UGC NET Political Science Political Theory Syllabus

Political Theory syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Political Theory in UGC NET Political Science, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Concepts

   7 topics

   • Liberty
   • Equality
   • Justice
   • Rights
   • Democracy
   • Power
   • Citizenship
2. 2

   Political Traditions

   8 topics

   • Liberalism
   • Conservatism
   • Socialism
   • Marxism
   • Feminism
   • Ecologism
   • Multiculturalism
   • Postmodernism

Political Theory flashcards for UGC NET Political Science

20 of 50 cards from the Political Theory deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the core distinction between Isaiah Berlin's two concepts of liberty?

   Negative liberty is freedom FROM external interference or constraint ('absence of obstacles'); positive liberty is freedom TO be one's own master / self-realization and self-mastery.

2. Define 'liberty' in political theory.

   Liberty is the absence of constraints on an individual's ability to think, act, and choose; the condition of being free from arbitrary interference by the state or others.

3. Who wrote 'On Liberty' (1859) and what is its central principle?

   John Stuart Mill; the 'harm principle' — the only justification for limiting individual liberty is to prevent harm to others.

4. What are the main types/dimensions of equality recognized in political theory?

   Formal (legal/political) equality, equality of opportunity, equality of outcome (substantive/social), and foundational/moral equality (equal worth of persons).

5. What is the difference between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome?

   Equality of opportunity ensures everyone has the same starting chances/access; equality of outcome seeks an equal distribution of rewards or end-results regardless of starting point.

6. In Rawls's theory of justice, what are the two principles of justice?

   1) Equal basic liberties for all (liberty principle). 2) Social/economic inequalities must satisfy (a) fair equality of opportunity and (b) the difference principle — they must benefit the least advantaged.

7. What is Rawls's 'veil of ignorance' and 'original position'?

   A hypothetical situation where rational agents choose principles of justice without knowing their own social position, talents, or status, ensuring impartial and fair principles.

8. What is Robert Nozick's entitlement theory of justice?

   A distribution is just if it arises from just acquisition, just transfer, and rectification of past injustice; justice is about the process/history of holdings, not patterns or end-states (libertarian view in 'Anarchy, State, and Utopia').

9. Distinguish procedural justice from substantive (distributive) justice.

   Procedural justice concerns the fairness of the process/rules used to reach an outcome; substantive (distributive) justice concerns the fairness of the actual outcome or distribution of goods.

10. What is the classical formula of justice attributed to Ulpian/Roman law?

    'Suum cuique' — to give each person their due (justice as rendering to each what is rightfully theirs).

11. What is Wesley Hohfeld's classification of rights (jural relations)?

    Four types: claim-rights (with correlative duties), liberties/privileges, powers, and immunities.

12. Distinguish negative rights from positive rights.

    Negative rights require others to refrain from acting (e.g., right to life, free speech); positive rights require others/the state to provide something (e.g., right to education, healthcare).

13. What are the three generations of human rights (Karel Vasak)?

    First generation: civil and political rights; second generation: economic, social and cultural rights; third generation: solidarity/collective rights (development, peace, environment).

14. What is the difference between natural rights and legal rights?

    Natural rights are inherent, universal, and independent of any government (derived from human nature/reason); legal rights are created, granted, and enforced by the state through law.

15. What did Robert Dahl call rule by the few who actually govern in modern democracies?

    Polyarchy — rule by multiple competing elites/groups, characterized by participation and contestation; his realistic model of pluralist democracy.

16. Distinguish direct democracy from representative (indirect) democracy.

    Direct democracy: citizens participate in decision-making personally (e.g., referendums, ancient Athens); representative democracy: citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

17. What is Joseph Schumpeter's 'minimalist' or elitist definition of democracy?

    Democracy is a method/institutional arrangement in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the people's vote.

18. What is deliberative democracy?

    A model emphasizing legitimate decisions arising from public reasoning, discussion, and deliberation among citizens, not merely the aggregation of votes/preferences.

19. What are Steven Lukes's three dimensions/faces of power?

    1) Decision-making (overt conflict over issues). 2) Agenda-setting / non-decision-making (controlling what gets discussed). 3) Ideological / preference-shaping (controlling thoughts and desires to prevent grievances).

20. How did Max Weber define power and what are his three types of legitimate authority?

    Power is the probability of imposing one's will despite resistance. Three types of authority: traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational.

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