Political Science Module 1:
What is Political Science?

Political Science Module 1 introduces political science as the study of power, especially how power is organized, distributed, and used within societies and between nations. It explains key foundational ideas such as political power, the difference between normative theory (what should be) and empirical theory (what is), and three major approaches within the field: traditionalism, behavioralism, and postbehavioralism. Together, these sections show that political science is concerned both with understanding how politics actually works and with evaluating how it ought to work.

The module also introduces several basic concepts that shape political life: political ideology, political culture, and political socialization. It explains that people’s political beliefs are influenced by ideas, history, institutions, family, education, religion, media, and the broader culture around them. Overall, the module lays the groundwork for political science by showing that politics is not just about government, but about the deeper forces that shape authority, conflict, values, and human behavior.