AMU: Syllabus - Social Science - M. A. Political Science

Combined Syllabus for M.A. Political Science, Public Administration & Human Rights

Part I: Political Theory

Nature, scope and methods of political science.
State and sovereignty.
Political ideologies: Liberalism, Constitutionalism, democracy, dictatorship (traditional and totalitarian), Communism, Democratic Socialism, Fascism and Nazism.
Behavioralism in political science.
Political culture, political participation and political modernization.
Political Thinkers: Plato and Aristotle.
Political Thinkers: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau.
Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx.

Part II: Human Rights

Theories of Human Rights
Human Rights and duties under the Indian Constitution
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
National Commission on Minorities; and the National Commission on Women; National Human Rights Commission.

Part III: Government and Politics

Main features of the British Constitution and major political institutions of the UK.
Main features of the American Constitution and major political institutions of the USA
Main features of the Constitution of France and major political institutions.
Main features of the Constitution of Switzerland and major political institutions.
Landmarks in Indias national movement and constitutional development.
Congress-League conflict since 1937; the Muslim Leagues demand for Pakistan; The Cripps proposals and the Quit-India movement; the causes of the collapse of the Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946; the Mountbatten Plan and Indian Independence.
The main features of the Constitution of the Indian Republic.
The Central Government: The President, Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court of India.
The State Government: The Governor, the Chief Minister, the Cabinet, the State Legislative assembly. Panchayti Raj and urban local bodies.
The problems of casteism, communalism and regionalism in Indian politics.

Part IV: Public Administration

Nature and scope of public administration; difference between private and public administration.
Main features and basic themes of New Public Administration.
Principles of bureaucratic organization; line, staff and auxiliary agencies.
Public services in India: All India, Central and State; the constitution and role of the Union Public Service Commission.
The problems of recruitment for public services in India.
The mechanisms of parliamentary control over public administration in India.
Judicial Control over pubic administration.
The budgetary process at the Central level.
Development planning at central, state and district levels.
The problem of corruption in public services.

Part V: International Relations

Nature and scope of the study of International Relations.
International politics and foreign policy: main features.
International relations since 1945: The Cold War, Détente and post-Cold War phases.
Main features and current developments in the foreign policy of the USA.
Main features and current developments in the foreign policy of China.
Main features and current developments in the foreign policy of India.
Basic concepts of International Law (Peace).
Basic concepts of International Law (War).
The United Nations: The Charter, the Security Council, the General Assembly; International Court of Justice; the Specialized Agencies: The UNESCO, ILO, IBRD, IMF and WTO.
Regional Organizations: OAS, EU, ASEAN, SAARC and OIC.

AMU: Syllabus – Social Science – M. A. Political Science