The Behavioural Revolution in Political Science (Pols 110)

Introduction

The behavioural revolution marked a major turning point in the study of political science, shifting the discipline's focus from formal institutions and philosophical-historical analysis toward the empirical study of political behaviour using scientific methods. This note examines why the revolution occurred, what it entailed, and the scientific principles that underpinned it.

A group of people 

Origins and Motivation

The behavioural revolution emerged from several factors, one of the most significant being the concern that political science was losing relevance to policymakers and to the pressing social and political problems of the time — particularly in the United States. Traditional approaches, centered on formal-legal analysis of institutions, constitutions, and historical description, were seen as insufficiently equipped to explain or predict actual political behaviour.

The Shift in Focus

The behavioural revolution entailed a shift in political science's subject matter and methodology — moving away from a narrow focus on the state, government institutions, and philosophical, legal, and historical methods, toward a focus on the actual behaviour of individuals engaged in political life. This meant emphasizing empirical observation of how people, groups, and institutions actually behave politically, rather than relying primarily on normative or formal-institutional description.

Defining Political Science, Politics, and Science

• Political science is defined as the systematic study and reflection upon politics.
• Politics is defined as any human activity concerned with controversies over public questions or issues, and the resolution or settlement of those controversies. Political science is motivated by the desire to understand phenomena such as the sources and consequences of political stability and revolution, peace and liberty, equality and inequality, war and peace, and democracy and dictatorship.
• Science entails the objective investigation of empirical phenomena, aimed at acquiring true knowledge about the natural world and the world of human affairs. Scientific knowledge consists of statements that are better or worse approximations of reality (truth), accepted by the scientific community after rigorous scrutiny, and grounded in supporting evidence gathered through rigorous methods, techniques, and objectivity.

In essence, the behavioural approach refers to the study of the political behaviour of individuals using scientific methods.

Conclusion

The behavioural revolution transformed political science from a discipline rooted mainly in institutional description and normative philosophy into one committed to empirical, scientific investigation of political behaviour. This shift was driven by the desire to make the discipline more rigorous, relevant, and useful in explaining real political phenomena — a legacy that continues to shape political science methodology today.