A Brief Insight into Political Science

Analysing the approaches of the government and the political structure of the state and the nation would have never been easy without the study of political science. With immense scopes associated with it, a political science degree has excellent opportunities, ensuring a promising future.

What is Political Science?

Political science is a branch of study that deals with the systems of the government at the regional, state, national and international levels. It is the scientific analysis of the political nature, political thoughts and activities, political behaviour, and the public policies prevalent in a particular nation. It is basically a study of human behaviour.

Occasionally known as politology, political science refers to a social study pertaining to the allocation and dissemination of power to enhance decision-making. Besides, political science is also associated with the study of the various roles, methodologies and systems of governance of different institutions like the Government, non-governmental organisations like NGOs, public and private sectors, and international organisations.

Such analytical studies measure the success and efficacy of the type of governance involved in a particular institution. It also evaluates various factors associated with an organisation like stability, economic stature, justice, material wealth, resources, peace, public relations, international relations and class equalities (or inequalities).

Importance of Studying Political Science

It is necessary to study politics and power from international, domestic, and comparative perspectives in order to find a suitable political science career. Political studies help one to have a good deal of knowledge regarding the distribution of power among the regional, state and national positions.

All of us live in certain kinds of political situations, and it affects us in every way of our existence. All citizens need to learn about their circumstances to enhance their living standards. Therefore, political scientists today are in high demand as they help us gain useful insights into the political systems of the country.

Students of political science can have a deeper understanding of the forces responsible for shaping the society, law, economics, public and internal relations, and the social politics of concerned institution or community. It also enables them to learn, understand, interpret, access and critically explain the structures, patterns and events associated with the government or other institutions and organisations.

By developing the personal skills of the pursuers of a career in political science, helps improve their analytical and communication skills that will benefit students of political science in diverse fields of career and employment in the future.

Main Branches of Political Science

The major branches of political science include the following:

- Political Theory

- Public Law

• Constitutional Law
• Administrative Law
• International Law

- Public Administration

Fields of Political Science

The significant fields encompassed within the ambit of political science include the following:

American Politics

The study of the political systems and governance of the United States has been in trend for quite some time. The American politics, also referred to as 'civics' by some universities, focuses on the political parties, electoral behaviour, the Constitution, strategies of lawmaking, public administration, the role of Courts, public policy and other aspects concerned with the US Government.

Comparative Politics

It involves a comparative study of the different systems of politics and government in other countries of the world.

International Relations

This field of political science analyses the ways in which different nations interact with each other. While comparative politics compare the internal operations of a state, international relations states how various states relate and connect to one another.

Political Economy

It is a study of how politics and economics affect or influence each other.

Political Philosophy

The study of political science is also associated with philosophical studies in ways more than one. It is essential to learn about the various theories propounded by the famous philosophers from Plato and Aristotle to present. This helps political scientists to develop hypotheses based on their assessment of issues like ethics, liberty and freedom, the authority, the way governments should function, and the meaning of civil rights of the citizens

Most of the universities encourage students to take up either of the above fields in their course of study to get a better understanding of the subject.

Theories in Political Science

The government takes care that every citizen lives together liberally. Certain political theories and ideologies help determine the nature of the political structure of a particular country, and every student pursuing a political science degree must be aware of them.

- Anarchism

- Communism

- Socialism

- Nationalism

- Marxism

- Capitalism

- Social Capitalism

- Conservatism

- Fascism

- Liberalism

- Social Democracy

- Absolutism

- Environmentalism

- Pancasilaism

Most of the political institutions will fit into some of the above idealisms theorised by political scientists.

Role of a Political Scientist

The primary role of a political scientist is to examine the political structure of an institution and to seek answers as to how to improvise it. With the help of theses, they analyse the social policies and provide various frameworks that help politicians, journalists, interest groups and the electorate to identify and scrutinise multiple issues.

In the United States, political scientists, also called 'Americanists', study several data such as public policies, constitutional development, elections, public opinion, foreign policies, and the US Supreme Court to determine political nature and behaviours.

A political scientist would use his/her knowledge of the methodologies, approaches and policies of the government and the competing political parties of a state. They examine political systems through collecting, analysing and interpreting data, including public opinion surveys, election results, reports on various findings and recommendations.

Job Options with a Political Science Degree

If the current affairs and the political aspects of the world intrigue you, then pursuing a career with a political science degree is a good choice. To be honest, there is a lot of scopes if one studies political science properly. The most common and high-paying job opportunities of a political science degree include:

- Political Analyst

- Public Relations Specialist

- Legislative Assistant

- Social Media Manager

- Marketing Research Analyst

- Attorney

- Political Consultant

- Intelligence Analyst

- Political Campaign Staff

- Institutional Leadership and Activities Director

With such broad scopes in this branch of studies, there are excellent career and employment opportunities associated with political science.  

Author: Frank Taylor