Different Definitions of Political Science and Their Relevance in the Present Day World
According to Andrew Heywood, politics can be defined as the “activity through which people make, preserve and amend the general rules under which they live.” This includes tolerance of divergent and conflicting interests and ideologies. Therefore, Heywood asserts that politics is mainly concerned with conflict resolution and cooperation within the society. Heywood’s view of politics is democratic in nature rather being dictatorial. This definition of politics best describes the political situation in the United States of America. Testimony to this is the fact that the fundamental principle of the American society in relation to politics is “Justice and fairness for all.”
According to Herbert J. Spiro, politics is “the process by which communities of human beings deal with their problems.” This is evident in the fact human problems in the society are solved by the state either voluntarily or after a lot of coercion by the pressure groups. Examples of these pressure groups include various political parties, and specific interest groups (include women groups, activists, youths etc.). Elections also give a country’s citizenry a chance to address their issues if the government of the day does not give audience to their problems. This definition of politics best describes the uprising in Libya, Egypt and Syria. As a result of the oppressive nature of the former regimes in Libya and Egypt, pressure groups revolted against the authoritarian leadership most favored by these governments. Pressure groups in Syria are still revolting against the government of the day and in fact the situation in this Middle Eastern Arab nation has culminated into an international political crisis.
Lipson on the other hand defines politics as “a process of active controversy.” This definition is based on the fact that not every human need in the society can be met through political means. Therefore every person or organization will try everything within their means to make use of the limited political channels to meet their needs and thus whenever politics is involved; struggle and controversy are the order of the day. This definition of politic describes nearly every state in the world today, whether capitalist, communist or a monarch. In fact, Lipson’s definition of politics is significant in the essence that it explains the origin of unethical codes of conduct in the political realm. It must also be mentioned that this definition cuts across both the developed and the developing world. For example, following the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, reports emerged that there was a lot of corruption in relation to army contracting in the United States Military. Following the fall and ultimate death of Gaddafi, it merged that the Libyan leader had used the country’s resources under his family’s name.
Finally, Andrew Hacker on the other hand defines politics as a “collective activity straddling the spheres of the formal and the informal as well as the public and private.” This definition is merger of the old and the new scope of politics. Traditionally, politics has been concerned with the study of public institutions specifically “the state, its Constitution, the various institutions such as the legislature, executive, and bureaucracy, political parties their Constitution, the various institutions such as the legislature, executive, bureaucracy, political parties.” Modern definition of politics on the other hand has included the study the informal private institutions including families and the formal public institutions. Therefore, politics involves a universal solution of problems and not a private affair. Based on Hacker’s definition, it is clear that politics today is not limited to states alone. For instance, in the recent past debate has been raging in the Catholic as well as the Anglican Church in relation to celibacy and homosexuality respectively. With respect to this, it has emerged that feuding factions have emerged in the aforementioned churches. As far as the study of formal public institutions is concerned, this is the case in every country of the world.
References
Crick, B. (1993, January 26). In Defence of Politics. . Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Easton, D. (1981, August 23). The Political System. . Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Hacker, A. (1967, September 9). Political Theory: Philosophy, Ideology and Science. New York: Macmillan.
Heywood, A. (2007, March 11). Politics, Third Edition. London: Palgrave.
Manithaneyam, S. (2009, May 20). Political Science: Prelims. Retrieved June 29, 2012, from jeywin: wwwi.jeywin.com
