Political science: the story on HearLore

Political science

Political science emerged as a distinct academic discipline in the late 19th century, separating itself from the broader fields of history and political philosophy. Before this separation, the study of governance was often indistinguishable from moral philosophy, where scholars debated what the ideal state should be rather than how it actually functioned. The term political science was first formally defined in the inaugural issue of Political Science Quarterly in 1886 by Munroe Smith, who described it as the science of the state, encompassing the organization and functions of the state and the relationship between states. This shift marked a transition from normative questions about what ought to be to positive inquiries about how things are. The establishment of the American Political Science Association in 1903 and the subsequent founding of the American Political Science Review in 1906 signaled the institutionalization of the field. Membership in the association grew rapidly from 204 in 1904 to 1,462 by 1915, reflecting a growing professional commitment to distinguishing political study from economics, law, and sociology. By the late 1940s, the discipline had expanded globally, with the International Political Science Association founded in 1949 under a UNESCO initiative, followed by national associations in France, Britain, and West Germany. These organizations helped standardize the field and create a community of scholars dedicated to the systematic study of power and governance.

The Behavioral Revolution

In the 1950s and 1960s, political science underwent a dramatic transformation known as the behavioral revolution, which shifted the focus from the study of institutions and legal texts to the systematic analysis of individual and group behavior. This movement was driven by scholars such as Robert Dahl, Philip Converse, and the collaboration between sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld and public opinion scholar Bernard Berelson, who sought to apply rigorous scientific methods to the study of politics. The revolution emphasized the importance of observing political behavior rather than merely interpreting constitutions or historical documents. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the discipline began to incorporate deductive, game-theoretic formal modeling techniques, borrowing heavily from economics to study political institutions like the United States Congress and political behaviors such as voting. William H. Riker and his colleagues at the University of Rochester were the primary proponents of this shift, arguing that political science should generate a more analytical corpus of knowledge through mathematical and logical models. Despite these advances, scholars noted that progress toward a systematic general theory remained modest and uneven, leading to internal debates about the direction of the field. The behavioral revolution fundamentally changed how political scientists approached their work, moving the discipline toward empirical observation and quantitative analysis.

Common questions

When did political science emerge as a distinct academic discipline?

Political science emerged as a distinct academic discipline in the late 19th century. The term was first formally defined in the inaugural issue of Political Science Quarterly in 1886 by Munroe Smith. This event marked a transition from normative questions about what ought to be to positive inquiries about how things are.

Who founded the American Political Science Association and when was it established?

The American Political Science Association was established in 1903. Membership in the association grew rapidly from 204 in 1904 to 1,462 by 1915. The subsequent founding of the American Political Science Review in 1906 signaled the institutionalization of the field.

What was the behavioral revolution in political science and when did it occur?

The behavioral revolution in political science occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. This movement shifted the focus from the study of institutions and legal texts to the systematic analysis of individual and group behavior. Scholars such as Robert Dahl, Philip Converse, Paul Lazarsfeld, and Bernard Berelson drove this transformation.

What is the Perestroika Movement in political science and when was it introduced?

The Perestroika Movement in political science was introduced in 2000. This movement was a reaction against the mathematicization of political science and argued that the field had become too focused on abstract models. Proponents advocated for a plurality of methodologies and approaches to make the discipline more accessible and relevant.

How did political scientists diagnose the 2014 Ukrainian economic and political crisis?

Political scientists diagnosed the 2014 Ukrainian economic and political crisis using a statistical indicator of crisis involving a simultaneous increase of variance and correlations in large groups. During the pre-crisis years, there was a simultaneous increase in the total correlation between the 19 major public fears in Ukrainian society by about 64% and in their statistical dispersion by 29%.