What is Politics ?

A variety of methods are deployed in politics, which include promoting or forcing one's own political views among people

negotiation with other political subjects, making laws, and exercising force, including warfare against adversaries.

Politics is exercised on a wide range of social levels, from clans and tribes of traditional societies,

through modern local governments, companies and institutions up to sovereign states, to the international level.

It is very often said that politics is about power.[1] A political system is a framework which defines acceptable political methods within a given society.

History of political thought can be traced back to early antiquity, with seminal works such as Plato's Republic,

Aristotle's Politics and the works of Confucius.

he scope of Political Science implies its area of study or subject matter. It is a very comprehensive and expanding social science.

An attempt was made by the International Political Science

Association in Paris in 1948 to delineate its scope. It classified the same into four zones, namely, Political Theory, Political Institution, Political Dynamics and International Relations. We may attempt to describe its scope as follows.

It deals with the definition and meaning of fundamental concepts of Political Science like state, government, law, liberty, equality, justice, sovereignty, separation of powers, methods of representation, forms of government, grounds of political obligation and various ideologies.

A clear understanding of these basic terms and concepts is essential for the study of Political Science. A student of Political Science must start his lessons with political theory.

It is concerned with the theoretical and speculative consideration of the fundamental principles used by Political Science.

Eminent political philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Mill, Marx, and Gandhi have expressed their views on nature, functions and ends of the state and government.

On the basis of their ideas, political theory defines political concepts. An important function of political philosophy has been to project values and ideals which political institutions strive hard to attain.

It is also concerned with the study of formal political institutions such as the state and the instrument through which it acts the government

Hence, the scope of Political Science extends to the study of the organisation and working of formal institutions like the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, and in these days, of the electorate and even the administration.

The study of constitutions and political institutions of various countries (comparative politics) enables the political scientists to evolve sound and workable principles for the conduct of government.