English for IPS 2007/8
October 8/11/, session 1
POLITICAL SCIENCE
SHAPE OF THE WORLD (project work)
1. Lead in:
Read the following definitions of politics and try to match them with their authors,
respectively. Which one do you prefer and why?
Practical politics consists of ignoring facts.
A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for
private advantage.
Politics is the art of feasibility.
Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.
Who gets what, when, where, and how.
Ambrose Bierce * Otto von Bismarck * Benjamin Disraeli * Harold Lasswell * Mao Zedong
Think for a moment about your motivation to study political science. Write down the reasons
and aims that have lead you to study it.
Reason:
Aims:
.........................................................................
.................................................................
........................................................................
.................................................................
.......................................................................
.................................................................
2. Brainstorm:
Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with politics. Share
your words with your partner(s) and talk about them.
Politics
USAGE NOTE: Politics, although plural in form, takes a singular verb when used to refer to the art or science
of governing or to political science: Politics has been a concern of philosophers since Plato. But in its other
senses politics can take either a singular or plural verb. Many other nouns that end in –ics behave similarly, and
the user is advised to consult specific entries for precise information.
IDIOM: play politics Act for personal or political gain rather than principle, as in I don't think this judge is fair-he's playing politics.
English for IPS 2007/8
October 8/11/, session 1
3. C-test:
In this text, parts of some of the words have been deleted. Please, restore the missing parts.
Political science
Academic discipline concerned with the study of government and politics. Polit(1) science
stud(2) the func(3) performed b(4) governments – e.g., legis(5) and adminis(6) of t(7) law –
a(8) well a(9) the beha(10) of vot(11), the oper(12) of poli(13) par(14), the infl(15) of political
organi(16), and ot(17) factors i(18) the funct(19) of the st(20). The discipline, wh(21) is
conc(22) with obse(23) patterns i(24) political behaviour a(25) deriving princ(26) from the
da(27), is gene(28) distinguished fr(29) political philo(30), a normative fi(31) that i(32)
concerned wi(33) such conc(34) as “right”, “jus(35)”, and “obligation”.
(Encyclopaedia Britannica)
1
8
15
22
29
2
9
16
23
30
3
10
17
24
31
4
11
18
25
32
5
12
19
26
33
6
13
20
27
34
7
14
21
28
35
4. Word Study:
Read the following text and fill in the correct prepositions.
Speculation ..........political subjects is found .......... the thought .......... many ancient cultures,
but it is generally agreed that the roots .......... political science are found .......... the works of
Plato and Aristotle. The scientific character .......... the discipline was developed .......... the
Christian Socialist Henri de Saint-Simon and .......... Auguste Comte and other 19th century
Positivists. During this period political science became allied .......... other disciplines that
were beginning to study human behaviour .......... using scientific techniques, and scholars
began to examine actual human behaviour as reflected .......... political life. A pioneer ..........
this development was Ludwig Gumplowicz, who drew .......... ideas ..........anthropology and
.......... Charles Darwin’s theory .......... evolution and who focused attention .......... the
interactions that take place between groups .......... the state.
(Encyclopaedia Britannica)
The derivation of verbs from nouns, nouns from adjectives or verbs etc. is a very useful
grammatical operation to extend your vocabulary. Find the nouns in the texts above with
-ion suffix and give the relevant verbs (if any).
e.g.
administration – administer, administrate
English for IPS 2007/8
October 8/11/, session 1