Objectifs globaux : Explain what political science is
Objectifs travaillés : The goals of the political scientist, abstention
Resources :
PDF: Political science: what is the object of study?
PDF: Abstainer profile
PDF: Evaluation, Seance 6
Contents
Activité 1
For the following affirmations, state wether you “don’t agree”, “somewhat don’t agree”, “somewhat agree”, or “agree”.
1: Personally, I don’t get political.
2: Without politics, society would be in constant conflict.
3: Everything is political.
4: To engage in politics is to satisfy ambitions.
5: Today, politics is a show.
6: Politics is about power.
7: To engage in politics, you have to care about others.
Which do you agree with the most? – Why?
Which do you disagree with the most? – Why?
Activité 2
Write these definitions.
Politics = the ideas and activities involved in getting power in a country or over a particular area of the world
Policies = a set of plans or actions agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group
Politician = someone who has a job in politics
Politicise = to bring an issue, organisation, way of doing something etc. to the attention of the public so that it can be discussed
Political Science = A science that studies political processes involving power relations between individuals, groups and within the state. It answers the question « How is political power achieved and exercised?”
Activité 3
Read the text and prepare to answer the questions.
The state is the government, local communities, Social Security, Pôle Emploi, the courts, the Police, …
The French Constitution.
The political scientist is interested in a very specific form of power: political power, that is to say the ability that some people will have to direct life in society, to promulgate general rules etc.
They are interested in political parties because they seek to gain political power.
Activité 4
Read the table and prepare to answer the questions
PDF: Abstainer profile
In France, in 2017, according to Ipsos, out of 100 people aged between 18 and 24, 34 abstained from voting in the presidential election.
The abstainer is young (between 18 and 24 years old), they have little education (baccalaureate or less), they have a modest income (less than € 1,250).
The political scientist will be interested in the elections which allow access to power. So thye will be interested in those who vote and those who do not.
If the abstention is high, we can question the legitimacy of those elected under such conditions.
Evaluation
Answer questions about this lesson.
How do economists, sociologists and political scientists reason and work? – Séance 6