Political science the study of government and political processes,
institutions, and behavior. Government and politics have been
studied and commented on since the time of the ancient Greeks.
However, it is only with the general systematization of the social
sciences in the last 100 years that political science has emerged
as a separate definable area of study. Political science is commonly
divided into a number of subfields, the most prominent being political
theory, national government, comparative government, international
relations, and special areas shared with other social sciences
such as sociology, psychology, and economics.
In practice, these subfields overlap. Political theory encompasses
the following related areas: the study of the history of political
thought; the examination of questions of justice and morality
in the context of the relationships between individuals, society,
and government; and the formulation of conceptual approaches and
models in order to understand more fully political and governmental
processes.
The study of national government focuses on the political system
of the researcher's particular country, including the legal and
constitutional arrangements and institutions; the interaction
of various levels of government, other social and political groups,
and the individual; and proposals for improving governmental structure
and policy. Comparative government covers many of the same subjects
but from the perspective of parallel political behavior in several
countries, regions, or time periods. |
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