Indeed it is good to know about Politics and Education in school to have knowledge about “How the Government functions?” People have different ideas about what politics is. Political leaders and personals who hold political office, may argue that it is a kind of public service rendered to the citizen of a country. Some others associate politics with manipulation in order to pursue ambitions and satisfy wants. A few think of politics as what politicians do. Interestingly, some relate politics with studying Political Science. So, what is exactly Politics and Political Science? The simple answer to this question is that there is no single answer.
It is unlikely today that there is any life untouched by politics. Also, it would be wrong to state that those who have idea of politics are the champions of Political Science.
What is Politics?
Politics, in its broadest sense, is the activity through which people make, preserve and amend the general rules under which they live. It is a tool through which the government governs the state. In other words Politics can be defined as the science of government, the exercise of power, the making of collective decisions, the allocation of scarce resources, the practice of deception and manipulation, and so on.
If we look around and observe, we will find that every decision has an impact on the entire population. We can take price of Petrol as an example. Any increase or decrease in fuel prices directly impacts our savings as commodities and transport becomes dearer or cheaper based on the government decision. There are many other examples of state policies decided by the government or politicians which directly impacts our day to day lives.
Is Politics and Political Science same??
The terms ‘Political Science’ and ‘Politics’ are often used interchangeably. It is often mistaken that those who are a part of politics study political science. Political Science is a systematic and in-depth study of States, Governments, National and International institutions and Public Policy formulation. It is also the study of power and authority. It is good, having a study on politics and education in school to know the fundamentals of the functionalities of Government. It is a subject-discipline taught worldwide in educational institutions.
A person who is a politician by profession need not study Political Science. Similarly a person who is an ardent student of Political Science need not become a politician.
Relationship: Connected Or Aloof
Every country has its own political system. In other words, political system differs from State to State and within a State from time to time. There is no uniform or universal political system which binds national and international actors/ leaders together. But when we talk about Political Science then it is pivotal to note that the principles of Political Science are universal. Politics in India and the United States of America is different but the theory of Political Science which is studied in both the countries is same.
Politics is concerned with the day-to-day activities of the Government and its branches whereas Political Science seeks to study the nature, origin and functions of the State and all its organs. If we look closely, we will notice that each one of us is directly or indirectly exposed to the politics and policies of the state whereas Political Science is a discipline studied only by the students, political scholars and scientists.
However, Political Science and politics are not mutually exclusive of each other and cannot be seen in isolation with the other. State and Government are the two crucial institutions of our political, social, cultural and economic lives. At the same time, State and the Government are symbol of Politics, which are necessary for the functioning of a country. Hence it can be concluded that Politics and Political Science are two sides of the same coin. If and only if we get to know the difference of politics and education in school level we could have a clear understanding of it.
Careers in Political Science:
Aristotle, a Greek philosopher once called Political Science a master science as every human social endeavour on this planet gets affected by politics. The students of political science holds vast knowledge of other disciplines as it is associated with economics, statistics, law, sociology, psychology, and history which makes it a great career choice.
Many political science graduates use their skills in building their careers in Law, Embassy, Civil services, Public services, Journalism, Teaching, Research, Data Science, NGOs, Political Analyst, Political Consultancy and Campaign Managing and so on.
Even though one chooses to build career in any other field, one cannot choose to be a political and that is what makes Politics an engrossing realm.
Author: Ms. Neha Singh
Faculty, TCIS