Thinking about Politics: Ideas and Ideologies in Politics

Question 1

legitimacy

Answer 1

is it justified, proper? placing value judgements

Question 2

government

Answer 2

major actor in politics and most often studied in political science

Question 3

3 fundamental goals

Answer 3

1. orderly research
2. description & analysis of political institutions and political behaviour
3. possibly prescribe policy (this is different than other disciplines)

Question 4

what is the issue with studying human behaviour using the scientific theory?

Answer 4

people are unpredictable and your results will not be repeatable

Question 5

traditional/historical methodology

Answer 5

normative; descriptive, chronology

Question 6

empirical theory

Answer 6

those believing the discipline is a Social Science

Question 7

normative theory

Answer 7

those believing it is a Humanities

Question 8

traditional /historical approach

Answer 8

normative; descriptive, chronology, and historical development of government, institutions and processes

Question 9

behavioural approach

Answer 9

empirical; seeks to understand how an aggregate of individuals behave with political institutions, and contribute to policymaking process

Question 10

systems approach

Answer 10

normative and empirical; politics of a country can be depicted by the interaction between societal environment and an abstract political system that process demands supports outputs, producing an overall stability

Question 11

structural functionalist approach

Answer 11

specifies political system’s functions, inputs, ,such as interest articulation, aggregation, socialization, and communication, and out puts like role making, application, and adjudication explaining how they maintain systems

Question 12

public choice approach

Answer 12

agents in the political system are self interested rational actors, and they make choices in their best interests

Question 13

marxism/neo-marxism

Answer 13

seek to develop a systematic conceptualization of politics and the role of the state, in capitalist society, largely using class as the analysis

Question 14

state centred

Answer 14

social forces largely irrelevant in politics as decisions are made independently by politician and Eurocrats, who ave the knowledge to make the best decisions for society (expert opinion)

Question 15

political theory / political philosophy

Answer 15

normative; concerned with questions about value judgements and the history and development of the ideas of great political thinkers

Question 16

government / national politics

Answer 16

normative and empirical; examines institutions, structures and function of various