The competence of political science: "Progress in political research" revisited Presidential Address, American Political Science Association, 1999

Political science is two realms, the intellectual and the organizational, a nd the task is to consider how the organizational realm might be adapted to the highest improvement of the intellectual realm. Political science has a certain competence (domain) in the study of politics as the organization o f power It also seeks to expand competence as capability. Charles Merriam p rovides a point of departure. Merriam's most successful idea has been that of enhancing competence through improvements in "the field of method. "Comp etence, however, now demands methodological flexibility, so as to probe mor e into the exercise of power. Four fields are strategic: public administrat ion, political interests, urbanization, and the interpenetration of politic s and economics. Competence also leads into unorthodox subjects, such as fo rce and foolish, irrational, and pathological decision making (or "the Oxen stierna-Mullins Effect". Finally, competence demands (and is enhanced by) t he reach of political science into serious practical problems of human affa irs.