David Easton

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David Easton

David Easton (born June 17, 1917 in Toronto , Ontario , † July 19, 2014 ) was a Canadian-American political scientist .

Life

Easton grew up in Toronto and completed his studies at the university there with a master's degree . In 1944 Easton came to Harvard University , where he received his PhD in philosophy in 1947 . From this point on he was closely connected to important US universities, such as the University of Chicago , where he taught from 1947 to 1982, or the University of California at Irvine , where he has been Distinguished Professor of Political Science since 1982 was. In addition to many other positions, David Easton was President of the American Political Science Association from 1968 to 1969 and Vice President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences from 1984 to 1989 , of which he had been a member since 1962.

The Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at the Free University of Berlin awarded Easton an honorary doctorate on June 28, 2001 by its dean , Prof. Sandschneider . Easton's commitment to and in Berlin was remarkable: This particularly concerned his work at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), where he was a Humboldt Prize winner and a visiting researcher from 1996 to 1998. The results of his work reached far into the courses offered in the political science department.

Even after his retirement , David Easton was still active as a scientist and campaigned for the political science discipline in its theoretical as well as its empirical-analytical foundation.

Teaching and Research

Easton taught with a focus on empirical political theory , analysis of political systems , foundations, modern political science and structural analysis of politics.

Projects

Easton's last project was on the development of social sciences in China . This led to an exchange program for students from UCI and Peking University as well as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Another project of the Study of the Development of Political Science (which was founded on his initiative and of which he was chairman) brought forth joint research by political scientists from around the world to study the contemporary state and the development of political science around the world. Easton was also involved in a study that examined the effects of which structural and organizational variations of democratic political systems have on the effectiveness of their public policies.

Research priorities

Its primary scientific aim was to develop a general theory of politics. His definition of political science as "the study of the authoritative allocation of values" has meanwhile become common knowledge. In 1953 he presented the main features of a general theory of politics in his book "The Political System: An Inquiry into the State of Political Science". In doing so, he contributed to the breakthrough of the “behavioralist revolution” in political science. Easton's most recently published book deals with the subject of the influence of political systems on many aspects of political life. Another research focus of David Easton was the state and level of development of political science in relation to the political socialization of children.

plant

David Easton dealt with political structures in his work "The Analysis of Political Structure". Easton assumed that structures arise through the community of interest groups, so-called governmental action, political occupation and their mutual exchange. In addition, according to Easton, structures are formed from claims, different intentions and balance of power of individual interest groups and the victories and failures resulting from struggles for power and recognition, and finally also from cooperation and compromise.

In 1953 he presented the main features of a general theory of politics in his book "The Political System: An Inquiry into the State of Political Sciences". In doing so, he made a significant contribution to the breakthrough of the “ behavioralist revolution” in political science.

Easton's key question, which runs through all of his research, was: "How do political systems manage to assert themselves in a world that shows both stability and change?" According to Easton, political systems are adaptable systems of action that are embedded in their environment . All systems are given the ability to respond to faults and tension situations and to regulate them. "Interactions through which values ​​are set in a binding way for a society", Easton describes as a political system. Political systems must therefore fulfill two main functions:

  1. They need to be able to allocate values ​​for society.
  2. You must be able to get the majority of the company's members to recognize the allocations as binding.

Environment input output feedback model

Easton, David (1965). A Systems Analysis of Political Life, New York, p. 32.

David Easton describes the political system in the context of his political systems theory as a complex accumulation of procedures through which the inputs from the respective environments of the systems (environment) enter the political system. That system converts them into certain outputs, visible to humanity as strategies, decisions or implementations. The lower arrow in the diagram is called Feedback by Easton and means the informational feedback of the outputs to the future inputs. Under inputs is understood demands (demands) and support (supports) . The politicians and authorities make decisions within the political system that are binding and valid for society. Easton assumed that the actual processes and procedures inside the government and its decision-making areas are not visible. He called the conversion of inputs into outputs a “ black box ”. For this reason, according to Easton, one only sees the result of decisions on political content, but not their formation, and therefore cannot assess this course. This is where the media and well-researched journalism come into play, trying with all their might to understand and understand the opacity of political developments and processes. Easton believed that the political system was responsible for the binding allocation of values ​​and goods and the mobilization of resources . A solution must be openly presented that satisfies the expectations and interests of society, as these otherwise negatively affect the system as disruptive or stress factors. The system must also gain trust and legitimation through cooperation in order to be able to continue to gain interest in politics. The support of the system becomes visible through personal commitment or in the form of taxes, donations or foundations. General systematic care and acceptance is based primarily on value attachments, which are mainly due to successful socialization and deculturation processes. This generalized trust in the system guarantees systemic continuity, even when there is a change of government or policy, as it expresses a continuing sense of community (we-feeling) , which encompasses the most important social spheres. It should not be forgotten that parties and politically active members also have a decisive influence.

Systems that want to endure must meet 4 criteria according to the so-called AGIL scheme :

  • Adaptation ,
  • Goal attainment (targeted),
  • Integration (integrate all),
  • Latent pattern maintenance (but according to Talcott Parsons , not Easton).

Works

  • The Decline of Modern Political Theory. In: Journal of Politics. 13, 1951, pp. 36-58.
  • The Political System. An Inquiry into the State of Political Science. New York 1953.
  • An Approach to the Analysis of Political Systems. In: World Politics. 9, 1957.
  • A Framework for Political Analysis. Englewood Cliffs 1965.
  • A Systems Analysis of Political Life. New York 1965.
  • as editor: Varieties of Political Theory. Englewood Cliffs 1966.
  • as co-editor: Regime and Discipline: Democracy and the Development of Political Science. University of Michigan Press, 1995.
  • as co-editor: Children in the Political System. McGraw-Hill, 1969. (Reprinted by University of Chicago Press, 1980)
  • The Analysis of Political Structure. Routledge, 1990.
  • as co-editor: Divided Knowledge: Across Disciplines, Across Cultures. Sage, 1991.
  • as co-editor: The Development of Political Science: A Comparative Survey. Routledge, 1991.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Honorary doctorate to Professor David Easton. Press release No. 159/2001 of the Free University of Berlin, June 26, 2001.

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Easton, David
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian-American political scientist
DATE OF BIRTH June 17, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH Toronto , Canada
DATE OF DEATH 19th July 2014