Scientific Study of Politics - Essay Example

Running Head: Scientific Study of Politics Scientific Study of Politics [Institute’s Scientific Study of Politics Since centuries, politics has remained one of the major components of human societies. From Plato to Weber and even until now, philosophers, theorists, and scholars have continued to include the topic of politics in their studies, theories, and discussions that indicate the significance of politics in the society. It is an observation that in the past years, most of the scholars and experts (Hyneman, pp. 11-12, 2003) have focused on the matter of politics, rather than the methodology of its study that plays a crucial role in acquiring quality matter on the subject. In this regard, this paper will attempt to focus on the methodological approach of politics, and will endeavor to identify whether politics allow its scientific study or not. For such purpose, the paper will look at different aspects of political science that promote the study of politics in a scientific manner that will provide a comprehensive understanding of the query identified earlier in the paper. In terms of definition, “political science is about analysis of phenomena of politics in a scientific manner” (Hyneman, pp. 31-38, 2003) and that has been the fundamental basis of political science until now. However, as earlier mentioned, scientific approach has not been the concern of a huge number of experts (Grigsby, pp. 29-34, 2008) associated with political science that has resulted in issues such as possibility of studying politics in a scientific manner. Moreover, another major factor of such issue is due to alteration in approach of writers that publish their write-ups on politics in a biased manner that diminishes scientific existence of a political science study. Lastly, analysis (PSA-UK, pp. 35-39, 2006) has indicated that many followers of political science are unaware about the ratio of science and mathematics in political science, and thus, many focus on mathematics due to their interest that result in such queries of involvement of scientific approach in the study of politics. To understand the significance of scientific methodology in political science, it will be essential to support an alternative methodology of studying it in the form of factual study of politics. From this approach, academic institutions/researchers put efforts to study a political issue of the European Union in the year 1996 during which, EU had only fifteen members that were playing the major role in creating different principles in the union in an institutional manner (PSA-UK, pp. 35-39, 2006). Observation has clarified that the foremost outcome of such factual will be very uninteresting and dull. Secondly and most importantly, it is a fact that political environment changes continually, and thus, study of the year 1996 will be inadequate for someone studying the European Union in 2008. For instance, the European Union had fifteen members in 1996 and twenty-seven member states in the year 2008 that has resulted in a number of alterations in principles of the union, very different from the principles of 1996. Scholars (King, pp. 23-25, 1977) and students who favored a facts-based study of political circumstances of 1996 would not be able to understand the politics of the European union of 2008. In this regard, facts-based study indicates inefficient outcomes, whereas, a scientific or empirical approach during the study of politics facilitates experts in analyzing the alterations that occur constantly in politics globally, and it is the case in abovementioned example as well. Thus, a scientific study of politics will be more valid and appropriate during any time as compared with other approaches. Furthermore, one of the major attributes of scientific approach is that it promotes and encourages identification and analysis of new evidence to counter previous evidences that will be very helpful in understanding politics unlike in facts-based study of the subject (Krause, pp. 45-50, 2003). In this way, the answer to the query of whether the study of politics can be scientific should be a yes, as this is what the experts (Krause, pp. 45-50, 2003) associated with political science do; they create hypothesis, test them, and come up with their theories accordingly that is the basic premise of scientific methodology. In addition, as earlier mentioned, the nature of politics is always in change that supports the possibility of considering a scientific approach of politics. In the scientific approach, a scientist develops varying hypotheses to come up with a theory that then confronts different tests and evaluation. Outcomes of such tests provide null hypothesis as well that represents the anticipation of theorists in case of failure of the theory that is another significant quality of scientific approach, and applicable in the study of politics as well (Joseph, pp. 76-77, 2008). In this way, a political scientist comes up with few hypotheses and null hypotheses as well, and systematic testing of evidence allows a scientific conclusion about the theory unlike facts-based study that only focuses on facts that constantly alter in the politics, and thus, the approach is not applicable in the study of politics. Another imperative component of any scientific study is skepticism that is very significant in the study of politics as well. It is an observation that in the study of politics, scholars and experts always dispute on a perspective of their counterparts, basis of skepticism that promotes different and diverse hypotheses on a single theory (Grigsby, pp. 45-56, 2008). Although this notion of skepticism may often become aggressive; however, it plays an essential role in understanding the political issues in a broad and critical manner that political students focusing on facts-based approach may often overlook, resulting in inefficient results. Lastly, a major constituent of any scientific study is that it is always in a position of welcoming new theories and evidence that means continuous study of evidences, and as political issues and facts keeps on changing, this continuous attribute of scientific approach will be very efficient in studying politics from a scientific perspective. Furthermore, variables and their relationship is essential components of scientific study that when applied to political study allows experts to understand the political world in terms of variables that results in an easy process, rather than facts-based approach that often becomes a complicated process of understanding political issues. Conclusively, the paper has discussed some of the significant aspects of political science that indicated that scientific approach of studying politics is possible and indicates efficient outcomes as compared with other approaches, especially the facts-based approach. It is an expectation that the paper will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic. References Grigsby, Ellen. (2008). Analyzing politics. Cengage Learning. Hyneman, Charles S. (2003). The study of politics. Textbook Publishers. Joseph, William A. (2008). Introduction to Comparative Politics. Cengage Learning. King, Preston T. (1977). The study of politics. Routledge. Krause, George A. (2003). Politics, policy, and organizations. University of Michigan Press. PSA-UK. (2006). Politics, Volume 26-27. Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom. Read More