The study of Political Science

          "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it and then  misapplying the wrong remedies" - Groucho Marx

           I chose Groucho Marx's quotation because it shows that there are no solutions, nor alternatives to the problems in Political Science because of the people who are involved in it. However, what Marx does not know is, there is a solution to all of this problems that the society is experiencing. There are tools and methods that people can use to solve this problem. The people just doesn't notice because they are busy finding answers from other sciences, like natural sciences and such. Politics might not interest everyone, but no one can escape it. "Politics is designed to break your heart while making your really angry at the process." Whatever change that will happen in the government or politics, it would always affect you whether you like it or not.

         According to a French poet, named Paul Valery, "Politics is the act or preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them." Despite how cynical his definition of politics is, there is still a way for people to tale part in the political affairs.  They can do this by studying Political Science.... In Roger Smith's "Should we make Political Science More of a Science or More about Politics?, he pointed out that Political Science is needed to improve the human knowledge of people on political issues that is very important tot them. Hence, when they view the study of politics as about them, or their lives as a whole, they begin to hope that tools as research, theories, etc., that are committed to such study will produce results that will speak for them as to their concerns, and interest. This is where theories and research comes into play. The theories (scientific approaches that are employed in the study of political science helpful in making our decisions, and in promoting open tools that explains the differences of people in a society when it comes to politics and their national interest. In doing research, political science can be vulnerable to ideological infiltration which means we can include ourselves, own theories, etc., in solving the problems.

         In connection to, In Arthur Lupia's "Evaluation Political Science Research: Information for Buyer and Sellers", he emphasized the public value of basic research in Political Science. In order to grasp the importance of research in Political Science, we must take into consideration that Political Science, like other other scientific research is a product. "A product that clarifies the properties and mechanics of the complex political phenomena that affect many aspects of our lives." It affect our lives, because politics is inseparable from our lives. We all live on politics, We can improve our existence by using theories or research methods to uncover the properties and mechanics of forces that are fundamental to our lives. In Lupia's article, he emphasized that theories or research provides for strategies for political sciences, policy makers, consumers and citizens In my opinion, NSF should fund political science research in order to have a more concrete research, and have nicer results in governments. NSF can be used as a tool to help people know more about the politics.

          Upon reading the articles by Roger Smith, and Arthur Lupia, I came to realize that theories are important in studying political science and in doing research because it helps in developing a coherent cumulative body of knowledge. We must participation and get involve in refocusing our own discipline (Political Science) to be empirical and logical. We should also take into consideration, that people have their own political preferences, which explain why we often ignore relevant issues in Politics, but one thing is common. And that is we live in a world of Politics. As long as there is greed for power and glory, it will be difficult to solve anything in Politics, especially the government, but with the help of scientific approaches that political science teaches or employs, there is always  an alternative or solution. 

"You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to" - Molly Ivins.

- my paper (july 2, 2008) 

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