KSLU Solved Question Papers
Political Science (Theory and Thought)
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 1
2021 Oct Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 1 Political Science (Theory and Thought) 2021 Oct Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2021 Oct examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2021 Oct examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2021 Oct examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 80 · 20 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1
(a)Explain the meaning, scope and significance of the study of political science.[10]
Answer
For full marks, cover: the meaning with definitions; the scope under five fields with examples, and its scope in time; the boundary of the subject; the importance of political science in eleven points; its special importance for a law student; and a conclusion.
Meaning
Political science is the systematic study of the state and government. The word "politics" comes from the Greek polis, the city-state.
- Garner: "political science begins and ends with the state."
- Paul Janet: it is "that part of social science which treats of the foundations of the state and the principles of government."
- Leacock: "political science deals with government."
The scope of political science
1. Political theory. The study of ideas about the state: its origin, nature and purpose, sovereignty, rights, liberty, equality and justice. It includes the history of political thought, from Plato, Aristotle and Kautilya to Hobbes, Marx and Gandhi.
2. Political institutions. The study of constitutions, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. It also covers forms of government: democracy and dictatorship, unitary and federal, parliamentary and presidential. Example: a comparison of the Indian Parliament with the British Parliament.
3. Political dynamics. The study of the forces that move institutions: parties, pressure groups, public opinion, elections and voting behaviour. Example: how coalitions are formed in Indian States.
4. Public administration. The study of how policy is carried out: the civil service, planning, budgeting and local government. Example: the working of a panchayat.
5. International relations. The study of relations between states: war and peace, diplomacy, international law and organisations such as the United Nations.
Scope in time. Within each field the subject looks three ways. It studies what the state has been, through history; what it is, through analysis; and what it ought to be, through political philosophy. Garner sums up the subject in three problems: the nature of the state, the forms of political institutions, and "the laws of political growth and development."
Where the scope ends. Dunning, quoted by Leacock, suggested that political science begins where a political consciousness appears. Primitive communities without it belong to sociology and anthropology. Within that boundary the scope keeps widening, as new subjects such as gender, the environment and the media enter politics.
| Field | What it studies | An Indian example |
|---|---|---|
| Political theory | Ideas of state, rights, justice | Gandhi's idea of swaraj |
| Political institutions | Constitutions and organs of government | The working of Parliament |
| Political dynamics | Parties, groups, public opinion | Coalition governments |
| Public administration | Carrying out policy | Panchayati raj |
| International relations | Relations between states | India in the United Nations |
The importance of political science
1. It explains the state. Every person lives under a state, pays its taxes and obeys its laws. Political science explains what the state is, why it exists and how it works. Aristotle called politics "the master science".
2. It makes good citizens. It teaches citizens their rights and duties. A citizen who understands government can take part in it wisely.
3. It strengthens democracy. Democracy depends on informed voters. Political science helps citizens judge parties, programmes and leaders, and protects them from propaganda.
4. It guides statesmen and legislators. Garner says it "renders practical service by deducing sound principles as a basis for wise political action". Laws and policies are better when based on knowledge of how states work.
5. It trains administrators. Civil servants need to understand institutions, policy and public administration.
6. It protects liberty. By studying how power is abused, as under dictatorships, it teaches how to check power: through constitutions, courts and the separation of powers.
7. It helps solve social problems. Poverty, unemployment, caste and communal conflict need political solutions. Political science studies which policies work.
8. It promotes international understanding. The study of international relations helps people understand other nations and the causes of war and peace.
9. It teaches tolerance. By studying many ideologies, a student learns to understand views he does not share.
10. It exposes false theories. Garner notes that Pollock said political science must exist, "if it were only for the refutation of absurd political theories and projects."
11. It opens careers. Law, the civil services, journalism, diplomacy and public policy all draw on political science.
Importance for a law student
Constitutional law is political science expressed in legal rules. Sovereignty, separation of powers, federalism, the rule of law and rights are first studied in political science and then applied in the courts. A lawyer who argues a case on fundamental rights or on Centre-State relations uses political science every day.
Conclusion. Political science is the systematic study of the state and government. Its scope covers political theory, institutions, dynamics, public administration and international relations. It studies the state as it was, as it is and as it ought to be. It is important because it explains the state, makes good citizens, strengthens democracy, guides lawmakers and protects liberty. For a law student it is the foundation of constitutional and public law.
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