What is Politics?

POL 101
Introduction to American Politics

Wednesday, August 26

Why Politics?

Human Nature
Man is a political animal. Aristotle
Humans are inherently self-interested, competing for scarce
and valuable resources.
Compare to other types of animals what sets humans apart
in their pursuit for power and resources?

The Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes, 1588-1679

Best known for The Leviathan, 1651
In a state of nature, the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty,
brutish, and short.
Man cant achieve power or resources, or even survive, in such
a state of nature.
The state provides a social contract between people and a
higher governing power that alleviates the state of nature.

The Leviathan

Defining Politics

Politics:
Who gets what, when, and how;
A peaceful means of distributing resources;
A process of cooperation, bargaining, and compromise;
My definition:
A peaceful means of determining who gets what, when, and
how, through processes of cooperation, bargaining, and
compromise.

Normative vs. Positive

Normative:
What ought to be.
Positive
What is.

Opinion vs. Fact

Opinions:
Normative
Not necessarily true
Fact
Positive
Based on scientific evidence, and can be proven or disproven.

The Science in Political Science

Research Question
Theory
Data/information
Methods/analysis
Conclusions