INTRODUCTION

Starting from the simple definition, political analysis is in effect preoccupied with the inquiry
or examination of the political processes, including the praxis of politics. One question from
this that should be taken seriously is: what is a political process and what constitutes the
praxis of politics, and this includes the need to know politics as scenery and as a course of action.
Political analysis according to Smith (2009) is an objective and close examination of the political
dynamics of a situation or challenge, politicians and other social forces, chemistry of the
relations between organs of government and between and among government institutions, and
the philosophy of government in existence. Although there are no exhaustive definitions of
concepts, considering the fluidity [variability] of political existence, Smith was able to be
comprehensive in a generic sense. Taking it in another denotation, political analysis is a process
of disaggregation of political actors, the issues they create, and the general policy ecology
towards ascertaining and categorising them and how they impact on progress in relation to
defined goals including how strategies are developed to realise such purpose (Frederica; 1987).
This perspective is necessary because the prevailing environment in context influences the way
and manner people perceive, observe, and evaluate politics generally and in specific terms.
Some studies (Brown and Ainley, 2005),Lindblom, (1977), conductedtowards finding pathways
for further understanding modern political thought and behaviour, revealed that trends of
thoughts in political science have moved from the traditional approaches which initially
dominated discussion amongst political analysts and thinkers. Some of the approaches in
perspective include: the elitists approach, the institutionalists approach and the pluralists
approach. These approaches to certain extents, reflect the various epistemological and
ontological positions in the analysis of political phenomenon. However, it is important to note
that the focus of the inquiry in the approaches just mentioned, are often directed at the divisions
and analytical differences that existed in the study of politics. While the institutional approach
focused on constitutional and institutional issues, the pluralist focused on the ability of groups to
bargain. The elitists group on the hand focus their attention on the manipulation of power.
Stroker, (2010).
Political Science and Political Analysis
Eason (1965) describe politics science as the study of the authoritative allocation of values.
Although, the reality of the state, government, and politics revolve around who gets what, when,
and how (Lasswell; 1951), students should be reasoned enough to conceptually know that
without production there cannot be allocation let alone the authority to do so or who gets what.
Analytically, the allocation cannot precede production, because it is when something tangibly
exists that it can be distributed even if the authority to do is there.
Types of political analysis are;
Normative Analysis: Normative analysis refers to the process of making recommendations
about what action should be taken or taking a particular viewpoint on a topic. In many
disciplines, including economics and philosophy, a normative statement expresses a value
judgment about the desirability of a situation.
Empirical Analysis: The major argument of the empirical political analysis is that fact and not
value is the basis not only for knowledge but also for analysis as explained in the preceding.
Semantic Analysis: aghae (1988) made effort to simplify the two ways of carrying out
conceptual/semantic analysis. First, a term or concept can be defined by appealing to an
Authority whose definition is purported to be widely accepted, or by relying on definitions
offered in Standard English or Technical Dictionaries called nominal definition.
Policy Analysis: Policy analysis is a process of recognising conceivable policy choices that
could help to deal with existing problems and probably evaluate the choices so made in relation
to the most effectual and practicable ones.
INTRODUCTION

For Cornice (1994), political analysis is an organised and professional attempt to comprehend,
observe, and evaluate, including explaining all forms of political pacts or trend by first
breaking them down into conceptual parts to make meaning of the interaction between related
variables in order to grasp full knowledge of political elements and their objectives.

Hay (2002) on his part explains that political analysis is not inevitably purposed to proceed on a
preferred perspective; in other words, political analysis should not be carried out based on the
preconceived thought process that will make analysis to be contradictory to political facts. So,
for him, the analysis of political structures, institutions, ideas, behaviours, and processes,
including the underlying forces of change constitute the objects and subjects of political analysis
(Hay; 2002). For students to avoid predetermined analysis, a fact-based understanding of
empirical political processes including the actions of political actors in the very political
processes should be acknowledged as very important. To be precise, political context and
political conduct have come to be very useful variables to political analysis because they both
provide the exact experience or circumstance for analysis. However, students of political analysis
should note that a good and factual analysis of the political or politics requires a good
understanding of philosophy, psychology, sociology, economics, history, geography, and
culture (Tilley & Goodin; 2011) because of the interconnected nature of political reality and its
changing aspects of concepts, ideas, intentions, actions, environment, and trends, after all, they
all belong to the social science family tree.

What Makes Political Analysis Political?

Like political science, one phenomenon that makes political analysis political is the concept and
reality of power (Hay; 2002). The political expression of social, economic, cultural, and
including political relations is power. Thus, students should bear in mind that a good
political analysis emphasises and call to mind the power relations as connected to and in social
relation of production, distribution, exchange and consumption.

Another political aspect of political analysis is the focus in the making and distribution and
exercise of political power, the structures it creates, decisions it makes, the policies it formulates,
the laws it enacts, conflicts resolved, consensus reached, reforms carried out, etc. and their
broader implications on inequality, unemployment, poverty, underdevelopment, etc. and their
associated and opposite realities including the capability to invent new liberating civilisations.
Again, what makes political analysis political is its focus on problem-solving in the final
analysis, and this is why it takes seriously effective definition and understanding of problems
before relating solutions to them [problems of social life].

Besides, politics as collective decision and action (Weale, 2004; Miller, 2002; Pitkin, 1981;
Lasswell, 1951); politics as the peaceful resolution of national, societal or organisational
struggles and conflict; politics as functioning and controlling of organised activities of the
state; and politics as the inexorable conflict between and among classes and groups, etc. are
not only political, they are also the focus of political analysis.

Types of political analysis are;

Normative Analysis: This type of political analysis is deeply concerned about value, that is,
principles, importance, substance, quality or standard.

Empirical Analysis: The second type of analysis common to politics is the empirical analysis like
the empirical political theory imported from the natural science.

Semantic Analysis: The major advantage in this kind of definition is that even if people do not
agree with your definition, they can at least see things from your point of view. In essence, either
of the two ways of semantic analysis one may choose, would obviously depend on the nature of
what one intends to analyse, be it what is already known or the particular elements one wishes to
emphasise.

Policy Analysis: It can also mean the evaluation of already formulated, adopted, and
implemented a course of action envisioned to solve given socio-economic and political
problems.