politologi

Politologi, or political science, is the academic discipline that studies political systems, power, institutions, and behavior. It investigates how governments are formed, how decisions are made, and how public policies are designed, implemented, and evaluated. It also analyzes political conflict and cooperation within and between states, and how factors such as economics, culture, law, and technology shape political processes. The field covers domestic politics, comparative politics, international relations, and public policy, and often engages with political theory to address questions about justice, rights, and legitimacy.

The main subfields include political theory and philosophy; comparative politics; international relations; public policy and administration; political economy; political behaviour and public opinion; and constitutional law. Methods range from qualitative approaches such as case studies, interviews, and discourse analysis to quantitative techniques like surveys, experiments, and econometric modeling. Increasingly, researchers employ mixed methods and computational tools to study complex political phenomena.

History and development: political science emerged as a distinct discipline in Europe and North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, evolving from philosophy and history toward empirical analysis and formal modeling. The field has diversified across theoretical traditions and methodological approaches, addressing topics from democratization and governance to international security and climate policy.

Education and career: universities offer bachelor, master, and doctoral programs in politologi or political science. Graduates pursue careers in academia, government service, international organizations, think tanks, journalism, and non-governmental organizations. The discipline remains focused on understanding political life and informing public decision-making, analysis, and debate.