The Behavioral Revolution

I was once getting my hair cut when the barber asked me what I majored in at Hope; I replied “Political Science” and much to my surprise, she asked, “Is that a new field?” At the time I wasn't quite sure what to say, I was rather unimpressed with this particular barber and became suddenly hopeful that she knew a bit more about hair-cutting then she did collegiate disciplines. Still, I got to thinking about it later and it occurred to me that maybe she was referring to the use of empirical, scientific methods in political research. I suppose that's wishful thinking.

Back in the good-old-days, studying politics was basically a study of law, institutions and philosophy; now, we lump these studies into an approach known as “Traditionalism.” In contrast, “Behavioralism” stresses the actual “behaviors” of people. In this approach to politics, researchers look at political actions the same way scientists look at molecules; things are out there happening and we can watch and record.

Behavioralism started in the 1950's and got going over the course of the next two decades. Now, the approach is considered a bit naïve and most would never classify themselves with that term, but its legacies are seen all the time. Try thumbing through any Political Science journal and see how many of the articles sound something like “Electoral Strategies in Southern States: A Quantitative Analysis.” This is a behavioralist approach; it would look at the actions of voters in a numerical manner to determine new strategies. So, as much as Behavioralism in frowned upon, it has very much shaped the political science we know today.

Like many “isms” Behavioralism is an approach, but it has a philosophical view behind that method. In the case of Behavioralism, generally, this would be positivism. Positivism is closely associated with empiricism; it is a philosophical doctrine that focuses on sensually observable human characteristics and actions. In this sense, many behavioralists may very well be positivists.
-Mike Ryckman