The Greek “polytheum” and “logos” designate a science that studies public affairs. The subject of political science is the principles of the political organization of society, as well as the study of the role of the political system and the correlation of its components: the state, public organizations and political parties. In addition, political science and other social sciences are studying the regulation of socio-political relations, and also represent the whole range of issues and problems that make up the concept of democracy. Political science also studies the foreign policy of the state and the balance of political forces represented in the international arena and international relations.
Research methods in political science are observation of events; survey of participants in events; content analysis; modeling a situation or imitation of one of the process development options; cognitive maps (analysis of the reactions of political leaders to different crisis situations).
Sociology and political science study different spheres of human society, and their functions differ in essence, but are united by a commonality of directions.
So, sociology and political science have a cognitive function: sociology provides the accumulation of new knowledge about different aspects of social life, reveals patterns and analyzes the prospects for the development of society in social terms, and political science provides an understanding of the political reality of the world.
Sociology and political science in their applied function is expressed in the practical solution of problems that are subjects of sociological research, and also criticizes the current political processes.
The information function of sociology makes it possible to control social processes.
The ideological function of political science consists in the selection of political ideals and its justification, the promotion of goals and values, the implementation of which corresponds to the specific interests of various social communities.
The prognostic function of sociology is to make informed forecasts regarding the development and growth of social processes in the near future.
The theoretical and methodological function of political science is the basis for research carried out in other humanities and social sciences.
Political science in the system of social sciences can be considered in a comprehensive study along with economics and ideology, as well as with sociology.
Sociology is inseparable from social psychology.
The subject of political philosophy is politics in its integrity of the relationship between the individual, society and government.
Political history evaluates and studies the theory of politics, institutions, views, as well as events in chronological sequence and relationship.
Political psychology examines and studies the mechanisms of subjective behavior in politics, and also analyzes the influence of the subconscious and emotions of a person on his behavior.
The science of the impact of civil society on the distribution of power in it is called political sociology.
Political geography reveals the relationship and regularity of certain political processes with geographic, natural and territorial factors affecting these processes.
Thus, sociology and political science can exist as independent sciences, as well as in close interconnection with each other and with other modern sciences. In this case, the field of study of subjects of these sciences is shifted towards related science, and covers an even wider range of subjects, phenomena, events in society.