Chapter One Notes PS 372 PDF

Preview

Summary

lecture 1 notes...

Description

Chapter One Notes What is science?  4 main elements o Method o Inference o Transparency o Uncertainty  It’s all about the method o Not the “what” but the HOW o The scientific method is used  Goal is inference o We gather facts in an attempt to go beyond these facts o What sets political scientists apart is that they think scientifically and inferentially  Science is transparent o Share our findings and the exact steps we took to find them  The conclusions are uncertain o We know nothing is certain o No analysis is perfect o Results are “consistent” with the hypothesis, but we never say they “prove” anything Types of science  formal: use formal systems to generate knowledge o ex: math, statistics, computer sciences  empirical: sciences interested in observing the real world o this breaks down into natural and social sciences  natural: study the natural world o chemistry, physics  social: study human behavior o ex: political science, sociology, economics, geography social scientists face three main barriers, making their jobs difficult  people have rights o it’s hard to study people scientifically  some variables are hard/impossible to manipulate o ex: what effect does poverty have on war?  People are random What is political science?  Political science: application of science to the study of politics o Politics: who gets what, when, and how Three main areas of political science  American politics: focuses on the United States o Two branches:

 

 Political behavior  Political institutions Comparative politics: one tie that binds all comparativists is the study of politics outside of the United States International Relations: considers a variety of international processes o Focus on how international entities like states (or countries) and international organizations interact o Two branches:  International security and conflict  War, terrorism, conflict  International political economies  Trade, international business practices, etc....