Fundamentals in PS

Areas of the midterm exam: Please study the following:

I. Political Science as a discipline

 Definition
 two broad approaches to defining politics
o politics is associated with an arena or location
o politics is viewed as a process or mechanism
 Uses of Political Science
o Awareness of the importance and impact of government on people’s lives.
o Education for citizenship
o Development of Civic values
o A preparation for various careers and profession
 The boundary of politics
 Subject study of Political Science
 Definition of Politics
o Politics is a gathering of voter support
o Politics is a process of conflict resolution
o Politics is the power-struggle that determines how limited resources are
allocated
o Politics is the interaction of citizens and the politicians
 Interrelatedness of Political Sciences with other Social Sciences
 Approaches in Political Science
o Empirical
o Normative
o Traditional Behavioral
 Subfields of Political Science
II. Key Concepts of Political Science
 Power
 4 types of power
III. Political Science as a Science
 What makes it a science?