BS Poli Science > BA Poli Science? Forum

[deadhipsters]

Political science is mostly about predicting human behavior, which is nearly impossible to do.

No.

Care to elaborate on that champ?

Political science is not mostly about predicting human behavior. Predicting behavior is not nearly impossible to do.

If it doesn't involve rigorous mathematical analysis, it's almost certainly not science.

No.

MIT has one of the most prestigious Political Science programs in the country. It is math focused- statistics, game theory, etc. It is “scientific” But it is also mostly bullshit, IMO. Since most of all their data sets are based on assumptions. How can one really determine the utility of war? Give me a break. I wish I majored in engineering…

I don't know what to say about this post. I'll go with, wat?

2011:

What community college did you recieve your political science associates degree from?

[DearCan]

I'm done with this thread.

FTL

[2011Law]

Political science is mostly about predicting human behavior, which is nearly impossible to do.

No.

Care to elaborate on that champ?

Give him 20-30 minutes. Let him do his internet research. He'll be back with loads of support.

I know I said I was done, but I just wanted to say, *ahem* go fuck yourself. Also, I already replied to that guy. It's simple. You people should go read a book if you want evidence.

[deadhipsters]

I know I said I was done, but I just wanted to say, *ahem* go fuck yourself. Also, I already replied to that guy. It's simple. You people should go read a book if you want evidence.[/quote]


So if political science is not about predicting human behavior then what? I guess no one tries to predict elections/ voting patterns, causation of war/ rebellion, international political economic behavior. No one cares about predicting those things. Right. And your reply was uneducated and stupid.

[Kswizzie]

DearCan and deadhipsters as much as I hate to say it 2011 is right it seems like you guys are really hatin' on something you know almost nothing about. I admit that there is alot of mumbo jumbo out there in the poli sci world but if you guys/gals would take a look at some articles in some reputable political science journals you'd probly find that the field does have legitimacy. I would start with work in the field of American Politics since it is usually based on better data sets.

[DearCan]

Political science is mostly about predicting human behavior, which is nearly impossible to do.

No.

Care to elaborate on that champ?

Political science is not mostly about predicting human behavior. Predicting behavior is not nearly impossible to do.

This is the funniest thing I have read on TLS thus far.

[deadhipsters]

DearCan and deadhipsters as much as I hate to say it 2011 is right it seems like you guys are really hatin' on something you know almost nothing about. I admit that there is alot of mumbo jumbo out there in the poli sci world but if you guys/gals would take a look at some articles in some reputable political science journals you'd probly find that the field does have legitimacy. I would start with work in the field of American Politics since it is usually based on better data sets.

Me: Cornell BA Government (Honors thesis). Thanks, I got it.

[DearCan]

Political science is about making conjectures, and if you want to call them "predictions" go ahead. The fact of the matter is that they are not reliable. This whole thing started over the scientific method remember? The scientific method requires that any hypothesis that is proven must be reliably replicated at any time.

[Kswizzie]

Me: Cornell BA Government (Honors thesis). Thanks, I got it.

The data you used for your thesis functionally worthless and wholly based on assumptions. Also everyone knows that BS > BA. We've gone full circle

[DearCan]

DearCan and deadhipsters as much as I hate to say it 2011 is right it seems like you guys are really hatin' on something you know almost nothing about. I admit that there is alot of mumbo jumbo out there in the poli sci world but if you guys/gals would take a look at some articles in some reputable political science journals you'd probly find that the field does have legitimacy. I would start with work in the field of American Politics since it is usually based on better data sets.

Wow this thread came a long way without much benefit. Of course political science has legitimacy. I can't speak for anyone else, but my involvement in this debate is trying to discredit the notion that political science somehow employs the scientific method. It's an absurd notion. Even from the BS standpoint, statistics are just that, and as we all should know, they don't always predict a reliable outcome.

[DearCan]

Me: Cornell BA Government (Honors thesis). Thanks, I got it.

The data you used for your thesis functionally worthless and wholly based on assumptions. Also everyone knows that BS > BA. We've gone full circle

Everyone knows that Bobby stole your lunch money yesterday. Everyone knows!

[Kswizzie]

Me: Cornell BA Government (Honors thesis). Thanks, I got it.

The data you used for your thesis functionally worthless and wholly based on assumptions. Also everyone knows that BS > BA. We've gone full circle

Everyone knows that Bobby stole your lunch money yesterday. Everyone knows!

How'd you find that out!?! That Bobby's a shit and I'm gonna give him some help tomorrow!

[rundoxierun]

Lol.. these threads are always sooo ridiculous.. To do my part I fanning the flames... There is a huge difference between modeling and predicting. You guys are hardcore confusing the two.

[deadhipsters]

What has really been gleaned from political science in the past 200 years? What has been learned from engineering, economics, math, biology, geology, etc? As a “political scientist”, what is your contribution to society compared to those of other professions, the UN? It is a very interesting major, much like English is. But, it is not practical, and no one in the legal field is going to give a shit if you have a BA or BS in Political Science. Guess who else wont care, the UN, the State Department, and the rest of the Federal Government. They want Econ majors.

[DearCan]

Lol.. these threads are always sooo ridiculous.. To do my part I fanning the flames... There is a huge difference between modeling and predicting. You guys are hardcore confusing the two.

Go back a page or two and read 2011Law's arguments. His posts imply that these points were discovered using the scientific method. I really can't stop laughing, but I'm indulging in some Maker's Mark tonight so perhaps that's to blame. I've been doing my best to argue that the scientific method is not used in political science as 2011Law sees it. If I've failed, all the better. It's led to some genuinely hilarious shit.

[Kswizzie]

What has really been gleaned from political science in the past 200 years? What has been learned from engineering, economics, math, biology, geology, etc? As a “political scientist”, what is your contribution to society compared to those of other professions, the UN? It is a very interesting major, much like English is. But, it is not practical, and no one in the legal field is going to give a shit if you have a BA or BS in Political Science. Guess who else wont care, the UN, the State Department, and the rest of the Federal Government. They want Econ majors.

DoD cares thats how I got my job.

[DearCan]

What has really been gleaned from political science in the past 200 years? What has been learned from engineering, economics, math, biology, geology, etc? As a “political scientist”, what is your contribution to society compared to those of other professions, the UN? It is a very interesting major, much like English is. But, it is not practical, and no one in the legal field is going to give a shit if you have a BA or BS in Political Science. Guess who else wont care, the UN, the State Department, and the rest of the Federal Government. They want Econ majors.

I officially separate. I think political science is valuable. It's like history, but comprehensive. Most of my UG friends were PS majors and a few of them are working on Capitol Hill now. However, none of them would claim that their studies were rooted in the scientific method.

[DearCan]

TLS could use a hubris haircut.

[rundoxierun]

LOL @ the idea that political "science" uses the scientific method. Any more than sanitation engineering uses engineering principles.

damn you people harsh, you better not be saying these things as econ majors or something. you could have gone a little softer and just been like "baby stepping stone for law school." There are def some classes that are jokes for poli sci, but the same can pretty much be said of any major (though its more frequent in polisci than the hard science majors). If you ever read a poli sci article or book, its pretty apparent that the scientific method is used. Also, I'm pretty sure you'd have to be an engineer to design the sanitation system for a city.

[deadhipsters]

What has really been gleaned from political science in the past 200 years? What has been learned from engineering, economics, math, biology, geology, etc? As a “political scientist”, what is your contribution to society compared to those of other professions, the UN? It is a very interesting major, much like English is. But, it is not practical, and no one in the legal field is going to give a shit if you have a BA or BS in Political Science. Guess who else wont care, the UN, the State Department, and the rest of the Federal Government. They want Econ majors.

DoD cares thats how I got my job.

Public ivy? UVA, UM? There is the reason, I'd suspect. See how many people with political science degrees from Binghamton or MSU work for the State Department. I'd wager none. Also, DoD is the biggest employer in the USA. So, there’s that.

What kind of work? I am genuinely interested to know. I looked into that. But many required military experience.

[DearCan]

LOL @ the idea that political "science" uses the scientific method. Any more than sanitation engineering uses engineering principles.

damn you people harsh, you better not be saying these things as econ majors or something. you could have gone a little softer and just been like "baby stepping stone for law school." There are def some classes that are jokes for poli sci, but the same can pretty much be said of any major (though its more frequent in polisci than the hard science majors). If you ever read a poli sci article or book, its pretty apparent that the scientific method is used. Also, I'm pretty sure you'd have to be an engineer to design the sanitation system for a city.

A sanitary engineer is basically an architect that has to smell shit all day.

[rundoxierun]

wait.. everyone knows what a "sanitation engineer" actually is, right?

[Kswizzie]

What has really been gleaned from political science in the past 200 years? What has been learned from engineering, economics, math, biology, geology, etc? As a “political scientist”, what is your contribution to society compared to those of other professions, the UN? It is a very interesting major, much like English is. But, it is not practical, and no one in the legal field is going to give a shit if you have a BA or BS in Political Science. Guess who else wont care, the UN, the State Department, and the rest of the Federal Government. They want Econ majors.

DoD cares thats how I got my job.

Public ivy? UVA, UM? There is the reason, I'd suspect. See how many people with political science degrees from Binghamton or MSU work for the State Department. I'd wager none. Also, DoD is the biggest employer in the USA. So, there’s that.

What kind of work? I am genuinely interested to know. I looked into that. But many required military experience.

I don't want to get to into it but it is part of the intel community. I do have military experience but with how competitive the job I got is they told me I wouldn't have gotten it without my degree/ GPA

[DearCan]

wait.. everyone knows what a "sanitation engineer" actually is, right?

Do you?? No, I'm just messing around. I know a bit, I guess its hard to convey humor without specific intent in this forum unless you know your fellows.

[deadhipsters]

What has really been gleaned from political science in the past 200 years? What has been learned from engineering, economics, math, biology, geology, etc? As a “political scientist”, what is your contribution to society compared to those of other professions, the UN? It is a very interesting major, much like English is. But, it is not practical, and no one in the legal field is going to give a shit if you have a BA or BS in Political Science. Guess who else wont care, the UN, the State Department, and the rest of the Federal Government. They want Econ majors.

DoD cares thats how I got my job.

Public ivy? UVA, UM? There is the reason, I'd suspect. See how many people with political science degrees from Binghamton or MSU work for the State Department. I'd wager none. Also, DoD is the biggest employer in the USA. So, there’s that.

What kind of work? I am genuinely interested to know. I looked into that. But many required military experience.

I don't want to get to into it but it is part of the intel community. I do have military experience but with how competitive the job I got is they told me I wouldn't have gotten it without my degree/ GPA

That is very cool. The Intel jobs are well sought after. Good for you, seriously. You will probably get to have an interesting legal career. I hear DOJ likes military experience.