A Learner's Dictionary of Politics

The word politics is derived from the Greek word polis which was the name of the Greek city states, an ancient paradigm of the modern statehood/nation-state. In David Easton's words, "since the days of Aristotle, political science has been one of the master sciences" Political science is an oldest of the social sciences which has been taught traditionally as a subject of state and government in academic and non academic institutions in different parts of the world. Aristotle defined it as the Queen of all Sciences. A simple definition of political science is as a body of "knowledge which deals with the relations of man to man in a state, man to government, inter-government organ' relationship, and government relationship with other states and international agencies." Allan Ball writes that Politics is one of the oldest activities of humanity. As soon as people began to live together in groups there was a need to devise ways to govern those societies. Thus it is the science to know, study and experience the life and governance of the states and non-state actors.