The behavioural approaches to the study of politics are:

(a) Empirical in nature
(b) Focused on facts
(c) Focused on a scientific view of the political reality
(d) Focused on philosophy

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is C

The behavioural approach to the study of politics emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to traditional, normative approaches. It emphasized a more scientific, empirical, and systematic study of political behavior.

• (a) Empirical in Nature: Behavioralism focuses on observable and measurable political phenomena rather than speculative or theoretical assumptions.
• (b) Focused on Facts: While facts are important, behavioralism transcends mere fact-collection, emphasizing patterns and systematic analysis instead.
• (c) Scientific View of Political Reality: The approach is grounded in the scientific method, using empirical data, hypotheses, and testing to analyze political behavior.
• (d) Focused on Philosophy: This is incorrect. Behavioralism moved away from the philosophical or speculative methods dominant in traditional political studies, emphasizing scientific inquiry instead.

Thus, the behavioural approach is primarily characterized by being empirical and scientific (A , B and C).

Information Booster:

1. Emergence: Behavioralism gained prominence in the 1930s-1950s, led by scholars like David Easton and Charles Merriam.
2. Scientific Approach: It integrates methods from natural sciences, relying on observation, experimentation, and quantitative analysis.
3. Key Focus: It emphasizes understanding how people behave in political contexts rather than how they ought to behave.
4. Criticism of Traditionalism: It criticized the normative, philosophical approach for being speculative and abstract.
5. Tools: Techniques such as surveys, statistical analysis, and case studies are commonly used.
6. Post-Behavioralism: In the 1960s, post-behavioralism emerged, advocating for merging empirical methods with normative concerns.