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Political theory is political philosophy. Political theory is about defining the fundamental bases of political relationships between the government, individuals, and/or groups. Where political science predominately studies the political processes, structures, and institutions, political theory studies the normative principles that define, inform, guide, and establish the relationships between persons and society, and the government. Political theory explores and advances what political relationships ought, and ought not, be.
Understanding political theory begins with defining “government.” Fundamentally, government is the systematic use of force within a defined geographic area to control (to varying degrees) human behavior. The government is essentially power, coercive power. Political science explores and describes...
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Taylor, P.P. (2013). Political Theory. In: Runehov, A.L.C., Oviedo, L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1431
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1431
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