The Relevance of Political Science

by Stoker, Gerry; Pierre, Jon; Peters, B. Guy

• ISBN13: 9780230201095
• ISBN10: 0230201091
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-04-09
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

What does political science tell us about important real-world problems and issues? And to what extent does and can political analysis contribute to solutions? This is the challenge addressed by leading political scientists in this original text which will be essential reading for students and scholars alike.

Author Biography

Gerry Stoker is Professor of Politics, University of Southampton, UK and Centenary Professor at the University of Canberra, Australia.

Jon Pierre is Professor of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

B. Guy Peters is Maurice Falk Professor of Government, University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Table of Contents

Introduction; the Editors
PART I
1. Challenging Three Blockages to Relevance and Political Science: the Obvious, the Avoidable and the Thorny; Gerry Stoker
2. The Relevance of Relevance; John Gerring
3. Relevant to whom? Relevant for what? The Role and Public Responsibility of the Political Analyst; Colin Hay
4. The Rediscovery of the Political Imagination; Matthew Flinders
5. Guilty as Charged? Human Well-Being and the Unsung Relevance of Political Science; Bo Rothstein
6. Why Did Nobody Warn US? Political Science and the Crisis; Graham Wilson

PART II
7. The Relevance of the Academic Study of Public Policy; Sarah Giest, Michael Howlett and Ishani Mukherjee
8. Why Political Theory Matters; Thom Brooks
9. Constructivism and Interpretive Approaches: Especially Relevant or Especially Not?; Craig Parsons
10. Is Comparative Politics Useful? If so, for What?; B. Guy Peters
11. Can Political Science Solve the Puzzles of Global Governance?; Jon Pierre
12. Maximising the Relevance of Political Science for Public Policy in the Era of Big Data; Helen Margetts
Conclusion; the Editors