INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE: POL101

POLITICAL THEORIES

Salman Haider
Lecturer
Department of Political Science &
Sociology
NORTH SOUTH UNIVERSITY
 POLITICAL THEORIES- WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
• It is a political thought that someone has made and disseminate based on economic,
social and political conditions at the time.
• A political theory makes a series of assumptions about how government actors, governments,
and the general populace behave. Based on these assumptions the theorist makes predictions on
how governments will function and what outcomes will come from that. There is an additional
judgment of whether those outcomes are just or unjust.

Political Theory analyses certain basic questions:

•How should society be organized?
Why do we need government?
•What is the best form of government?
•Does law limit our freedom?
•What does the state owe its citizens?
 THEORIES: THE SOCIAL BASES OF POLITICS
• Percolation-up model:
Political power rests with the citizens.
In turn, citizens grant political power
to their leaders through elections.
This view appeals to our democratic
sensibilities, but it may not be
correct. After all, throughout most of
PYRAMID WITH SOCIAL BASE AND POLITICAL human history—and in many parts of
SUPERSTRUCTURE (FLOW IS FROM BOTTOM
TO TOP)
the world today—strong and stable
governments ignored their citizens.
THEORIES: THE SOCIAL BASES OF POLITICS

• Drip-down model:
Political power rests with the
leaders, who organize society and
impose order. Nevertheless,
citizens retain the power to
overthrow the government by
electing new leaders.
PYRAMID WITH POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS FORMING THE SOCIAL
BASE (FLOW IS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM)
CLASSIC THEORIES
THE EARLY PHILOSOPHERS
Aristotle (Politics, 4th C. BC)
Plato (Republic, 4 C. BC)
th
 Democracy is best, and best ruled by
 Citizens incapable of governing citizens of the middle class.
themselves, a philosopher/ king should
rule to create a just society.

Machiavelli (The Prince, 1513)

 Obtaining and using political power
 The Prince had to be rational and tough in the exercise of
power
 A realist: explanations not based on religious doctrines or
what we wish society to be
 MARXISM
Till date, Karl Marx's ideas are studied and used by Youtube slide: A brief
philosophers, historians, economists, sociologists and introduction to Marxism
political scientists. Marx's ideas were seen as so radical
that he was perceived as an inspiration to revolutionists
and a threat by leaders of state governments.

• A theory of economics: “surplus value”- what we call ‘PROFIT’

• A theory of social class: Society divides in two classes- ‘WORKING

CLASS (PROLETARIAT)’ & ‘UPPER CLASS (BOURGEOISIE)’

•A theory of history: Marx argued that the class struggle caused

revolutionary transitions from one mode of production to the next- slavery
to feudalism to capitalism – and that COMMUNISM will be the last stage
in social evolution.
SYSTEMS THEORY
DAVID EASTON’ S POLITICAL SYSTEMS MODEL
 MODERNIZATION THEORY
a theory used to explain the process of modernization that a nation
goes through as it transitions from a traditional society to a modern
one. There are many different versions of modernization theory.
Two versions of modernization theory were prominent. Marxist
Versus Capitalist

Marxist
The Marxist theory of modernization theorized that as nations developed, adopting a communist approach to
governing, such as eradicating private property, would end conflict, exploitation, and inequality. Economic
development and social change would lead developing nations to develop into a society.

Capitalist
The capitalist version of modernization theorized that as nations developed, economic development and social
change would lead to democracy. Modernization theorists W. W. Rostow (1960) argued that when societies
transitioned from traditional societies to modern societies, they would follow a similar path.
 MODERNIZATION THEORY- ROSTOW’S 5 STAGE DEV. MODEL
Rostow's stages of development are:
•Traditional - an agricultural-based society
•Pre-conditions for take-off - characterized by an abundance of
entrepreneurial activity
•Take-off - a period of rapid economic growth
•Maturation - economic development slows to a more
consistent rate
•Mass production or mass consumption - a period in which real
income increases