When you study political science, you study governments in all aspects and forms, both practical and theoretical. It was once a branch of philosophy, but now people consider it as a social science. The majority of the accredited universities have separate research centers, departments, and schools devoted to studying the central themes within political science. The history of this discipline compares directly to that of humanity. Its roots back to the Western tradition, specifically in the works of Aristotle and Plato. Aristotle majorly in Politics while Plato in Republic.
Branches of Political Science
It has a lot of branches. Some of the branches are theoretical, others have mixed character, while the remaining engage with its practice actively. The theoretical branch includes Political Economy, Political Philosophy, or the Government’s History. The mixed feeling includes Comparative Politics, Human Rights, Political Communication, Public Administration, and Conflict Processes. The branches that engage actively in political science practice include Urban Policy, Community Based Learning, Executive and Presidents Politics. If you want to get any degree in political science, you need to have a balance of courses that relate to these branches or subjects. The primary factor adding to the success of political science is interdisciplinary character.
Political Philosophy
What political arrangement do you think fits any given society? Is there a form of government that you believe every community should follow? What is the principle that you consider a political leader should have? These are the questions that should ring in your mind when it comes to political philosophy. Taking the perspective of the Ancient Greeks, they say that the ultimate philosophical goal is the quest for the best structure. According to both Aristotle and Plato, an individual can find true blessedness only when there is a politically well-organized society. For Plato, he states that the functioning of a State is parallel to that of a human soul. The soul is divided into three parts. The parts include appetitive, spiritual, and rational. So automatically, the State also has three parts. The features include the auxiliaries, the ruling class, and the productive part. The Ruling class corresponds to the rational part of the soul, the effect corresponds to appetitive, while the auxiliaries correspond to the spiritual aspect. Aristotle emphasizes the dependence between the State and the individual. Plato, on the other hand, brings to detail how the State should be the best run. The main lesson here is that Plato states the appropriate human who can run her life. The basis that people use in formulating their policies and views originates from the writings of Aristotle and Plato.
Economics, Politics, and the Law
The link between politics and economics is inextricable. Whenever new policies and governments get instituted, new economic arrangements ensue afterward. So, to understand political science, you need to have a proper understanding of all the basic principles of economics.
Today, the most common principle that guides the arrangement of modern democracies is the principle of the division of powers. These divisions include the judiciary, executive, and legislative. It originates from the age of Enlightenment where it follows the development of political theorizing. All this falls under the theory of State of power, the development of French philosopher Montesquieu.