ComparativePolitics:Meaning,ScopeandIts

Evolution|PoliticalSystem
byTanviPriyaPoli cs

Afterreadingthisarticleyouwilllearnabout:1.MeaningofComparativePolitics2.Scopeof
ComparativePoliticsand3.Evolution.
MeaningandDefinitionofComparativePolitics:
Thestudyofcomparativepoliticsinvolvesconsciouscomparisonsinstudyingpoliticalexperience,
institutions,behaviourandprocessesofthesystemsofgovernmentinacomprehensivemanner.It
includesthestudyofevenextraconstitutionalagencieshavingtheirimmediateconnection,openor
tacit,withformalgovernmentalorgans.
Itis,therefore,concernedwithsignificantregularities,similaritiesanddifferencesintheworkingof
politicalinstitutionsandinthepatternsofpoliticalbehaviour.Insimplewords,wecansay,
ComparativePoliticsinvolvesacomparativestudyofvariouspoliticalsystemseitherasawholeor
throughacomparativeanalysisoftheirstructuresandfunctions.

SomepopulardefinitionsofComparativePolitics:
ComparativePoliticsisthestudyoftheformsofpoliticalorganisations,theirproperties,correlations,
variationsandmodesofchange.M.G.Smith

Governmentisnotthesoleconcernofstudentsofcomparativepolitics.
ComparativePolitics,nodoubt,hastobeconcernedwiththegovernmentstructure,butatthe
sametime,ithastotakenoteof:
(i)Society,historicalheritageandgeographicandresourcesendowed,itssocialandeconomic
organisations,itsideologiesandvaluesystems,anditspoliticalstyleand
(ii)Itsparties,interestsandleadershipstructure.MacridisandWard

ComparativePoliticsisthestudyofpatternsofnationalgovernmentsinthecontemporaryworld.
Thetermpatternsofgovernmentreferstothe3partsofstudy:
(i)Governmentstructure,
(ii)Behaviouri.e.thestudyofhowaparticularpoliticalstructureorinstitutionworks,and
(iii)ThelawsJeanBiondel

ComparativePoliticsisconcernedwithsignificantregularities,similaritiesanddifferencesinthe
workingofpoliticalinstitutionsandpoliticalbehaviour.M.Curtis
Comparativepoliticsisidentificationandinterpretationoffactorsinthewholesocialorder
whichappeartoaffectwhateverpoliticalfunctionsandtheirinstitutionswhichhavebeen
identifiedandlistedforcomparison.Braibante
ComparativePoliticsinvolvesacomparativestudyofnotonlytheinstitutionalandmechanistic
arrangementsofgovernmentbutalsoanempiricalandscientificanalysisofnoninstitutionalandnon
politicaldeterminantsofpoliticalbehavioursuchasthepatternofcultureorthesocioeconomic
environmentwithinwhichthepoliticalsystemsoperate.Empiricalstudyofpoliticalprocesses,
structuresandfunctionsformsthecoreofComparativePoliticsstudies.Itsaimistobuildascientific
theoryofpoliticscapableofexplainingallphenomenaofpolitics.
ConceptofComparativePolitics:
ComparativePoliticsisasoldasPoliticalScience.Aristotle,thefatherofPoliticalScience,used
comparativemethodforcomprehendingandanalysingprinciples,issuesandproblemsofGreekCity
Statesofhistimes.Heusedtheknowledgegainedforbuildinghistheoryofpolitics.
FollowingAristotle,severalpoliticalthinkersbeganusingthecomparativemethodforanalysingand
presentingtheirviewsandconclusionaboutpolitics.Thus,itcanbelegitimatelyobservedthat
comparativepoliticshaditsoriginwithAristotle.
HarryEcksteinhasrightlyobserved:
ComparativePoliticshasaparticularrighttoclaimAristotleasanancestorbecauseofthe
primacyheassignedtopoliticsamongthesciencesandbecausetheproblemsheraisedand
themethodsheusedaresimilartothosestillcurrentinpoliticalstudies.
Incontemporarytimes,ComparativePoliticsstandsrecognizedasaprimaryandessentialdimension
ofthestudyofPolitics.Alargenumberofpoliticalscientistsevenregarditasanautonomous
disciplinebecauseofitsvastscopeandimportanceforacomprehensiveunderstandingofpoliticsin
allsocieties.
Thecomparativeapproachhasemergedasaveryusefulandhighlypopularapproachforthestudyof
Politics.ComparativestudyofPoliticalSystemsformsanintegralpartofthestudyofPolitics.
EvolutionofComparativePolitics:
Sincetimesveryancient,ComparativePoliticshasbeenaverypopularandusefulsubjectofstudy
withinthebroadambitofPoliticalScience.

Aristotleobservedtheworkingof158constitutionsandusedtheknowledgeforanswering
suchquestionsas:
Whichisanidealstate?Whichcanbethebestpracticablestate?
Whichisthebestconstitution?
Aristotlespathwasfollowedbyhisadmirers,andthetraditionstillcontinues.
ItcanbestatedwithcertaintythatrightfromthedaysofAristotle,comparativestudyofpolitical
institutions,governmentsandprocesseshasbeendevelopingasamajorandpopularareaof
investigationwithalargenumberofpoliticalscientists.AfterAristotle,severalpoliticalthinkers
Cicero,Polybius,Machiavelli,Montesquieu,J.S.Mill,Bagehotandothers,usedthecomparative
methodinahighlyproductiveway.
Inthe20thcentury,theancienttraditionreceivedasystematicuseanddevelopmentatthehandsofa
largenumberofpoliticalscientists,particularly,Ogg,Zink,Munro,C.F.Strong,HermanFiner,Almond,
Powell,Blondel,A.R.Ball,Colelman,DavidApter,SEFinerandothers.
IntheWesternworld,ComparativePoliticscametoberegardedasanautonomousdiscipline.Several
scholarsoftheThirdWorldcountries(NewStates)gotengagedinComparativePoliticsstudiesand
theexercisestillcontinues.ComparativePoliticscontinuestobeaverypopularareaofstudy.The
increaseinthenumberofsovereignindependentstateshasmadethetaskmoreinterestingaswell
aschallenging.
Infact,incontemporarytimes,theimportanceofComparativePoliticshasincreasedtremendously.
Theexistenceof193politicalsystemsandsomenonstatepoliticalentitiesintheworldhasgreatly
enlargedthescopeofComparativePolitics.Theneedtobuildascientifictheoryofpoliticsandthe
potentialofComparativeMethodtoservethisendhasbeenmainlyresponsibleforitsincreased
importance.
Inthe19thcentury,ComparativePoliticsstudies(PopularlydesignatedasComparativeGovernment)
wereusedbythepoliticalscientistsforarrivingatcorrectandvalidconclusionsregardingthenature
andorganisationofstateandgovernmentthroughacomparativestudyoforganisation,powersand
functionsofvariouspoliticalinstitutionsworkinginvariousstates.
Thebasicobjectivewastoenquireintothehistoricalandlegalsimilaritiesanddissimilarities
amongthevariousformsofgovernmentandtheirpoliticalinstitutionsforgettinganswerto
twomainquestions:
Whichformofgovernmentwasthebest?,and

Whichtypesofpoliticalinstitutionswerethebest?
Comparativestudywasregardedasthekeytotheunderstandingofpoliticsandconsequentlythekey
toprovideanswerstothesetwoquestion.
Acomparativenormativeprescriptivestudyofpoliticalinstitutionswasconductedforansweringthese
questions.Thefeatures,merits,demerits,similaritiesanddissimilaritiesofpoliticalinstitutionswere
comparedandanattemptwasmadetoidentifythebestpoliticalinstitutions.Thisfocuscontinuedto
remainpopularuptilltheendofthe19thcentury.
Inthe20thcentury,thestudyunderwentrevolutionarychanges.Thetraditionalfocus(Comparative
Governments)gotreplacedbyanewdirection.Nowthestudyofactualbehaviourofpolitical
institutionsandpoliticalprocessescametobetheadoptedasthemainareaofstudy.
Forthispurpose,severalnewconceptsandapproachesweredeveloped.Thebuildingofascientific
theoryofpoliticsthroughcomparativestudiesofpoliticscametotheobjective.
ThedissatisfactionwiththetraditionalapproachandscopeofComparativeGovernmentduetoits
lackofcomprehensivesinscope,unrealisticnatureandunscientificmethodologyledtothebirthof
theneedfordevelopinganewscienceofComparativePoliticscapableofexplainingallphenomena
ofpoliticsinallpartsoftheglobeaswellasforbuildingascientifictheoryofpolitics.
Theincreasedopportunityforcomparativepoliticsprovidedbytheriseofseveralnewpolitical
systemsinAsiaandAfrica,andtheincreasednecessityforbuildingascientifictheoryofpolitics
capableofguidingthepathoftheorganisationofpoliticalinstitutionsinthenewstates,gavean
addedimportancetotheattemptsatthedevelopmentofthenewscienceofComparativePolitics,
PoliticalScientistsnowadoptedComprehensiveness,Realism,Precisionanduseofscientific
methodsasthenewgoalsforthestudyofComparativePolitics.
Withthepassageoftime,theexperienceandknowledgegainedhelpedthedevelopmentof
ComparativePoliticsasavitallyimportantandpopularsubjectofstudy.Severaldevelopmentsofthe
postwareragreatlyrevolutionizedthisareaofstudy.Consequently,itcametoberegardedasan
autonomoussubject,ofcourse,withinthebroadambitofPoliticalScience.
Thetraditionalobjectiveofdecidingthebestformsofgovernmentcametobereplacedbythe
objectiveofsystematicandcomparativepoliticsstudiesforcomprehensively,realisticallyand
preciselyanalysingandexplainingalltheprocessesofpolitics.
FromalegalinstitutionalstudyComparativePoliticscametobetransformedintoabehavioural,
processoriented,functionalandscientificstudyofallpoliticalsystemsintermsoftheirstructures,
functions,environmentsanddevelopmentprocesses.Thisattemptcontinueseventodayand
ComparativePoliticscontinuestobeapopularandhighlyproductiveareaofthestudyofpolitics.