What is Political Science and what does it study?

It is one of the main variants of social sciences, and studies the use of political power.

Political science is the branch of the social sciences that deals with the is in charge of analyzing and studying the power relations of a society.Power is understood as the contract between rulers and citizens that must be respected within an institutional framework. Power is the capacity of a given actor to influence a second or even third actor. It is for this reason that it is a necessary act of interrelation.

We often overlook this concept of power. Political science does not limit itself to basing its research on a political nature, but also responds to an interrelation of power.It also responds to a web of interactions between human beings themselves, a part that is more anthropological than administrative. Power can occur in families, in a group of friends, at work or even among outsiders.

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The origins of political psychology

It should be noted that this concept is far from novel. Already in ancient Greece, the precursors of political science such as Plato or Aristotle raised a deep analysis of the configuration of the State as a unique element of power towards others. Its foundation, laws, constitutions, organization, uses and unregulated customs... all these elements have an influence on the state as a unique element of power towards others.... all these elements influence human behavior in a generalized manner. As civilizations and/or societies have grown in number and complexity, they have been forced to take shape in the form of the nation-state, and from this structure they affect the mind and behavior.

Once again, it is here that political science takes on the task of unraveling the entrails of statecraft. Power, the philosopher's stone around which politics in general revolves, remains to this day a difficult idea to develop. Is power exercised or conquered, and what are its methods of implementation? These and many other questions can only be answered by this science, which, it must be stressed, is not exact.

Although Western thinkers were forerunners in laying the foundations of this concept, the concepts of political science or political theory were not coined until well into the twentieth century, shortly after the end of World War II. Thus, it was exactly in 1948 when the German political scientist Eugen Fischer (1881-1964) coined the term "political science" as a universal way of addressing the academic world dedicated to political knowledge. It is clear that there is a relationship between political science and political philosophy, since examining the practice of politics involves constantly rethinking the concepts of political science and political philosophy. the exercise of politics involves constantly rethinking the concepts on the game board. However, it also has to do with psychology, since ultimately everything that is studied is embodied through human behavior.

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The role of the political scientist

Like any other type of science, political science requires an entity or agent that articulates studies and research entrusted to it: this is the figure of the political scientistThis is the figure of the political scientist, who plays a role of both research and intervention. It should be noted that a political scientist is not a politician, a speechwriter or any other position that resembles him or her.

In accordance with the role entrusted to the political scientist, he/she must adhere to objective and impartial research in his/her field, without interference that responds to the particular interests of pressure groups, political parties or otherpolitical parties or other possible groups that exercise power. The political reality should be the object of study of the political scientist, as well as to resolve the trends that may occur in that reality.

Among the many functions of the political scientist, he/she will be in charge of seeking answers to situations such as peace and war, who provokes them, their nature; how to manage the role of the dominated and the dominator; parameters to establish the justice of injustice; how to manage conflicts and negotiate the interests of those involved; guidelines to reach consensus, among other problems.

Taking into consideration all the issues addressed by the complexity of power and its action within the community, we must introduce a new concept that works as a hinge in politics: ethics and morality. They are two inseparable conjunctions in the exercise of governance, the latter formula being the one that forms in body and legality the "social justice".

The public vs. private sector

We cannot ignore the relative novelty of the figure of the political scientist within the professional sphere, especially if we take into account that the political life is exclusively hermetized for the parties that respond to ideological interests.. Likewise, political science - and the political scientist in the last instance - can perform important tasks within the public administration that would help to improve the quality of democracy, if any, or can improve governmental performance in case of absence.

Suggesting some of the most important examples, the role of the political scientist is to design public policies given guidelines, as well as the organization of civil society, the relationship between the judicial, executive and legislative powers, and the management and research of public opinion. All this taking into account, if possible, a proactive attitude (conflict avoidance) as opposed to a reactive attitude (conflict resolution).

Finally, in the private sphere, political science has little scope for action.. Being entities of a different nature, the private sector may require the services of a political professional in non-profit organizations such as NGOs, companies dedicated to assisting the public sector, such as outsourcing, or platforms and media dedicated to generating public opinion.