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Political Science (GE-102): Course outline (GE-102)

Course Description

The objective of this course is to introduce the students with the fundamentals of the subject of Political Science and help them understand the political ideologies, their forms, and examples in the modern world. The very basic concepts and terminology commonly used in the studies of Political Science are taught to make the students friendly with the subject.

Course objectives

The key objectives of the course are to:

  • Emphasise on the functional aspects of the politics in a society.
  • Enabled the students to understand the various forms of state and government, functioning of the political system and study its various components and actors influencing this functioning.
  • Focus on the conceptual framework of political parties and pressure groups
  • Enable the students to understand the philosophical discourses of different political ideologies, and emerging trends in politics.

Course contents

Unit I: Introduction

  • Definition Nature, Scope and Sub-fields of Political Science

Unit II: Political Science and Other Disciplines

  • Relationship of Political Science with other social sciences

Unit III: Approaches to the study of Political Science

  • Traditional and behavioural approach

Unit IV: State 

  • Its origin and evolution
  • Western and Islamic concepts of State

Unit V: Basic concepts of Political Science

  • Power
  •  Authority
  • Legitimacy 
  • Sovereignty

Unit VI: Organs of Government

  • Legislature
  • Executive
  • Judiciary

Unit VII: Forms of State

  • Unitary
  • Federation
  • Confederation

Unit VIII: Forms of Government

  • Democracy
  • Authoritarian
  • Parliamentary
  • Presidentia

Unit IX: Law

  • Definition, sources, kinds
  • Rule of law
  • ts relationship with Morality
  • Individual Liberty and Rights & Duties

Unit X: Political Parties and Interest Groups

Unit XI: Public Opinion

  • Definition
  • Formulation
  • Assessment

Unit XII: Electoral Process

  • Mechanism
  • Kinds of representation
  • Requirements of impartial elections

Unit XIII: Political Ideologies

  • Liberalism
  • Fascism
  • Nazism
  • Socialism
  • Marxism
  • Nationalism
  • slamism

Unit XIV: Emerging political concepts and terminologies

  • Globalization, governance,
  • Feminism, terrorism, political exclusion and inclusion,
  • Power sharing

 

Textbooks

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