Among the following, who is not related to the Modern perspective of Political Theory?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4:
George H. Sabine is primarily known as a historian of political theory whose magnum opus, *A History of Political Theory*, is considered a classic text in the traditional approach to the subject. The traditional or classical perspective of political theory emphasizes historical, philosophical, ethical, and legal studies, focusing on values and normative questions, rather than empirical observation or scientific methods. Sabine's work falls squarely within this traditional, normative approach, seeking to understand the evolution of political ideas throughout history. His contribution is intellectual history, which contrasts sharply with the behavioral and empirical focus of the modern political theory movement that emerged prominently after World War II. Therefore, he is not considered a proponent or figure associated with the Modern (Behavioral) perspective.

The incorrect option is 1:
David Easton is one of the most prominent figures in the modern perspective of Political Theory, specifically behavioralism and post-behavioralism. He is widely recognized for his systems theory approach to political analysis, which conceptualized the political system as a set of interactions ("Authoritative Allocation of Values for a Society"). Behavioralism, which Easton championed, sought to establish political science as an empirical science by focusing on observable behavior and using rigorous research methods, making him central to the modern movement. His works like *The Political System* (1953) were foundational in shifting the discipline toward a scientific, empirical approach, directly linking him to the modern perspective.

The incorrect option is 2:
Robert Dahl is another foundational figure of the modern perspective, known for his work in empirical democratic theory and the concept of "polyarchy." Dahl’s approach is strongly empirical and behavioral, utilizing observation and quantitative methods to analyze political power, decision-making, and institutional behavior in modern democracies. His research focused on 'who governs' and why, employing a scientific methodology to study politics, which is the hallmark of the modern political theory movement that rejected the normative focus of the traditionalists. Therefore, Dahl is intimately connected with the modern perspective.

The incorrect option is 3:
Gabriel Almond is a key figure associated with the modern perspective, particularly the application of comparative politics and structural functionalism to political analysis. He developed concepts like the "political culture" approach and categorization of political systems based on structures and functions, moving away from purely institutional descriptions toward empirical, cross-national comparison. His work helped establish the functional approach, which is a core component of the efforts by modern political theorists to create empirically testable and value-free theories of politics. Thus, Almond is unequivocally associated with the modern behavioral and comparative political theory movement.