I.Growth of the Discipline of Political Science:

(i) It is said that systematic study of politics began with the Greeks in the fourth century B.C.

(ii) Great philospher of Greece such as Plato used it (political science) in the most comprehensive way.

(iii) Aristotle called politics a 'Master Science,

(iv) For Aristotle politics is comprised not only of the institutions of state or government but also of family, property and other social institutions.

(v) In short; we can say that during the ancient period politics, for the Greeks, was an all encompassing activity.

II. Comparison of ancient Greek and the Roman view about Political Science:

(i) The ancient Greek view about Political Science was mainly ethical.

(ii) In contrast of the Greeks, the ancient Roman considered the legal aspects of politics more important than governance.

III. Medieval Age and Political Science:

(i) During the Middle Ages, Political Science became a branch of religious order of the Church. Political authority was, subordinated to the authority of the Church.

(ii) As the state grew in size and became more complex, Political Science acquired a realistic and secular (non-religious) approach.

IV. Modern age and Political Science:

(a) Political Science after Industrial Revolution: After the Industrial Revolution, the role of the state, which was limited to maintenance of law and order and providing defence against external aggression, underwent considerable changes with the emergence of the new economic system called capitalism.

(b) Political Science after the Second World War: In the twentieth century, after the Second World War (after 1945 A. D.) the "behavioural approach" offered a new dimension of political Science. The behavioural movement in American Political Science in the 1950s and the 1960s placed a lot of emphasis on the "Science" part of Politics. It wanted to model Politics after the methods followed by natural sciences like Physics, Botany, etc.

(v) Behaviouralists and Political Science: (a) The behaviouralists built theory inductively from empirical propositions. Those who follow inductive method would come to the conclusion after study, observation and experiment.

Example: For example, when some behaviouralists saw African-Americans (Blacks) of the southern United States of America (USA) voted for the Democratic Party of the United States, they came to the conclusion that the African-Americans do vote for the Democrats.

(b) Importance of behavioural approach towards Political Science: This behavioural approach shifted the focus of its study from political institutions and structures to their functions. It placed stress on political activity and the behaviour of men and women who control these institutions. It replaced the study of ideas by the study of facts, evidence and behaviour. It considered political activity manifested in behaviour as the true subject of Political Science.

(vi) Elections and Political Science: (a) A political activity may be in the form of an individual contesting an election. It may be the activity of a group seeking the adoption of a particular policy in its favour by the government.

(b) As different people pursue different interests, such activities tend to generate disagreement, competition and conflict. But the distinctive quality of Politics is that it includes physical coercion or force by the government. It may and usually does involve the persuasive influence and efforts of the government to resolve conflicts through its balanced policy decisions.

(c) Politics is also viewed as a process whereby individuals, groups or communities seek to achieve their specific but conflicting goals. Politics, as the process seeks to allocate resources (Easton calls it, values) authoritatively.

(vii) Politics and use of Power: Politics, as the study of structures, institutions, processes and activities, recognizes the possibility of the use of power.

(a) Marxist approach: The Marxist approach, which is derived from the writings of the nineteenth century German Philosopher Karl Marx, views Politics as a study of irreconcilable conflicts between the two classes (those who have private property, or simply the rich) and the "have-nots" (those who do not have. any private property, or simply the poor); in other words, the exploiters and the exploited. The emancipation of the have-nots will come only through a revolution which would put an end to the institution of private property, thus changing the class society to the classless society.

(b) Liberal approach: But Politics, as against the Marxist view, has another view also, the liberal view, according to which Politics is considered as an effort for conciliation and accommodation to bring about rule of order and justice. Incidentally, the Marxist view of politics comes as a reaction to the liberal view of politics.