Chapter 4 : Behavioral Approach
In politics, behavioralism means a pursuit for reality focused on a scientific perspective. It
includes observing the actual actions of the political role players and parties. In researching
political systems, the acquisition of depth and realism helps a researcher to identify the
complex forces of politics wherever they can reside.
GENESIS AND BACKGROUND: Behavioralism was one of the twentieth century's most
influential trends in political science. It began in 1908 with Graham Wallas and A.F. Bentley.
Wallas believed that it was useless to have politics without learning human psychology. And
as behavior played a major role in the political movement, Bentley underlined its important
role among groups.
Charles Merriam, president of the American Political Science Association, indicated the need
during the 1925 conference to look at political behaviour. Many scholars such as Merriam,
Lasswell and Truman began to strongly promote behavioral approach to political science
during the next decade. In 1937, Herbert Tingsten wrote a book entitled 'Political Behavior:
Studies in Election Statistics,' which helped to popularize the term considerably.
BEHAVIOURALISM AS A MOVEMENT: Political scientists came under the influence of
influential sociologists such as Mosca, Weber, Parsons, Merton, etc., and recognized the
urgent need of to solve social problems stemmed from the Second World War. Many scholars
such as Lasswell, Easton, Almond, Truman, Powell, Simon and Key joined hands to provide
this campaign with a fillip because they were disappointed with traditional political science 's
achievements. They have conducted a number of commendable research-works on the
subject. The committees set up by the American Political Science Association on 'political
behavior' and 'comparative politics' have also done a commendable job of bringing about a
behavioral revolution. This pattern of Behaviouralism's rapid growth in politics continued for
more than 20 years after the war. It has now become so important that the study of political
issues remains incomplete without recourse to it.
BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH AS A THEORY: Samuel J. Eldersveld et al., defined
behaviouralism as the "systematic search for political patterns through the formulation of
empirical theory and the technical analysis and verification thereof". Heinz Eulau further
explained that, "Modern behavioural science is eminently concerned not only with the acts of
man, but also with his cognitive, effective and evaluative process. Behaviour in political field
refers not simply to directly or indirectly observable political action, but also to those
perceptual, motivational and attitudinal components of behaviour which make for man's
political identification, demands and his system of political benefits, values and goals".
Another theory by Robert Dahl, explained behavioural approach as “an attempt to improve
our understanding of points by seeking to explain the empirical aspects of political life by
means of methods, theories and criteria of proof that are acceptable according to canons and
assumptions of modern political science".
David Truman contended that the new approach dealt with the verified principles of human
behaviour, "through the use of methods similar to those of natural sciences". David Easton
observed that despite shifts in emphasis, the underlying assumption of the behaviouralists is
the same. The ultimate goal of the student of political behaviour is the development of a
science of the political process. Committee on Political Behaviour of the American Political
Science Association further explained political behaviour is the actions and interactions of
men and groups involved in the process of governing. The ultimate goal of the student of
political behaviour is to understand all phenomena of government in terms of observed and
observable behaviour of men.
Dwight Waldo described Behaviouralism as a movement of protest against the inadequacies
of conventional political science. It stresses the special importance of scientific outlook and
objectivity in the study of political phenomena. It aims to build a scientific theory with the
help of observation and experimentation, which may predict things and be applied
universally. It emphasises on inter-disciplinary study of politics. It also stresses the possible
effects of social, cultural and personal factors on political behaviour.
David Easton has outlined eight aspects of Behavioralism. These include: regularity of
human behavior; preference for verification and checking rather than taking things for
granted; implementation of correct techniques for the acquisition and analysis of scientific
data; reliance on calculation and quantification for predicting a political outcome; belief of
value-free research; belief in the systematic study of political science, which should be
theoretically focused; The insistence on a 'pure-science' approach; and the belief that social
and political processes can not be analyzed in isolation and that an interdisciplinary approach
is essential.
