1.5 Behavioralism
Behavioralism is an approach to political science that focuses on observable behavior, data, and scientific methods to study politics.
Behavioralism developed as a response to traditionalism. Instead of asking what should be (traditionalism), behavioralists asked what can be measured, tested, and verified.
Behaviorists study things like:
- Voting patterns
- Public opinion
- Political participation
- Decision-making by leaders and institutions
Additionally, behavioralism is the shift from studying institutions (like the structure of Congress) to studying individuals (the actual behavior of the people inside Congress). It treats the individual as the basic unit of analysis.
While traditionalism is a normative approach to political science, behavioralism is an empirical approach, meaning it focuses on what is rather than what ought to be.
For example, instead of debating whether democracy is the best system (normative), a behavioralist might analyze actual voter turnout data, survey public opinion, or study which policies are most likely to pass in a democratic system.
This approach made political science more scientific and data-driven, allowing researchers to identify patterns, test theories, and make more objective comparisons across countries and systems.
However, behavioralism also has limits. By focusing only on what can be measured, it can overlook important questions about values, ethics, and meaning.
In section 1.6, we will look at postbehavioralism, which attempts to balance scientific analysis with real-world relevance and values.