Exam 3: Political Science: Components, Tasks, and Controversies

Should political scientists be in the business of giving advice to leaders of state and to citizens, or should they confine themselves to gaining a better understanding of the political world? Explain your answer.

The authors identify three major components of political science--ethical, empirical, and prudential. Which of these components, in your judgment, is the most difficult to deal with? Why? Which is the least difficult to deal with? Why?

The search for an empirical science of politics has been closely associated with a movement known as _________________, the belief that scientific method can be fruitfully applied to the social sciences.

In the realm of political judgment, the prudential component of political science is concerned with ______.