Politics, Law and Administration: The Perspective of Theory

Abstract

What approach to scholarship that should determine the study and understanding of politics, law and administration? The approach here adopted as an answer to the question focuses on two critical areas of the referenced scholarship. The first entailed conceptual explorations and expositions within the standard requirements of social science scholarship and the broad humanities at large. The second, without necessarily deviating from the knowledge identity of the same social science scholarship, approached the study and understanding from the formulated idea of knowledge relationship as a technical expression standing alone, and further within the necessity to integrate the two areas within an epistemological basis of human inquiry. The accompanying presentation hence followed the standard pattern of research questions as the chosen path with which to illuminate the embedded thesis/argument of the paper. It becomes important to consequently ask: is there any relationship of knowledge between and among politics, law and administration? If there is, what is the relationship like? What knowledge identity and framework that can help to seek the study and understanding of the relationship from the perspective of its interrogation  and the scholarly amplification  of  same? Again, what either justifies or should justify the knowledge of the relationship and its study? The question can still be further asked : what knowledge foundation that should determine the study of the relationship? The paper therefore seeks to argue an essential point. What is this essential point? In addition, how does the point in  turn constitute the advanced thesis of the paper? The understanding of the knowledge relationship between and among politics, law and administration, the paper holds the view, is critical to the achievement of the purpose of any social  organization. In other words, the essence and purpose of any social organization technically and unarguably revolve around the extent to which state managers have deeper appreciation of the knowledge relationship between and among the concepts as being significant and pivotal to the idea of social organization especially from the perspective of its essence and purpose. The point about significance, it requires further  pontification ,  raises an important issue of knowledge? What is this issue, and again, what both explains and justifies its significance especially from the perspective of the choice of academic and intellectual engagement? The issue and justification revolve around the idea of the appropriate determination of the theory of interrogation and scrutiny to the extent of in turn providing the very important theoretical framework of amplification and analysis: Therefore, using the knowledge framework of the discipline of political science/ political theory, the paper, within the central objective of reinventing the existing theoretical framework of interrogation and scrutiny, advances the argument and thesis that the idea of the state, particularly the character and form of same,  is critical to undertake any reformulation against the backdrop of the African experience of democratic politics. The methodology of study is qualitative and has its roots in the " theories of the state". The contribution of the paper to knowledge fundamentally revolves around the idea of "knowledge relationship" and its attendant amplification within the new focus of study, understanding, and research priorit formulation and execution.