Definition of Politics and Political Science (Pols101)

Introduction 

The great Greek political philosopher, Aristotle, began his famous work, Politics, with the observation that "man is by nature a political animal". By this, he means that; the essence of social existence is politics and that two or more men interacting with one another are invariably involved in a political relationship.

Aristotle, father of politics

The word politics or political was derived from two Greek words which are (Polis) and (tikos). The word Polis refers to the city-states while tikos refers to management. Therefore, the word politics refers to the management of a city-state. It refers to the decision-making of city-states.

Definition of Politics, According to Scholars

Max Weber  Max Weber, defined politics as the operation of the state and its institutions. Politics for him, means striving to share power or striving to influence the distribution of power among individuals and groups within a state. Harold Laswell  Harold Laswell, defined politics as the sharing and shaping of power. Lasswell’s definition means that politics is essentially about how power is distributed (sharing) and how power is influenced, controlled, or changed (shaping) within society. It emphasizes the struggle, negotiation, and cooperation involved in managing who gets influence over resources and decisions. David Easton  David Easton, defined politics as the authoritative allocations of values for a society. Easton is saying politics is the process by which governments (the recognized authority) decide how resources and values (like wealth, justice, security, freedom) are distributed in society, and those decisions are binding on all members of that society. Lord Bismarck  Lord Bismarck, defined politics as the art of the possible. It's the act of selecting the most worthwhile among whatever policies are possible. Politics is choice. It's concerned with practical matters instead of highly imaginary and visionary creations. Definition of Political Science Science, is defined as a particular discipline or branch of knowledge that is natural, measurable or consisting of systematic principles rather than intuition or technical skill. Also, it is seen as the knowledge gained through study or practice; mastery of a particular discipline or area. The collective discipline of study or learning acquired through the scientific method; the sum of knowledge gained from such methods and discipline. Again, science is the knowledge derived from scientific disciplines, scientific method, or any systematic effort. Political Science, as an academic discipline within the social sciences is concerned with the systematic study and analysis of politics. It attempts to understand the political behavior of individuals, groups and societies, the factors and conditions that affect political actors, political events and institutions. Stephen Wasby, defines political science as an identifiable field of study, with oft-disputed scope and content, whose practitioners are found mostly in institutions of higher education, where they teach and conduct research, or in the government. Conclusion  Politics is a methodology and activities associated with running a government, an organization, or a movement. The profession of conducting political affairs. Political Science, on the other hand is the objective and systematic study and analysis of politics. That is studying political behaviors using the methods used in natural and social sciences. References  Elements of politics: Remi Anifowose and Francis Enemuo Traditional Political Systems in Nigeria: Osinachi P. Uba-Uzoagwa & Christian Ngozi