Is Political Science the Right Name for It?

All Hail the inspirational powers of Yahoo Answers...maybe Yahoo Answers doesn't have anything inherently inspiring though, maybe I just really like answering people's questions? Or finding out more, I'm not sure just that I find the idea of looking for unanswered or ill answered questions somewhat fascinating and moderately addictive. So yes time for another installment of let's read the yahoo question with Chris. The question on the table this moment being; what is Political Science? Well...not really actually. The actual question is "is political science correctly named?" However I think the correct way to answer that would in fact be to answer what political science is, thus learning whether the name is appropriate or not.

The American Political Science Association defines political science as:

"the study of governments, public policies and political processes, systems, and political behavior. Political science subfields include political theory, political philosophy, political ideology, political economy, policy studies and analysis, comparative politics, international relations, and a host of related fields."

This boils down to Political Science as being the study of political structures, government and the ideas/concepts behind politics. That all certainly sounds scientific doesn't it? Want to call it case closed? I'm kidding...let us continue. Now let's look at what exactly science is defined as being according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (As found on Science Made Simple):

"knowledge attained through study or practice"

As well as

"knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method

Hmm...now this creates a few more problems here, at least in my mind. I think that it is now questioned whether Polticial Science is perhaps the correct term indeed at least if you use the second definition. If you do use the second definition the question becomes how much Politics has to do with the physical world as opposed to the conceptual one. Science in this definition is intrinsically tied to the study of the physical and tangible, wherein we can begin to question.

How much is politics tied to the physical world? Or is it fully present in the world of ideas. Do we touch politics? Or do we just hear the conceptualizations of it? I think we can address these doubts pretty easily however just by this, though politics may be intangible the effect of politics Is very prevalent in the physical realm of our lives, countries and communities. We tie this together, and tie it up in turn very handily by taking a look at the definition that answers. Com presents us for Politics:

"of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs."

So though you may begin to doubt whether Political Science is actually look at the definitions herein. Politics is inherently concerned with the physical, political entity's nations and peoples the study of how politics affects them and how to manipulate politics to achieve a desired end. This is scientific. Thus, from what I can conclude Political Science is actually aptly named.

Sources

What is Political Science?
The American Political Science Association
http://www.apsanet.org/content_9181.cfm

What is Science?
Science Made Simple
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/science-definition.html

Defining Politics
Answers. Com
http://www.answers.com/topic/politics