Lecture 12

Question 1

If science is good it is relevant

Answer 1

▪ The enlightenment
function
▪ The critical challenge
▪ Technical tweaking

Question 2

Polisci communication

Answer 2

▪ Barriers:
– Jargon
– Gatekeeping
▪ Openings:
– Popular writing
– Media engagement
– Social media: @tomtheuns.bsky.social

Question 3

Polisci societal problems

Answer 3

▪ For policymakers and/or citizens?
▪
‘This position rests on a call for political
scientists to move to a problem-oriented focus
to unify and share insights from various parts of
the discipline, not least from normative and
empirical theorists’ (LMS p. 324)

Question 4

Polisci and policy designing

Answer 4

▪ Political science and design thinking
▪ The study of public policy
▪ Knowledge of substance can enable political
scientists to provide useful advice about the
design of policies and their likelihood for success
▪ It enables political scientists to partner with other
disciplines in the design of programmes that can
be both effective and politically feasible (LMS p.
326)

Question 5

Polisci contributing democratic culture

Answer 5

▪ Citizenship education
‘Political science, if it wants to live in a liberal
democracy and be in a position to work openly
and freely, needs to return to a concern with
protecting the very foundations of liberal
democracy’ (Jennings & Lodge 2016; in LMS p.
329)