, laws, rules and
regulations.Thus the advocates of the traditional approaches emphasize various
norms what ought to be or should be rather than what is.

3. • Traditional approach can be sub divided into the following:-
• Philosophical approach
• Historical approach
• Institutional approach
• Comparative approach

4. • Philosophical approach:-
• This approach is regarded as oldest approach to the study of Political Science. The
emergence of this approach can be traced back to the times of the Greek philosophers
like Plato and Aristotle. Leo Strauss was one of the main advocates of the philosophical
approach. He believes that “the philosophy is the quest for wisdom and political
philosophy is the attempt truly to know about the nature of political things and the right
or good political order.”
• This approach firmly believes that the values cannot be separated from the study of
politics. Therefore its main concern is to judge what is good or bad in any political
society. It is mainly an ethical and normative study of politics and thus idealistic. It deals
with the problems of the nature and functions of the state, citizenship, rights and duties
etc. The advocates of this approach firmly believe that political philosophy is closely
linked with the political ideologies. Therefore they are of the opinion that a political
scientist must have the knowledge of good life and good society. Political philosophy
helps in setting up of a good political order.

5. • Institutional approach:-
• This is a very old and important approach to the study of Political
Science. This approach mainly deals with the formal aspects of
government and politics emphasizes the study of the political
institutions and structures. Thus, the institutional approach is
concerned with the study of the formal structures like legislature,
executive, judiciary, political parties, interest groups etc. The
advocates of this approach includes both ancient and modern
political thinkers. Among the ancient thinkers Aristotle is an
important contributor to this approach while the modern thinkers
include James Bryce, Bentley, Walter Bagehot and Harold Laski etc.

6. • Historical approach:-
• According to the advocates of this approach political theory can be only understood
when the historical factors like the age place and the situation in which it is evolved are
taken into consideration. As the name of this approach is related to history it emphasizes
on the study of history of every political reality to analyze any situation. Political thinkers
like Machiavelli, Sabine and Dunning believe that politics and history are intricately
related and the study of politics always should have a historical perspective. Sabine is of
the view that Political Science should include all those subjects which have been
discussed in the writings of different political thinkers from the time of Plato. This
approach strongly upholds the belief that the thinking or the ideology of every political
thinker is shaped by the surrounding environment. Moreover history not only speaks
about the past but also links it with the present events. History provides the
chronological order of every political event and thereby helps in future estimation of
events also. Hence without studying the past political events institutions and political
environment it would be wrong to analyze the present political scenario.

7. • Comparative approach:-
• The comparative approach is as old as political science. Aristotle has used
the method while writing political science. He undertook the comparative
study of the different political systems of his time and evolved his own
system. The comparative means to study the contemporary systems or to
study the crossnational political systems. It seeks to compare the political
structures of different nations with different cultural settings. The purpose
of such comparison is to find out the universal elements of the systems and
to build a theory of the system.
• The advocates of this method believe that the political system is
conditional by the environment in which it operates. There is differences of
environment of different nations therefore there is difference of systems.

8. • Characteristics of traditional approach:-
• Traditional approaches are largely normative and stresses on the
values of politics.
• Emphasis is on the study of different political structures.
• Traditional approaches made very little attempt to relate theory and
research.
• These approaches believe that since facts and values are closely
interlinked studies in Political Science can never be scientific.

9. • Behavioral approach:-
• The behavioral approach to political science mainly emphasizes on
scientific objective and value free study of political phenomenon. This
approach stresses upon the use of empirical as well as scientific methods
of study political behavior. This approach shifts its emphasis from the study
of the state and government today-today problems, activities and behavior
of individuals and groups. Behavioral approach has portraits individuals as
center of attention and examines heir behavior, actions and tries to
comprehend them through a scientific outlook.
• To Leslie Lipson, “The behavioral method records the details of what men
do seeking to explain why they do.”

10. • Thus, behavioral approach studies the political behavior of individuals
through an empirical viewpoint. It studies the legislatures, voters, decision
makers, policy makers etc. In a scientific way and by correlating their
activities and practices, tries to conceptualize and give answer to political
outcomes. Behavioral political science has attempted to apply the
methodologies and empirical natural sciences to the study of politics and
government. Behavior list oriented political scientists try to be more
rigorous and disciplined in their research, seeking scientific precision by the
quantification and measurement of collected data through the formulation
and systematic testing and empirical hypothesis, they attempt to discover
regularities and uniformities in political behavior which can be expressed in
generalizations or theory.

11. • Characteristics of behavioral approach:-
• Behavioral approach is based on some fundamental assumptions. Scholars like
David Easton, Kirkpatrick etc have highlighted some basic characteristics of
behavioralism. David Easton has laid down eight basic characteristics.
• Regularities
• Verifications
• Techniques
• Quantification
• Value free
• Systematization
• Pure science
• Integration

12. • Behavioral approach advocate empirical study of individual behaviors but
all the aspects of individual behavior cannot be observed and stated
through empirical generalizations. Thus the approach losses the focal
assumption it has taken up. This approach is based on value-neutrality, is
also not practical. Because in Political science we study human behavior
and it cannot be make a value-neutral discipline at any cost. This approach
gives more importance to individuals than institutions. But critics say that
without looking at institutions we cannot draw proper conclusion as
institutions hold prime importance in the matter of political science.
• Again one can criticize the approach due to the large diversity and
differences among the political scientists of behavioral school itself. Here
we can derive the answer that though theoretically behavioralism is a
much applicable approach but that lakes fruitful application in practice.

13. • Study of human political behavior:-
• Instead of political institutions behavioral approach stands for study of
human behavior in politics. It places emphasize upon the study of both
individual as well as group behavior in politics.
• Empirical method:-
Behavioral approach advocates the use of empirical methods of study
involving data collection through field methods, and analysis of data using
statistical and mathematics techniques.
• Regularities:-
Behavioral approach holds that there are discoverable uniformities in
humanpolitical behavior these can be expressed in generalization or
theories with Explanatory and predictive value.

14. • Verification:-
• The validity of such generalizations has to be testable with reference to relevant
behavior. Only empirically about politics are to be admitted as valid.
• Techniques:-
Means of acquiring and interpreting data cannot be taken for granted. Several
different techniques can be found for observing, recording and analyzing
behavior. It stands for adoption of appropriate tools of data collection and
analysis.
• Quantification:-
• Precision in the recording of data and the statement of findings require
measurement and quantification, not for their own shake but only where
possible, relevant and meaningful in the light of other objectives. Use of
mathematical, statistical methods of date analysis has to be made.

15. • Value free study or value neutrality
• Ethical evaluation and empirical explanation involve two different proposition. For the sake of clarity these
should be kept analytically distinct. Study of politicshas to be empirical and value free.
•
• Systematization
Research ought to be systematic it mean that, theory and research are to be seen as closely inter-twined
parts of a coherent and orderly body of knowledge.
• Pure science
The application of knowledge is as much apart of the scientific enterprise as theoretical understanding. It
admits and advocate and a link between theoretical understanding and practical application of knowledge.
• Integration
Recognition of interrelationship between political science and other social sciences can provide immense
help to bring political science back to its status of earliercenturies and ensure its return to the main fold of
the social sciences. In otherwords be behavioralism accepts interdisciplinary focus.

16. • Conclusion:-
• The existing polarity between the traditional and behavioral approach
is based on the views shared by the proponents of each approach in
term of research interest, advancements of generalization in the sub
discipline, subscription to ethical values and devotion to academic
excellence. However, both approaches and so many other approaches
to the study of political science are equally committed to creating an
understanding for political process, identifying and improving on the
‘perfect’ political system and generally purifying the study of politics