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Why political science matters?

The meaning of political science is often restricted to the state, government, and everyday politics. However, it goes beyond that. We as humans share various relationships. What do we do when conflicts arise in these relationships? How do we resolve them? The Socratic dialectical method or Habermas’ idea of deliberation provides a solution. It says conflicts are better resolved through dialogue rather than domination. Hence, it tells us how to talk in a dialectical manner. It is the process of reasoning together. For instance, when your father asks you to aim for a government job, but you want to become a content creator, you do not totally oppose each other. Instead, you engage rationally: Why is a government job important? Maybe because it provides security and financial stability. But being a content creator might give you creative freedom. So you decide to take a government job but also start your creator journey simultaneously — maybe by vlogging your day as a government employee...
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Systems approach: How Political Systems Work

 Ever wonder how and why the brick or kuchha roads in front of your house got converted into pukka concrete roads? And when they broke, why was patching done? There must have been a whole process in between that we often miss. It’s similar to eating food: we get energy, but only after the food goes through a process in our body to produce that energy.

David Easton proposed a theory called the systems approach to explain this process. He sees politics as a living system. A system contains many interdependent elements that perform certain functions, much like the digestive or nervous system in our body. Easton would explain the example above as follows: the transition from kuchha to pukka roads happened because a demand was raised for it. Easton calls this demand an input. When this demand reaches the respective institutions, such as the legislature, executive, judiciary, or local bodies, it is fulfilled. Easton calls this the output. It is similar to when we eat something: it enters our body, and various organs release elements such as enzymes, acids, and juices to digest it, converting it into distinct outputs, such as energy or amino acids.

In this process, those who respond to our demands receive our support through elections or other means. Support is also an input function.

However, the road constructed might not be of very good quality. People will respond to this by giving feedback, and hence, patching or reconstruction is done to address negative feedback. If feedback is ignored and demands are not met, can the institution maintain its legitimacy?

Despite its usefulness, the systems approach fails to explain on what basis inputs are selected. It downplays the role of value systems such as caste, religion, ideology, and social narratives. For instance, during the farmers’ protest, farmers demanded the repeal of the three farm laws. Initially, the government was firm; however, it later succumbed to the pressure. The systems theory cannot adequately explain such dynamics, which is why it is often criticized as being very mechanical in nature.
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