Foundations of Political Science: Concepts and Approaches

Week 1: Introduction to Political Science

Characteristics of Politics

• Public Decision-Making: Politics involves making common decisions for a group of people.
• Exercise of Power: It involves individuals exercising power over group members to facilitate these decisions.

The Academic Discipline

Political science is a field of study committed to the systematic production of knowledge. It is characterized by being public, subject to challenge, reasonably coherent, logically consistent, and adequately justified, spanning the arts, sciences, and social sciences.

Approaches to the Study of Politics

1. Institutional Approaches: Focus on the rules, procedures, and organizational structures of political systems and their impact on practice.
2. State-Based Approaches: Emphasize political elites and the autonomy of state actors, explaining the application of state power and the relationship between state and society.
3. Behavioural Approaches: Analyze political attitudes, opinions, beliefs, perceptions, expectations, and behaviors at both individual and aggregate levels.
4. Political Theory: Concerned with the discovery and application of moral notions, examining what political relations and practices ought to be.

Types of Political Analysis

• Normative: Examines how communities should be governed and the values that should be pursued.
• Empirical: Uses careful observation and comparison to develop generalizations and testable theories about political activities and processes.
• Policy: Evaluates existing policies and suggests appropriate responses to specific issues or events.
• Feminist: Examines the impact of patriarchy on politics.
• Gender: Analyzes the construction of gender categories and roles and their influence on political life.
• Class: Investigates the impact of class structures on political systems.

Week 2: Canadian Political Culture

Defining Culture

Culture is the total living pattern of a society. It is an umbrella term that includes:

• Formal and informal institutional arrangements.
• Societal attitudes, beliefs, norms, values, and expectations.