The philosophy of political science - Essay Example

Political science Part A Can the study of politics be correctly called a science? Why or why not? The word politics comes from Greek word polio which meant a city state. Politics is the use of power and influence by governor who exercise or pursuit certain interests and values. Right values of interests of politics contain name in search or pursuit of normative politics. Study of politics can be regarded as a science since it is a way of studying things to give an opinion regarding the government or the people. Science involves theories and facts to endorse or support an opinion the idea which is seen in politics. In addition, an opinion that is proposed has to be worthwhile in that it is significant to everybody and acquires their attention. Therefore, study of politics since it involves the study of political elements and conducts this study using scientific method. Some elements of politics such as political theory require normative assessment of the politics. In addition, its outcomes and procedures consist of qualitative and quantitative analysis of data or models from empirical sources. This in most instances comes up in the cases of opinion polls that are commonly used in periods prior to the election. The fact that a portion of the total population can be used to deduce the political stand of the entire electorate makes it a scientific method. The portion selected is used as samples and scientific methods are used to facilitate this process. 2. The legal definition of the state stipulates that the state is a territorially bound sovereign entity with a government. Is this a useful definition? Why or why not? It is a useful definition because a sovereign state is a state with a prescribed territory on which it practices and exercises internal and external authority or sovereignty, government, a permanent population and the ability to enter into relations with states. Sovereignty is used to refer to complete authority and ultimate source of law within its territories or borders. Sovereign has the ability to exist on its own without recognition by other states. A sovereign state has the ability to make and enforce laws so as to ensure peaceful co-existence. In this sense, a sovereign state ensures that the rights of its citizens are protected while at the same time supportive of market institutions. Internal sovereignty of state refers to the state’s legal and political supremacy with respect to matters and issues within its nation state territorial borders. For instance, in 1945, many people were tortured and killed in Nuremberg city they were not called criminals they were part of sovereign state. Linked with the concept of sovereignty, is the doctrine of territorial integrity which states that a State has the right to resist any foreign aggression, intervention and invasion within its territorial boundaries. Sovereignty is the main platform for international politics and in basic tenets of the United Nations, which guarantees equality of all States. 3. Describe in detail the different forms of democracy discussed in class and in the text. What criticisms do the opponents of democracy make about this form of government? Democracy is the power for the people by the people. There are two forms of democracy namely; direct and indirect. Direct democracy is a form of democracy whereby there exists a government of the people for the people. For democracy to develop, it is important to carry out elections to choose a new government. In addition, human rights are not violated by the ruling government. Also, the government has limited lifespan to stay in the office, it has the responsibility to make real choices and decisions and it encourage social welfare to promote productivity. In direct democracy, the citizens participate directly in the political system through voting. Indirect democracy on the other hand is a form of democracy in which the citizens elect or choose a government but following this election have little contribution or no input as to governmental decisions and choices made by those government officials. They make decisions free from supervision from citizens who elected them except by another election in which the candidate is evaluated rather than his decisions. This form of democracy is indirect because it is assumed by the citizens that the promises made by the candidate during elections will be the way of action the government will adhere and follow. In addition, it assumes that the values and desire of those who elected the leader will be reflected thus requiring no supervision. For indirect democracy to work, the government must always put their personal desires and values second to those of the citizens who chose them. If the government fails to do so, then indirect democracy will not work since the assumptions upon which it is defined or based are not effective in controlling government decisions and choices. The following are criticisms of democracy: Selfishness in that the elected candidates are not willing to share the resources with those who elected them. Best interests, the officials put their personal interest’s firs at the expense of the people who elected them. Majority tyranny, it creates unequal society in that the rights of some people are ignored and not considered. Ignorance, the government at some point is not concerned with the welfare of the people. Part B 1. Some regard policies as the quest for the right value system and the authoritative enforcement of that value system. Is this normative approach to politics a valid one? Why or why not? It is a valid approach to politics because such policies would not easily be influenced by politicians since there is general authority responsible for implementing such policies. Normative approach to politics would stick to this policy system because it is concerned with what should be and ought to be. In addition, normative approach to politics is concerned with conditions and laws established by human society which are alterable in that one can evaluate and examine how far such policies are morally right or wrong and then put them on the right course or path. Validity of this approach is also sustainable since it helps during transition from one regime to another. Astitute policies are sustained so long as they correspond to the wishes of the masses. 2. Discuss the components of the Functional definition of the state and the concept of state as a nation. Are these two definitions useful? Why or why not? State is the only institution in the world that has sovereignty in that it has the authority or power over many issues. For instance, government agents can kill people and the state says it is okay to do it. In addition, it is superior in such a way that it coerces people to do things they were not willing to do. It can be defined as the sovereign territory or territory bound with sovereignty of the leader or the governor. It derived its legal definition as sovereign because it is bound within its territory; it has got a government and authority over its citizens. The following are functional definition of state: Legitimacy identity, Breakthrough Participation Distribution In detail, Sovereign state is the one that identifies with other states, exercises its legitimacy in that it allows people to obey the laws without fear but with respect and obedience. In addition, it ensures equity in that it does not practice discrimination whereby some group of people within the state are liked while others disliked. Furthermore, it encourages participation of its citizens in its activities in that people are given an option to vote, speak, and give their views or concerns. More so, it pays attention to the wealth it produces to the people at the bottom and top and does not ignore the poor people by helping them. According to John Locke, a sovereign state has a government that gets its power and authority from the people it governs. Therefore, it should reflect the will of the people. In this manner, sovereign was used to means that there was no other high power therefore; a leader has to control his or her own destiny. Sovereign state forms a social contract with people in that it is between the people to choose a government and make laws to help and govern them either to grow crops or start a business. It should protect the property. If the government fails to impress the people, it ceases to exist and replaced with another one. For Machiavelli, a state is the one which is better than other states. The main role of the leader or the governor in a sovereign state is to keep order by all means either using violence means or force. 3. Discuss the characteristics and goals of both totalitarianism and authoritarianism. Why do some believe that these are viable alternatives to democracy? Totalitarianism is a radical form of government whereby there is total control of the people. This type of government have total control over the economy in that the government dictates to its citizens what to do and when to do it. Examples of totalitarian regimes are North Korea, China (1944-1976), Nazi Germany (1933-1945) and USSR under Stalin (1930-1950). A totalitarian regime is determined to sacrifice everything for the sake of the country. For instance, Plato was a totalitarian in that he advocated for a philosopher King to run the country, who would make difficult decisions and ensure security of his country. Totalitarian leader bring change in society and gives what is best to the society. Totalitarian government controls all aspects o social life including education, science, art and morals of citizens. On the other hand, authoritarianism is essentially concerned about what people do. It is the belief that power should be centralized. For instance, Machiavelli was an authoritarian leader who was concerned with the physical controls. Authoritarianism in some instance lack guiding ideology and to some extent tolerate pluralism in social groups, exercise their power within predictable limits and lack authority to mobilize citizens in attainment of national goals. They should be an alternative to democracy because they call for submission to authority. In addition the two models create a stable foundation for an assertive leader to implement his policies as they are less likely to be interfered with groups of divergent interests. Democracy in some instances has been noted for slow response leadership methods since the common opinion of the majority is highly regarded. However these two models present a paradigm shift as they fully embrace assertive model of leadership. Work Cited Wolf, Jonathan. An Introduction to Political Philosophy. London: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print. Read More