INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE
I started this Udemy course in fall 2026. It covers a lot of ground by exploring the many ideologies that inform political science and my plan is not to rush through listening to the videos as I want to take good notes related to each of the topics covered. This blog will serve as a repository of those notes and summaries.
Specifically, an INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE is taught by Alexandra Paskhaver, whose goal for the course is to provide learners with a broad overview of a wide range of diverse political systems by discussing their pros/cons, histories, and countries of application. Within the discussion of different ideologies, the course also covers basic economic theory and each unit provides a curated list of books and essays for each political philosophy discussed. Finally, Paskhaver notes how each video ends with a terrible joke!
EXTRA CREDIT - My Own Notes & Summaries…
To supplement the course videos I plan on doing further readings and summaries of various related videos found online. I’ve compiled videos I found on YouTube into a playlist related to this course, which can be found here.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDfpnGe-IO-Q&si=OQdgP6YH-n69qrz1
VIDEO SUMMARIES…
1) UNDERSTANDING POLITICAL SCIENCE
https://youtu.be/SbzOqyNuF6U?si=Bu5kgh9Lbzs0pWS4
In his video, political scientist Professor Hellstrom describes how POLITICS is about social organization, distributing public goods, and deciding who gets what. It involves values, conflict resolution, and decision-making across various levels, from local to international.
He also notes how political science studies power, institutions, and language's impact, distinguishing itself from sociology and economics. The discipline emerged in the late 1800s in Europe and the U.S..
Furthermore, Hellstrom explains how measuring politics is challenging, as political scientists use terms, definitions, and frameworks to examine social phenomena. Key questions include power distribution, governmental actions, as well as citizen participation.
Validity and reliability are crucial in political analysis; specifically, Hellstrom notes how validity ensures representativeness, while reliability focuses on process trustworthiness. Researchers also face trade-offs due to the abstract nature of political science. Quantitative methods, like statistics and surveys, offer strong reliability but may lack validity. Qualitative methods provide nuanced insights but are harder to scale up. Finally, deductive reasoning is also significant for building theories and making observations.
2) WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE?
https://youtu.be/r-I5Z5pdWJI?si=qx8Vmi8yA09GdEMU
This video, by a group of professors who run the language and philosophy YouTube channel, explains how political science is the scientific study of politics, focusing on how political systems, institutions, and policies operate, along with the behaviour of individuals and groups within these systems.
It is divided into three main subfields: political theory, comparative politics, and international relations.
Political theory examines the philosophical foundations of political systems, exploring concepts like power, authority, justice, and rights. It offers frameworks to analyze and evaluate political ideologies, including democracy and liberalism.
Comparative politics analyzes and compares political systems and policies across different countries, assessing why some systems are more effective in particular contexts. It identifies best practices for governance and policy-making.
International relations studies the interactions between states and the structures that shape these relationships. It addresses issues such as war, peace, diplomacy, and global governance.
The video concludes by explaining how political science has evolved from ancient Greece to a comprehensive academic discipline today, influenced by new theories and methods across various fields. It now includes diverse approaches, like feminist political theory and postcolonial studies.
3) WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE?
https://youtu.be/926YBspuJj0?si=8oy8RIVsh0E21N3L
In this video, Dr Chris Drew explains how the field of political science systematically studies politics, government, and political behavior. It analyzes political systems, activities, and thoughts, aiming to understand power distribution, government operations, and the impact of political processes on societies.
Key topics within the field include the study of political institutions, political behaviour, political theory, and international relations.
Political institutions encompass legislatures, executives, judiciaries, parties, interest groups, and media, crucial for understanding governance.
Political behaviour focuses on individual and group actions within political systems, including voting patterns and public opinion. This area seeks to explain voter motivations and the influences of political campaigns and participation.
Political theory explores historical ideas and ideologies such as democracy, authoritarianism, and justice. It provides insights into fundamental principles that guide political systems and behavior, studying works from philosophers like Plato to modern theorists.
International relations examine interactions between states and global actors like NGOs and corporations. This field analyzes diplomacy, conflicts, and international organizations, addressing global issues such as war, climate change, and human rights.
4) WHAT IS POLITICS?
https://youtu.be/BaJhnTEkptU?si=7AuhBU1w8_oQzk7U
This video introduces the Deep Talk Easy YouTube channel, which is focused on simplifying complex ideas and encourages viewers to subscribe for future content.
Politics is defined as the process of making decisions that affect a group, rooted in power dynamics. The term comes from the Greek "politika," relating to city affairs, highlighting democracy's origins in ancient Greece.
The video further explains how politics extends beyond government to any collective decision-making, such as those that take place in schools or workplaces. Politics involves negotiating, persuading, and forming alliances, influencing how societies organize themselves and distribute power.
Political ideologies, like liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and libertarianism, shape beliefs about equality, freedom, and justice. These frameworks lead to ongoing negotiations about societal structure and governance.
The video also explains how engaging with politics happens in daily actions, from signing petitions to protests, as well as voting. It's a complex, emotional process that is crucial for societal evolution and survival.
Finally, the video concludes by noting how the U.S. has seen a shift in global power dynamics, with rising debt and social division. Analysts warn of potential conflicts, particularly between the U.S. and China, akin to historical cycles of rising and collapsing empires.
READING NOTES…
1) POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES: AN INTRODUCTION
Andrew Heywood, in his book, Political Ideologies: An Introduction tackles with providing a definition of what constitutes an ideology. Specifically, he notes how: “All people are political thinkers. Whether they know it or not, people use political ideas and concepts whenever they express their opinion or speak their mind. Everyday language is littered with terms such as ‘freedom’, ‘fairness’, ‘equality’, ‘justice’ and ‘rights’. In the same way, words such as ‘conservative’, ‘liberal’, ‘socialist’, ‘communist’ and ‘fascist’ are regularly employed by people either to describe their own views, or those of others. However, even though such terms are familiar, even commonplace, they are seldom used with any precision or a clear grasp of their meaning. What, for instance, is ‘equality’? What does it mean to say that all people are equal? Are people born equal; should they be treated by society as if they are equal? Should people have equal rights, equal opportunities, equal political influence, equal wages? Similarly, words such as ‘socialist’ or ‘fascist’ are commonly misused. What does it mean to call someone a ‘fascist’? What values or beliefs do fascists hold, and why do they hold them? How do socialist views differ from those of, say, liberals, conservatives or anarchist” (1)? He continued, noting how: “…To examine ‘ideology’ is to consider a particular type of political thought, distinct from, say, political science or political philosophy. The study of political ideology thus involves reflection on questions about the nature, role and significance of this category of thought, and about which sets of political ideas and arguments should be classified as ideologies” (2); and Heywood also notes how: “…to study ‘ideologies’ is to be concerned with analysing the content of political thought, to be interested in the ideas, doctrines and theories that have been advanced by and within the various ideological traditions” (2).
Another interesting thought Heywood raises is the idea that: “For much of its history, the term ‘ideology’ has been used as a political weapon, a device with which to condemn or criticize rival sets of ideas or belief systems” (3).
Heywood also outlines the somewhat agreed upon tenants that have come to define a contemporary idea of what a study of ideology represents, describing how: “Not until the second half of the twentieth century was a neutral and apparently objective concept of ideology widely employed, and even then disagreements persisted over the social role and political significance of ideology. Among the meanings that have been attached to ideology are the following:
• a political belief system;
• an action-orientated set of political ideas;
• the ideas of the ruling class;
• the world-view of a particular social class or social group;
• political ideas that embody or articulate class or social interests;
• ideas that propagate false consciousness among the exploited or oppressed;
• ideas that situate the individual within a social context and generate a sense of collective belonging;
• an officially sanctioned set of ideas used to legitimize a political system or regime;
• an all-embracing political doctrine that claims a monopoly of truth; and
• an abstract and highly systematic set of political ideas” (2).