Political science paper 1 important

20 years topic
I. Western Political Thought:
Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli,
Montesquieu, Hobbes, Locke,
Rousseau, Kant, Mill, Bentham, Hegel,
Marx, Lenin, Mao, Gramsci, Karl
Popper, Pierre Bourdieu, John Rawls,
Frances Fukuyama, Foucault, Derrida,
Kierkegaard Jean Paul Sartre, Rene
Descartes.
Questions:
1. Discuss Locke and Hobbes’ perspectives
on the “State of Nature”
2. Marx’s historical materialism is the
application of dialectical materialism to
explain historical events, processes and
developments in society. Elaborate.
3. Platonic and Aristotelian paradigms.
4. Plato intended to build an institution for a
scientific study of politics and training of
statesman.” elaborate.
5. Montesquieu with all his faults and
irregularities is the father of modern
historical research.” Explain and
discuss.
6. Rousseau theory of general will
7. Views of Marx on socialist revolution
8. Examine Montesquieu’s theory of
separation of powers. Why he has
been called “Aristotle” of eighteen
century? Discuss.
9. Critically analyze the Social Contract
theory of Hobbes, Locke, and
Rousseau.
10. Marx’s theory of Class Struggle
11. Critically examine the concept of
“Justice” by Plato.
12. Equal distribution of wealth”,
explain this statement in the light of
Marx’s philosophy.
13. Bentham’s `Utility’
14. Philosopher King
15. Is it correct to say that
Machiavelli was an apostle of Power
Politics?
16. Give a critical analysis of
Aristotle’s classification of
Governments.
17. According to Marx “the mode of
production in material life determines
the general character of social,
political and spiritual process in life”.
Elucidate.
18. Compare and contrast the
different political philosophies of
Hobbes and Locke. How are these
philosophies implemented in present
day political systems and policy
making?
19. Critically analyze the salient features
of Plato’s Republic. Do you think that some
of its features are valid, even today?
20. What is the concept of State of
Nature as given by Thomas Hobbes?
Make its comparison with the Social
 Contract as presented by John Locke
and Rousseau.
21. Examine the view that Hegilean
spirit is nothing but evolution of
human consciousness to the
realisation of political maturity for
global human coexistence.
22. What is the Aristotelian
classification of state?
23. Illustrate Hobbesian concept of
limited ‘right to revolution’.
24. Describe in detail Karl Marx views
on class, state and religion.
25. Explain Bentham`s greatest
happiness of the greatest number.
26. Aristotle was a realist and not an
idealist. Elaborate with reference to his
theory of the ends and functions of the
state.
27. Is it correct to call Machiavelli a
citizen of all states and contemporary
of all ages? Substantiate your answer
wit valid arguments.
28. Write a comparative analysis of
Aristotle’s and Plato’s “Ideal City-
State” concept.
29. Discuss Rousseau’s theory of
Social Contract. Do you agree with his
rationale?
30. What is the difference between
Hegel’s and Marx’s dialectical
approach? Which one appeals to you,
describe it with logical arguments.
31. How Aristotle classified states? Is
his ideas relevant to modern state as
well?
32. Social contract theories of Hobbes
and Locke are imbedded in their
concept of state of nature and the
concept of human nature. Elaborate.
33. Examine the main similarities and
differences in the political ideas of Plato and
Aristotle
34. “Is it correct to call Machiavelli
citizen of all states and contemporary
of all ages?” comment
35. Discuss Marxian concept of
Surplus Value and Proletarian
Dictatorship.
36. Discuss in detail the concept of
Ideal State presented by Plato. Also
shed light on his idea of philosopher
king.
37. Mao's thoughts have deep
impacts on revolutionary strategic
thought in today's time. Elucidate.
38. Discuss in detail Plato’s influence on
Farabi’s overall perception of Ideal State.
39. . Make a comparative review of
philosophies of Hobbes, Locke and
Rousseau.
40. Analyze Aristotle's notions
regarding 'Constitutionalism' and
'Distributive Justice'.
41. Discuss Marxism in terms of: (a)
Theory of Surplus Value.(b) Proletarian
Dictatorship.
42. Rousseau's theory of 'General
Will' is the base of true democracy in
modern [Link]
43. Tte..Prince,, resulted from
Machiavelli's concern with the
development and maintenance of
Italian unity.
44. Mao's PhilosoPhY
45. eriHcally exarnine the argurnents
of Hobbes and Loct<e regarding the
creation of civil

II. Muslim Political Thought:

Al-Farabi, Al-Mawardi, Ibn Rushd, Imam

Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyyah, Nizam-ul-
MulkTusi, Ibn Khaldun, Shah Waliullah,
Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Jamaluddin
Afghni, Rashid Rida
Question:
1. Critically appreciate Al-Ghazali theory
of Khalafat.
2. Iqbal concept of Millet and
territorial Nationalism.
3. Ibn-e-khaldun perhaps was the
first philosopher to realize the
relevant importance of economics to
politics. Discuss.
4. Al-farabi theory of state
5. Discuss the Allam Iqbal’s concept
of “Khudi”.
6. Ibne Khaldun’s concept of
Asbiyah What is its significance in the
progress and decline of nations?
7. Discuss in detail the concept of
“Raisul Awwal” by Al-Farabi.
8. Describe Al-Mawardi’s theory of
Imamate.
9. Discuss the upward and
downward development of state,
 rulers and ruled in the socio-political
thought of Ibn Khaldun.
10. Write a detailed essay on the principle
of Ijtihad in Islam as given by Allama Iqbal.
How it can be made possible in the
modern age?
11. Explain the socio-political thought of
Shah Waliullah which is greatly ingrained
in his religio-philosophical thought.
12. Ibn I Khaldun while acknowledging the
external factors, emphasizes more on the
internal systemic factors as decisive for
the decline of states. Elaborate..
13. Compare and contrast the
concepts of the ‘executive’
presented by the Muslim thinkers Al-
Farabi, Al-Mawardi, and Shah
Waliullah.
14. What are Al-Ghazali`s pre-
requisites for becoming a Khalifa?
15. Expound Iqbal`s vision for rise of
Muslims in South Asia in the era of
colonialism.
16. Elaborate the Theory of Kingship
as propounded by Nizamul-Mulk Tusi.
17. Elaborate the concept of state
and government by Ibn-e-Khaldun.
18. What is the role of Asabiyyah in
Ibn Khaldun's theory of Social
Change?
19. What is the contribution of Igbal
to the Muslim Political Thought?
20. Discuss in detail the importance
of Ijtehad in Islamic jurisprudence
with special reference to Iqbal.
21. Major concept of muqadma great
work by ibn khaldun
22. Critically evaluate Iqbal as a
Muslim political thinker. Is his idea of
pan-Islamism a myth or a reality?
Illustrate.
23. Explain the concept ofldear state
as presented by al farabi
24. Iqbal epitomized the phenomenon
of 'Self Actualization'. How far it is
 relevant for Muslims in the present
age.
25. Dlscuss the contribuuons of
Allama Muhammad Iqbal as an
exponent of poliucal phllosophy of
Isram in the modern age
26. Critically evaluate Ibn-e-Khaldun's
cycle of Rise & Fall of Civilization
27. critically evaluate Al-Farabi's
concept of ideal state. How it is
different from plato,s ideal state?

III. State System:

The nature and emergence of modern

nation-state system, Islamic concept
of state and Ummah.
Questions:
1. The nature and emergence of
“nation state”.
2. What is the Islamic concept of
State? Identify issues and challenges
to the Islamic concept of state in the
modern times.
3. Significance of religious harmony
in a state.
4. Write an essay on the
development of modern nation-state.
5. In an Islamic state, Islam is
considered a complete code of life,
which provides guidelines for proper
management of political power.
Elaborate.
6. resumably, Islamic system was
ideal for a Muslim society like
Pakistan. Why this transformation
could not be materialized in the
country since 1947?
7.
IV. Political Concept (Western and
Islamic):

Sovereignty, Justice, Law, Liberty,

Freedom, Equality, Rights and Duties,
Human Rights, Political Authority and
power.
Questions:
1. Rights and duties are two facets of the
same coin.
2. Define and discuss Liberty and its
safeguards. Enlist the causes of the
decline in modern times.
3. Liberty and separation of powers
4. Discuss in detail the concept of
sovereignty and explain its
attributes.
5. Why monistic or absolute concept
of sovereignty has been abandoned?
Analyze legal concept of sovereignty
6. What are the political and legal
constraints over the sovereignty of
parliament in Pakistan?
7. The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR) is a Milestone
document in the history of Human
Rights. Evaluate this statement.
8. Sovereignty is the most essential
element of statehood. Explain the
differences in Western and Islamic
concepts of sovereignty.
9. Human rights.
10. Sovereignty is a paramount
component of the State system. Do
you think that sovereignty of state
concept is coding in the modern age
new world order of ‘globalized
interdependence? Explain.
11. Relationship btw law and liberty.
12. write in detail the comparative
analysis between Islamic and
Western concept of Sovereignity. And
Popular SovereigntY.
13. Make a comprehensive
comparative analysis between
Islamic and western concept of
welfare state
14.

V. Comparative Politics:
Political Socialization, Political Culture,
Political Development, Political
Recruitment, Social Change, Civil
Society, Violence and Terrorism in
Politics, Gender and Politics, Women
Empowerment.
Questions:
15. What are the prerequisites for the
success of democratic Political
System?
16. Discuss “Democratic Political
System”. How can it bring even
change in society?
17. Discuss “Political Culture”. Also its
importance.
18. Civil Society
19. Women Empowerment
20. Globalisation restrict the
autonomy of the state, generates
domestic social conflicts, and
inequalities. Discuss the interactions
between globalisation and domestic
politics
21. Forms of political culture
22. Role of PoliUcal leadership
23.

V. Political Participation:
Political Change and Revolution,
Elections, Electoral System, Public
Opinion, Propaganda, Political Parties,
Pressure Groups and Lobbies.
Question:
1. Define political parties and their functions.
In your view, which party system is
suitable for Pakistan’s political system?
2. Pressure group
3. How public opinion is made and how
it can be measured.
4. Compare and contrast the differing
roles played by political parties and
interest groups in making public
policy?
5. Write a comprehensive note on how
does Propaganda work in influencing
public opinion, in general and
framing the political discourse in
particular?
6. Critically evaluate the importance of
political parties in a modern state.
 Assess their role as effective
instrument for mobilizing public
opinion.
7. . Political parties are the main

engines of social change and political

recruitment. Comment
8. Discuss political parties and pressure

groups and why it is important in the

modern democratic states?
9. Political parties work as an agent to

socialize and mobilize people,

keeping in view the
statement throw light on structural-
functional attributes of political
parties.
10. What are the methods of

ascertaining public opinion? How the

minority public opinion can be
accommodated under the
Proportional Representation System?
11. Pressure groups play key role in

interest articulation a basic function

of political system. Explain
12. pressure groups have significant role
in democratic states, Elaborate your
answer with few 6xamp
13. Modes of Public OPinion.

VI. Political Institutions and Role

of Government:

Legislature, Executive, Judiciary,

Political Elites, Civil and Military
Bureaucracy.
Questions:
1. Write a comprehensive note on the power
of judicial review and its limits in the
context of Pakistan.
2. Independence of judiciary
3. What is the significance of
independent judiciary in a
democratic republic? Do you think
that without an independent
judiciary a system of checks and
balances can be established in the
 government? Explain with
appropriate examples.
4. The growing judicial activism in
Pakistan is clearly at the expense of
parliamentary sovereignty and
supremacy. Critically analyse the
statement.
5. What are salient features of a
professional and apolitical
bureaucracy?
6. Political elites are those who set the
course of political development of
the country. Explain
7. the statement with reference to the
role of political elites in Pakistan's
political development.
8. criucally examine the rore of
bureaucracy in political system .
9. Existence of an independent
Judiciary is essential for political
development. What
 Measures can be adopted of the
independence of Judicrary in a
democratic.
10. Judicial Review

11. Critically examine the role of Military

in the Political Systems of third World

Countries.
12.

VII. Forms of Government:

Monarchy, Democratic, Dictatorship,

Totalitarian/Authoritarian, Unitary,
Federal, Confederation, Presidential
And Parliamentary.
Questions:
1. Discuss the principal advantages and
disadvantages of parliamentary over the
presidential form of govt. With special
reference to Pakistan.
2. Explain ‘Confederation’ How it is different
from Federation
3. Democratic Political System can not
function successfully without
organized Political Parties.” Discuss.
4. What characteristics of society leads
to adoption of federal form of
government? How it can function
successfully?
5. Violation of parliamentary values and
traditions in Pakistan
6. How far 18th amendments will
transform the existing federal system
in Pakistan?
7. Bring clearly the difference between
unitary and federal forms of
government.
8. The adoption of the parliamentary
system in Pakistan is the result of the
political experiences of Pakistans in
the past. Elaborate.
9. What are the essential conditions for
federation and how it can be
strengthened in Pakistan?
[Link] is considered the best
device for “Multi Ethnic” states. Write
various techniques and tools for
successful and efficient working of this
system.
[Link] is one of the effective
systems of Governance. In the light of
this notion sketch
some peculiar features of democracy.
[Link]-root democracy perception is
the essence of popular sovereignty.
But in Pakistan this concept is often
introduced by a military ruler. Identify
the underlying rationale in it.
[Link] nations often prefer the
parliamentary form of government
over the presidential? Also opposite
aspects
[Link] federation from
confederation. Is federal system
feasible for heterogeneous states?
[Link] Parliamenury and
Presldential-forms of Government
highlightlng their merits and demerits.
Whlch politlcalsystem suits Pakistan
[Link] different modes of political
participation in present democratic
states
[Link] the problems of Federatlon
in tlre light of the present situation ln
Pakistan
18.

VIII. Political Ideologies:

Capitalism, Marxism, Communism,
Socialism, Totalitarism, Fascism,
Nationalism, Islamic Political Ideology.
Question:
1. Classical Liberalism
2. Totalitarianism
3. What is Fascism and why it is
considered to be the child of first half
of 20th century events to place in
Europe?
4. Fascism generally flourishes in
countries with strong nationalism
and weak democracies. Discuss the
enabling conditions for Fascism with
reference to Germany and Italy.
5. Critically examine the basic
principles of Fascism.
6. What is capitalism and what are its
relations with democracy?
7. Islamic political ideology
8. Existentialism is humanism
9. Nationalism
 10. Capitalism and Democracy are the
two faces of the same coin.
Elaborate with appropriate
arguments
11. What is Fascism? Do you see any

fascist tendencies in the present

political movements/parties?
12. Communism ruled a large population

of the world but could not survive,

discuss the causes of its failure.
13. examine the contributions of l-enin

and Mao ze Tyng in the development

sf Marxism
14.

15.

IX. Local Self Government:

Theory and practice of Local Self-

Government with special reference to
Pakistan, Comparative analyses Of
systems of local governance, Public
Administration and Public policy
Question:
1. How local self-government strengthens
democracy. Why this system is unable to
work consistently and successfully in
Pakistan?
2. What is the significance of Local
Government System in a country?
Discuss the reasons for repeated
failures of the efforts in Pakistan to
establish a stable local government.
3. Discuss in detail the development of
local self governments in Pakistan.
4. Local self governance is essential for
effective service delivery in a
country. Explain with special
reference to Pakistan
5. Local self Government system work
as nurseries for getting effective
leadership, keep this
 6. in mind, make a comparative
analysis of Ayub's Basic Democracies
and Ziat's local Bodies Government
systems.
7.

Extra question : Define political

science. To what extent can one be
systematic in a study of the
political process? How ” scientific”
is political science?
16. Social Justice and oligarchy
17. Explain the concept of

nationality and distinguish

between nationality and
citizenship.
10.5 Dialectics Hegel’s dialectical
method played a crucial role in his
political philosophy. By applying the
categories of a thesis, an antithesis and
a synthesis, Hegel’s major thrust was to
solve the problem of contradiction. It
attempted to reconcile the many
apparent contradictory positions and
theories developed by earlier thought
processes. As a method of
interpretation, it attempted to reconcile
the various different traits developed in
the past. He never claimed to be its
inventor, and even acknowledged that
the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates
used it. Hegel’s own use of the
dialectical method originated with his
identification of Kantian critical theory,
which meant rejection of the
Enlightenment philosophical method
based on the scientific approach of
studying nature. Crucial to this method
was a belief that accuracy came out of a
method of reduction, which meant that
knowledge emerged out of the detailed
study and analysis of parts. Descartes,
for example, took recourse to
mathematics in search of true
knowledge. In Descartes’ words, “to
divide up each of the difficulties which I
examined into as many parts as
possible, and as seemed requisite in
order that it might be resolved in the
best manner possible”. Critical
philosophy questioned the utility of this
method in seeking answers to moral
problems which arose out of free will
and initiation. In this situation, the
scientific method became inappropriate.
Hegel’s dialectical method presupposed
that ideas and beliefs were to be related
to their institutions and social
structures, i.e. the spheres of the
subjective mind and the objective mind
had to converge. The categories of
subject and object were to go together,
as did theory and practice. What
apparently looked contradictory were
actually dialectical terms,
interdependent. This method was to be
internally linked to the subject matter. It
did not just record and observe, but
attempted to build an edifice of a well-
connected discourse, which one may
accept or reject. It accepted dialogue
and conversation, and as R.G.
Collingwood pointed out, the very basis
of the dialectical method is a “constant
endeavour to convert every occasion of
non-agreement into an occasion of
agreement”. For Hegel, dialectics was
“the only true method” for
comprehending pure thought. He
described dialectics as ... the indwelling
tendency outwards by which the one-
sidedness and limitation of the
predicates of understanding is seen in
its true light... the Dialectical principle
constitutes the life and soul of scientific
progress, the dynamic which alone gives
immanent connect and necessity to the
body of science. In the Phenomenology,
Hegel gave an example of its use in
human consciousness, but a more
comprehensive political use was found
in the Philosophy of Right, in which the
dialectical process reflected the
evolution of world history from the
Greek world to Hegel’s time. For Hegel,
there was a dialectical pattern in
history, with the state representing the
ultimate body, highly complex, formed
as a result of a synthesis of
contradictory elements at different
levels of social life. However, the
relationship between contradiction and
synthesis was within concepts shaped
by human practices. Marx too discerned
a dialectical pattern in history, but then
understood contradictions between the
means and relations of production at
different stages of history. Praising
Hegel’s method, Marx wrote to Engels:
In the method of treatment the fact that
by mere accident I again glanced
through Hegel’s Logic has been of great
service to me ... . If there should ever be
time for such work again, I would greatly
like to make accessible to the ordinary
human intelligence, in two or three
printer’s sheets, what is rational in the
method which Hegel discovered but at
the same time enveloped into
mysticism. However, like many other
unfulfilled desires of Marx, namely
writing a book on Hegel’s political
philosophy or a book on the theory of
the state, he could never find time to
provide for this rational explanation of
the dialectical method. Popper argued
that it was possible that contradictions
remained in our theoretical perception
of reality, but it was impossible that
such contradictions were a part of
reality itself. Popper argued that our
perceptions might be incorrect, but that
was not true of reality itself. Scientific
progress revealed elimination of
contradictions from our perceptions till
they reached the proper nature of
reality itself. Unlike Hegel, Popper
believed that the methods of the natural
sciences and those of the social
sciences were identical. In this
observation, Popper was closer to
Descartes than to Hegel.