 Welcome to this lecture on the scope of political science. In the previous sections, we learnt about the meaning and nature of political science. In this particular section, we shall focus on the scope of political science. Now, when we try to examine the scope of political science, we find that there is a difference of opinion among the political scientists regarding the scope of political science. However, it must be said that with the passage of time, the scope of political science has also become quite wide and dynamic in character. Political science has traditionally dealt with different aspects relating to the state and government, with reference to their past and present, and also concerned itself with the probable developments in the future with respect to the state and government. Accordingly, the study of different forms of government and their working, the functioning and role of various international organizations, have an important subject matter of political science. At the same time, the various currents of political thought, such as individualism, capitalism, socialism, and democracy, have also assumed center stage in the realm of political science, which have helped us to understand the present institutions, ideas, and processes. Presently, the discipline of political science covers a comprehensive field, and it has become very dynamic in character. In simple terms, we could say that the discipline of political science has a profound influence on every aspect of even our day-to-day lives. Now, during the second half of the 20th century, political theorists and behaviorists have also widened the scope of the study of political science. This trend started to focus upon all facets of power relations and human behavior, having political implications in the society. Under the influence of the behavioral political scientists, the scope of political science widened further, with election studies, opinion polls, and voting behavior studies becoming integral aspects of the scope of political science. Further, the study of the actual dynamics of groups and organizations like political parties, pressure groups, social movements, executive legislature, and judiciary in the context of the political system forms an integral part of the scope of political science at present. So we find that the scope of political science today has become quite wide in view of the fact that political science has moved beyond the study of merely formal institutions like the state and government to focus on the functioning of the political system. In recent times, some writers like Harold Nasswell, Morton Kaplan, Hans-Trey Morgenthau, Bernard Russell, and Michel Foucault have attempted to make political science the study of power. It is the factor of power that makes the state different from other associations. This new aspect of the study of power in relation to the state has further broadened the scope of political science. Apart from this, political science in modern times has become policy science aimed at formulating integrated and comprehensive policies in order to address and solve various socio-economic and socio-political problems confronting the human society, be it at the local, regional, national or global levels. Since the 1990s, many new concerns relating to the paradigm of human security and human development, the emerging world order, global peace and conflict issues have also widened the scope of political science to a great extent. Thus, in conclusion, we could state that the scope of political science in the contemporary period has become quite vast and comprehensive in nature. As a matter of fact, political science today has moved beyond the study of merely formal institutions like the state and government to focus on the actual dynamics of the political system. The study of the political system has brought political science closer to the larger social environment. Again, political science is concerned with the study of the concept of power in terms of its use and distribution. This again has broadened the scope of political science. Thus, political science today has become quite broad based as a discipline. Thank you.