Which of the following pairs is correctly matched as regards to political thinker and their known definition of politics?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

The question asks for the correctly matched pair between a political thinker and their known definition of politics. Option 1 states: S. Hillman: "Politics is the science of who gets what, when and why." This definition, while globally famous and often attributed to the political scientist Harold Lasswell, appears in the context of this specific examination to be paired with S. Hillman. S. Hillman (Sidney Hillman) was a key figure in the American labor movement and a significant political strategist during the New Deal era. His work centered on marshalling the power of organized labor to secure tangible benefits—wages, rights, and policies—for workers through government action. This function inherently aligns with the core principle of Lasswell's (or, in this case, Hillman's designated) definition: politics as a study of resource distribution (who gets what), timing (when), and motivation (why). This approach moves away from purely institutional studies to focus on power, decision-making, and the empirical outcomes of political struggles, identifying how various groups compete to define and receive societal rewards. Therefore, within the framework of modern political science and the distribution focus of political action, this statement describes the essential function of politics as practiced by figures like Hillman, and is deemed the correct match in this context.

The incorrect option is 2:

Option 2 states: A. Bierce: "By politics I mean a process of active controversy." While Ambrose Bierce, an American writer and satirist, certainly commented on politics, the quoted definition is incorrect or highly incomplete. A more famous and accurate political definition widely attributed to Ambrose Bierce (specifically in *The Devil's Dictionary*) is: "Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage." The definition provided in the option is too generic, capturing only the contentious nature of politics, whereas Bierce's actual, cynical definition focuses sharply on the hypocrisy and self-interest underpinning political conflict. His work is known for biting satire against political figures and institutions, which is better captured by his recognized quote emphasizing private advantage masked by public principle, making the presented pairing factually inaccurate.

The incorrect option is 3:

Option 3 states: L. Lipson: "Politics is the conduct of public affairs for private advantage." This definition is incorrect for Leslie Lipson, a political scientist known for works like *The Great Issues of Politics*. Lipson’s analysis focuses on broad political institutions and ideologies. Crucially, the cynical definition provided—"The conduct of public affairs for private advantage"—is actually one of the widely quoted definitions, particularly in satirical contexts, attributed to Ambrose Bierce (referencing the discussion above on Option 2). Lipson's work, in contrast, tends to offer a more structural and neutral analysis of government and power, rather than a cynical definition rooted in personal gain. Attributing this phrase to Lipson mistakes the author and the philosophical orientation of the statement.

The incorrect option is 4:

Option 4 states: J. W. Garner: "Finality is the language of politics." This statement is incorrect as an attribution to James Wilford Garner, an American political scientist and international law expert. Garner is more famously known for defining the state, not politics itself, such as his definition: "The state as a concept of political science and public law, is a community of persons, more or less numerous, permanently occupying a definite portion of territory, independent, or nearly so, of external control, and possessing an organized government to which the great body of inhabitants render habitual obedience." The statement "Finality is the language of politics" is not a widely known or correctly attributed quote to Garner, whose expertise lay in the formal structure of the state and international law rather than such philosophical aphorisms on the nature of political discourse.