Contents

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes x

Preface to the Second Edition xi
Notes on Contributors xiii
Introduction 1
Gerry Stoker and David Marsh
The discipline of political science: a celebration of diversity 3
What is politics? What is it that political scientists study? 8
What is a scientific approach to politics? 11
Connecting to the world of politics 12
Is there a standard method for undertaking political science? 15
Conclusion 16
1 A Skin not a Sweater: Ontology and Epistemology in
Political Science 17
David Marsh and Paul Furlong
Ontology and epistemology 18
Different approaches to ontology and epistemology 22
Ontology and epistemology in political science: two cases 32
Conclusion 40
Further reading 41
PART I APPROACHES
2 Behavouralism 45
David Sanders
The rise of the behavioural movement and its core
characteristics 46
Criticisms of the behavioural approach 51
The strengths of the behavioural approach: an example 55
Conclusion: the behavioural legacy in the twenty-first century 62
Further reading 63
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