Scientia Publishing House – Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania

Bevezetés a politikatudományba [Introduction to Political Science]

This coursebook discusses political science as a discipline of a human activity because politics can be the subject of systematic and reliable knowledge, according to the norms of what is usually called „science.” However, because politics is a basic way of the existence of the human community, some philosophical points of view are included. The systematically presentation of the „political” reality are covered by the following chapters. The first chapter resumes some theories and viewpoints on defining politics as a large human activity. For a detailed treatment, the book adopted the approach according to the three dimensions: polity – politics – policy. The second main chapter treats the institutional side of the political life (polity): the emergence of the state, parties, electoral systems, and political regimes (including the question of the democracy).

The third chapter presents views and settings on the nature of political knowledge, ideologies, and political communication, including the question of the public sphere and public opinion. The last chapter focuses on the international dimensions: theories about international relations and geopolitics. The subject of this coursebook, which serves for undergraduate students, is closed by a glossary.