ABSTRACT
Politologists aim to study government and politics objectively, with scrupulous attention to reason and evidence. The study of politics in the scientific sense requires observation, theorizing, empirical analysis, and explanation. Empirical analysis involves quantification of observations and testing for relations among them with statistical tools ranging from relatively simple to highly sophisticated ones, depending on the complexity of the system and the difficulties encountered in isolating relations among some of its parts. The study of politics in the scientific sense requires observation, theorizing, empirical analysis, and explanation. The search comes up empty most of the time, frustrating all our efforts. But now and then an “aha!” moment occurs, or something of value turns up, maybe even an occasional “discovery,” which makes it all worthwhile. The rules that those who govern seek to enforce are of three kinds: permissions, prohibitions, and requisitions.
