Behavioral Revolution
Political Science: History of the Discipline The Behavioral Revolution
Introduction to Behavioral Revolution
The Chicago School was the precursor of what became known as the behavioral revolution of the 1950s that influenced political science for the remainder of the 20th century. The behaviorists believed they would revolutionize the field by applying methods of analysis used in the natural sciences. Many of the behavioral revolutionaries served the U.S. government during World War II (1939-1945), and conducted economic and social analysis as part of the war effort. The behaviorists’ modernization theory influenced academics abroad. Modernization theory explored the conditions for economic and political development from a “traditional” to a “modern” society. The theory was premised on the belief that other countries could and should develop a political system similar to that of the United States. By the 1960s the behaviorists controlled the discipline.
The behaviorists’ triumph was short-lived. During the late 1960s, the violence and civil unrest associated with the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War (1959-1975) gave rise to calls for political science to become more diverse in its topics of study, theories, and methods. Critics also charged that the American political science establishment presumed the U.S. system of government was superior to other political systems. But the behaviorists had firmly established the place of quantitative research and broad theories in the study of political science.
The American Political Science Association, founded in 1903 and now composed of more than 13,000 members, helps to set professional standards and organizes the discipline. A rigorous and lengthy doctoral degree program is the only route of entry to the profession in the United States, and professional success is measured by publication in highly competitive journals.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about Behavioral Revolution in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
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