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Normative Political Science: An Exciting New Way to do Poli Sci Research - A Book Summary (and link to free copy*)

 

 


Would you agree that Operational Goodness is distinct from Moral Goodness? If so, do you think that the Operational Goodness of a functioning political system can be assessed?

I argue that if the key properties of a political system were defined in ways that most political scientists would agree on, then the "performance" of any functioning political system could be measured by the degree to which it fulfilled each of the key properties in the definition of the "political system." A political scientist could observe and describe the flow of information through the system, from input to conversion into output. The feedback could also be observed and described.

In other words, using the methods of Systems Theory Science, the operational "goodness" of one political system could be assessed, and then compared to the operational goodness of other political systems. They could all be ranked. Additionally, the reasons why one system performs better than others could be determined. After that, solutions could be proposed. Political Science can have distinct Pure and Applied branches. The quality anf quantity of new insights and understandings could raise the level of respect both publics and elites have for our profession.


Introduction


Chapter One: David Easton is an Interpretivist

Chapter Two: The First Behavioral Political System - An Origins Story

Chapter Three: What is the Good Political System?

Chapter Four: China - Assessing the Operational Goodness of the Chinese Political System

Chapter Five: David Easton’s Plan for Organizing the Political Science Profession

Conclusion: An Exciting Future of Research

BOOK SUMMARY

This book shows how to make Political Science relevant to any government’s policy making process. That begins with defining, for the first time ever, what makes a “good political system.”

David Easton’s well known theory of the political system is descriptive; that is, it tells us what the elements of a political system are: input, conversion, output, and feedback, in a political environment.

Now, that description has been transformed into a specific standard for assessing a functioning political system’s Operational Goodness.

An engineer can assess the operational goodness of a car, or any machine, by comparing the way it works with the blueprint specs for it. A well-functioning machine is one that fulfills the specifications for its operation. If a machine is not operating well, an inspection can be made to find out which specs are not being met.

Likewise, the operational goodness of any political system can be assessed by comparing the way it actually functions to the ideal set for it by Easton’s definition. While every political system is unique, to be classified as a “political system” each must have some form of the constituent elements as defined by Easton. Each element directs research into how well the functions are being fulfilled.

The operating specifications for a well-functioning political system are spelled-out in the book. A researcher could look into, for example, how smoothly information is flowing from the input function into the conversion, and then the output, functions. Feedback studies would include surveying public satisfaction with their political system.

Assessing the degree to which a political system fulfills the Easton norm for it will enable researchers to pin point causes of misfunction, malfunction, and public unhappiness. This is the purpose of Pure Research for political science. Building on those studies, Applied Research in political science could suggest specific improvements for enabling a political system to raise its level of operational goodness. The ultimate result would be an increase of the Political Happiness of the system’s members.

If political science research can help improve system operations, and thus increase public satisfaction with their life experience in the system, public respect for the profession will rise to, or exceed, that once given the NIH or the WHO.

William J. Kelleher, Ph.D.

The Political Science Interpretivist

@InterpretivePo1 




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