PSIR QUESTION 21.. What is the relevance of comparative method for political analysis? Explain the limitations of traditional methods.

Today's question...... What is the relevance of comparative method for political analysis? Explain the limitations of traditional methods.

Points -

1. Briefly define comparative politics
2. Give its relevance in political analysis
3. Give limitations of traditional methods
4. Conclusion 

Answer -

●Briefly define comparative politics Comparative politics is the study and appraisal of domestic politics across countries. Comparative politics has a long and very eminent history dating back just before the origin of systematic political studies in ancient Greece and Rome. Comparative government studies were used by political researchers to get correct and valid conclusions regarding the nature and organisation of state and government. Their major objective was to discover the historical and legal similarities and dissimilarities among the various governments and their political institutions.

●Give its relevance in political analysis Amongst several reasons for relevance of comparative politics in political analysis, some broader ones emerge like: to improve political understanding by allowing self to learn about other countries while escaping the ethnocentric fallacy generally assumed. Some Western country may have a good government but is not necessarily a perfect government; certain countries may have aspects of their own government that one could learn from and perhaps improve upon their own system. Another reason to compare countries is to understand how countries evolve, discover patterns, and why they evolve in the way they do. Another very important reason to study comparative politics is to better understand how certain regimes work for purposes of international relations and foreign policy. In order to create policy regarding other countries and in order to give aid to these countries one must know how these countries function so that one can work with the countries instead of blindly trying to change them in a way that one seems fit.

●Give limitations of traditional methods Comparative Politics can be traced as back as Aristotle’s “Theory of Constitution” where 158 Constitutions were compared and given elaborate analysis. This was traditional approach were area of research was Constitution of Western nations, as Non-West generally included colonies. However, gradually when such colonies started to gain independence, emergence of socialism, communism, fascism, inter-disciplinary nature emerged which made traditional methods unsuitable & showed numerous flaws in understanding. Traditional methods were essentially noncomparative with only few features to compare; the understanding received was parochial or ethnocentric and largely static.

Acc to R C Macridis in study "A survey of Comparative Government", he talked about four major shortcomings of Traditional methods: namely Single Culture Configuration, excessively formalistic in approach, Descriptive, rather than problem solving and essentially noncomparative.

●Conclude on following lines Traditional approach included philosophical approach, historical approach, legal approach, and Institutional approach, but aforementioned limitations led to emergence of modern approach which broadened the study of comparative politics and gave inter-linkages which helped in emergence of separate discipline of Comparative Politics.


Quote of the day