Political Science and Public Administration: Theory and Practice
What the examiner expects
Political science asks you to move between theory and institutions. Know the classical thinkers - Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Marx - and their key ideas (social contract, general will, class struggle, liberty). Understand state, sovereignty, government, separation of powers, rule of law, and constitutionalism. In public administration, master bureaucracy (Weber's ideal type), scientific management (Taylor), human relations (Mayo), POSDCORB (Gulick), and the new public management critique. Understand Bangladesh's administrative structure: ministries, divisions, departments, and field administration.
Traps to watch
Examiners pair thinkers with the wrong concept - e.g., attributing the 'general will' to Locke instead of Rousseau, or 'iron law of oligarchy' to Weber instead of Michels. In administration, distinguish line and staff functions, and do not confuse centralization with deconcentration. Another trap is treating state and government as identical; the state is permanent, the government temporary.
Rule of thumb
For thinker questions, recall the one-line signature idea first, then match the name. For administration questions, place the concept in its school (classical, behavioural, or modern) before choosing.
Worked example
Stem: 'Who propounded the concept of the "general will"?' Reasoning: signature idea of the social contract tradition that emphasises collective sovereignty - Rousseau, in The Social Contract. Answer: Rousseau.