It is important to note that political theorists play an essential role in addressing the topics in regard to the legitimacy, scope, and nature of public agents as well as institutions. They establish and analyze theoretical frameworks on political concepts to propose novel or better ways for governance. The given analysis will focus on normative theory, division of labor theory, and comparative politics. Thus, the key problems of political theory are detachment due to specialization, the lack of feasibility when putting it into practice, and Western presumptions of political philosophy.
Firstly, the role and value of the normative theory are detached and poorly informed from political science and political practice. It is stated that the framework “is no longer informed, in the ways that the great theorists of the tradition took it for granted that political theory should be informed, by the state of empirical knowledge of politics” (Shapiro, 2002, p. 597). In other words, theorists separate empirical political theory from normative one due to the specialization of certain fields. The latter creates a state where some political philosophers declare a form of monopoly over other theories of political scientists. Thus, normative political theorists should not excessively focus on commenting on each other but instead view themselves as inappropriate objects of study (Shapiro, 2002). They should realize that they have become method-driven and banal, which made them separated from the real issues not outside of practitioners’ concerns. The result will be the emphasis on the advancement of knowledge and be of great interest for many rather than solely appealing to tenure committees.
Secondly, when it comes to the role and value of the division of labor model, political theorists lost their orientation on what is feasible or not for practical purposes. They should focus on “sensing what is and is not politically feasible at any time, building coalitions behind political programs, communicating those programs to the public—are needed for those policies to be put into practice” (Leopold & Stears, 2008, p. 68). Therefore, such political theorists need to assess and analyze the feasibility of the division of labor model, under which they also operate. The model can be right “if one accepts that doing politics well involves different tasks with different expertise” (Leopold & Stears, 2008, p. 68). The emphasis should be put on acquiring data and knowledge on the underlying concepts and seeking partnerships with social sciences to establish the feasibility of the proposed theories.
Thirdly, the value and role of comparative politics cannot be taken with serious reliability due to Western presumptions of political philosophy. It is stated that “comparative politics has begun to consider indigenous non-state actors and issues, and as a comparative political theory has emerged as a subfield of political theory, the disciplinary facade of political science remains mostly intact” (Ferguson, 2016, p. 1029). In other words, the specific emphasis of comparative politics, which is to compare and analyze the differences between distinct political systems, is blind toward Native Americans. The given notion implies that there is inherent discrimination towards specific politics, such as Native politics, where they consider them not sufficiently ‘civilizational’ (Ferguson, 2016). Thus, comparative political theorists should focus on being academically and scientifically honest and open toward their Western presumptions instead of being selective of the subjects of comparison.
In conclusion, the main issues among political theorists include the detachment due to specialization, the lack of feasibility when putting into practice, and Western presumptions of political philosophy. These problems are most prominent when it comes to those who study normative theory, division of labor theory, and comparative politics. The root cause of all three is adherence to a specific field of study and blindness towards the flaws of their approaches or how they implement them in practice.
References
Ferguson, K. (2016). Why does political science hate American Indians?Perspectives on Politics, 14(4), 1029-1038. Web.
Leopold, D., & Stears, M. (2008). Political theory: Methods and approaches (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.
Shapiro, I. (2002). Problems, methods, and theorists in the study of politics, or what’s wrong with political science and what to do about it.Political Theory, 30(4), 596-619. Web.