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- 1. 1 The Meaning of Political Science, Economics & Public Policy Khuwaja Shafique Ahmed Soomro S/O Sanaullah Soomro MA Sociology (P) 2012-13 The Meaning of Political Science, Economics & Public Policy Khuwaja Shafique Ahmed Soomro MA Public Policy (P) 2014
- 2. 2 Content 1) Introduction to Political Science 2) Introduction to Economics 3) Introduction to Public Policy The Meaning of Political Science, Economics & Public Policy Khuwaja Shafique Ahmed Soomro MA Public Policy (P) 2014
- 3. 3 1. Introduction to Political Science: Political science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, nation, government, and politics and policies of government. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. Although political science borrows heavily from the other social sciences, it is distinguished from them by its focus on power— defined as the ability of one political actor to get another actor to do what it wants—at the international, national, and local levels. Political science is generally used in the singular, but in French and Spanish the plural (sciences politiques and ciencias políticas, respectively) is used, perhaps a reflection of the discipline’s eclectic nature. Although political science overlaps considerably with political philosophy, the two fields are distinct. Political philosophy is concerned primarily with political ideas and values, such as rights, justice, freedom, and political obligation (whether people should or should not obey political authority); it is normative in its approach (i.e., it is concerned with what ought to be rather than with what is) and rationalistic in its method. In contrast, political science studies institutions and behaviour, favours the descriptive over the normative, and develops theories or draws conclusions based on empirical observations, which are expressed in quantitative terms where possible. Although political science, like all modern sciences, involves empirical investigation, it generally does not produce precise measurements and predictions. This has led some scholars to question whether the discipline can be accurately described as a science. However, if the term science applies to any body of systematically organized knowledge based on facts ascertained by empirical methods and described by as much measurement as the material allows, then political science is a science, like the other social disciplines. In the 1960s the American historian of science Thomas S. Kuhn argued that political science was “pre-paradigmatic,” not yet having developed basic research paradigms, such as the periodic table that defines chemistry. It is likely that political science never will develop a single, universal paradigm or theory, and attempts to do so have seldom lasted more than a generation, making political science a discipline of many trends but few classics. 2. Introduction to Public policy: Public policy examines the passage and implementation of all types of government policies, particularly those related to civil rights, defense, health, education, economic growth, urban renewal, regional development, and environmental protection. The Meaning of Political Science, Economics & Public Policy Khuwaja Shafique Ahmed Soomro MA Public Policy (P) 2014