Masters of Political Science (English, Donatella Campus | Gianfranco Pasquino)

Product description Review Every student of political science should read this book. Prof Richard Rose Centre for the Study of Public Policy, University of Aberdeen. About the Author Donatella Campus is associate professor of political science at the University of Bologna. She is the author of L'elettore pigro and L'antipolitica al governo as well as numerous articles on political communication and electoral politics. Gianfranco Pasquino is professor of political science at the University of Bologna. He has also taught at Johns Hopkins University's Bologna Center for more than thirty years. Recently he has coedited the third edition of the Dizionario di Politica, edited Strumenti della democrazia, and written Le istituzioni di Arlecchino. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Masters of Political ScienceBy Donatella Campus, Gianfranco PasquinoECPR PressCopyright © 2009 Campus and PasquinoAll rights reserved.ISBN: 978-0-9558203-3-5ContentsIntroduction Donatella Campus and Gianfranco Pasquino, Chapter 1 – Robert Dahl: The Democratic Polyarchy Domenico Fisichella, Chapter 2 – Anthony Downs: Master of Many Models Ian Budge, Chapter 3 – David Easton: The Theory of the Political System Dieter Fuchs and Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Chapter 4 – S. E. Finer: The Erudite Individualist Hans Daalder, Chapter 5 – Samuel P. Huntington: Political Order and the Clash of Civilizations Gianfranco Pasquino, Chapter 6 – Juan J. Linz: An Intellectual and Personal Biography of the 'Maestro-Compositore' Philippe C. Schmitter, Chapter 7 – Seymour Martin Lipset: Modernisation, Social Structure and Political Culture as Factors in Democratic Thought Ursula Hoffmann-Lange, Chapter 8 – Giovanni Sartori: Democracy, Parties, Institutions Gianfranco Pasquino, Chapter 9 – Sidney Verba: His Voice Keiko Ono and Clyde Wilcox, Chapter 10 – Aaron Wildavsky: Civic Passion and Scientific Commitment Giorgio Freddi, Chapter 11 – Morgenthau: Political Theory and Practical Philosophy Angelo Panebianco, CHAPTER 1Robert Dahl: The Democratic PolyarchyDomenico FisichellaANALYSIS OF THE CONDITIONSAnyone looking back over the intellectual itinerary of Robert A. Dahl is struck by the constant reappearance of two themes that are present throughout the entire production of this American political scientist. The first theme inspires much of his subject matter. 'The First Problem of Politics – how citizens can keep their rulers from becoming tyrants' is pronounced by Dahl in Politics, Economics and Welfare, which was written with Charles E. Lindblom (Dahl and Lindblom 1953: 273). This statement, thanks to the lofty tone imparted by the use of capitals and the syntactical rhythm reminiscent of that of ancient pronouncements, would seem even from a stylistic point of view, to descend directly from the problems as posed in classical political thinking. The second theme is found in his intention to place the theories he develops within the context of a scientific investigation of advanced hypotheses. In fact, at the methodological level, Dahl wishes rigidly to interpret the requirements of analysis in modern methodological criticism. The weaving together of the two themes – the classical inspiration and the attempt at an advanced method – gives rise to a singular combination, of which we will try to examine certain fundamental elements.The volume produced by Dahl and Lindblom is one of the first systematic attempts of the two disciplines of political science and economics to work together (an approach repeated many times in Dahl's later production) and of the reciprocal use of interpretive models created within the two sectors. Published in 1953, this book appeared after Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy by Schumpeter, which came out in 1942, but preceded Anthony Downs' The Economic Theory of Democracy, by four years.The subject of the book is the development of a new concept of 'plan', assuming the definition of plan to be 'a rationally calculated action to achieve a goal', (1953: xx) and therefore taking for granted that an economic policy based on a plan can be enacted not only in a collective logic but also within a market economy. What is important is to verify the prerequisites for rational social action, on the one hand postulating a group of social ends, and on the other examining a group of social processes, which are instrumental (or means) for the furtherance of the ends advanced. The rationality of the action is dependent on the suitability of the means to the ends (the rational calculation of the means), and the more the ends can be 'maximized' the more the means will be able to ensure the achievement of the ends themselves.There are essentially two problems that emerge from such a stance. First, there is a problem of incompatibility – beyond empirically ascertainable limits – between the ends of social action. Let us look at the political systems of the Western area. The two authors list seven fundamental ends as being typical of the a