ISC Class 11 · Chapter 1

Introduction to Political Science and State: Meaning, Scope and Elements of the State, ISC Class 11

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Political science is the systematic study of the state, government and power. The classical view sees it as the study of the state; the modern view studies power and political behaviour. Its scope includes political theory, comparative politics, international relations, public administration and political economy. A state needs four elements: population, territory, government and sovereignty.

What Introduction to Political Science and State is about

This first chapter of Political Theory lays the foundation for the rest of the course.

1. Meaning of political science: the classical (traditional) view, which treats it as the study of the state and government, and the modern view, which treats it as the study of power, political behaviour and the political system.
2. Scope of contemporary political science: only the meaning of five fields: political theory, comparative politics, international relations, public administration and political economy.
3. Politics and political science: the difference between the activity and its systematic study.
4. The state: its meaning and four elements: (a) population, (b) territory, (c) government, (d) sovereignty.
5. State and nation: why the two are not the same.

The skill tested is precise definitions, each with an example, and clear point-by-point differences.

Weightage: CISCE gives no Class XI unit weightage for ISC Political Science. Introduction to Political Science and State is topic 1 of the Class XI syllabus (Political Theory) and can be asked anywhere in the 80-mark Paper I (Theory, 3 hours). Class XI is examined by the school, so your school sets the paper and decides how many marks each topic carries.Source: CISCE ISC Political Science (852) syllabus, examination year 2028, Class XI

Key concepts

Meaning of political science: classical and modern views

The word 'politics' comes from the Greek 'polis', the city-state. Aristotle, often called the father of political science, regarded it as the 'master science' because the polis shaped every part of life.

Classical (traditional) view

Political science is the study of the state and government: their origin, nature, institutions and purposes.
Garner: 'Political science begins and ends with the State.'
Gettell described it as a historical study of what the state has been, an analytical study of what it is, and a moral study of what it ought to be.
Features: focus on formal institutions (constitutions, legislatures, courts), use of history, philosophy and law, and concern with values (what is a good state?).

Modern view (from the twentieth century)

Political science is the study of power, political activity and the political system, including the behaviour of individuals and groups.
Harold Lasswell: politics is the study of the shaping and sharing of power; his book title asked 'who gets what, when, how'.
David Easton: politics is the 'authoritative allocation of values' for a society.
Features: study of informal processes (parties, pressure groups, voting, public opinion), use of observation and statistics, an attempt to be scientific and value-neutral, and links with sociology, economics and psychology.

Synthesis: today political science studies both institutions and behaviour, both facts and values.

Worked example

[4] Distinguish between the classical and modern views of the meaning of political science. (Analysis)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Classical: study of the state and government (Garner) - 1 mark.
Modern: study of power and the political system (Lasswell, Easton) - 1 mark.
Classical: formal institutions, history and philosophy; modern: behaviour, parties, groups - 1 mark.
Classical: values (what ought to be); modern: observation and value-neutral analysis - 1 mark.

Answer: The classical view, in Garner's words, holds that political science begins and ends with the state, and it studies formal institutions using history, law and philosophy, asking what the state ought to be. The modern view, following Lasswell and Easton, studies power and the authoritative allocation of values, looks at informal processes such as parties, pressure groups and voting, and uses observation and data in an attempt to be scientific and value-neutral.

Scope of contemporary political science

The syllabus asks only for the meaning of each field.

1. Political theory: the study of political ideas and concepts, such as the state, sovereignty, liberty, equality, justice and rights, and of the thinkers who developed them. It asks both what these concepts mean and how society ought to be organised.
2. Comparative politics: the study and comparison of the political systems, institutions and processes of different countries (for example, comparing parliamentary government in India with presidential government in the USA) to find similarities, differences and general patterns.
3. International relations: the study of relations among states and other actors (international organisations, multinational companies), covering foreign policy, diplomacy, war and peace, trade and international law.
4. Public administration: the study of how government policies are put into effect: the organisation of government departments, the civil service (bureaucracy), budgeting and the delivery of public services.
5. Political economy: the study of the relationship between politics and the economy: how political institutions and decisions shape economic outcomes (taxes, trade, welfare) and how economic interests and classes shape politics.

Worked example

[4] Explain the meaning of any four fields in the scope of contemporary political science. (Recall)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Political theory: study of political ideas and concepts - 1 mark.
Comparative politics: comparison of political systems across countries - 1 mark.
International relations: relations among states, foreign policy, war and peace - 1 mark.
Public administration: implementation of policy through government organisation (or political economy: link of politics and economy) - 1 mark.

Answer: Political theory studies political ideas and concepts such as liberty, equality and justice; comparative politics compares the political systems and institutions of different countries; international relations studies relations among states and other actors, including foreign policy, war and peace; and public administration studies how government departments and the civil service put policies into effect.

Politics and political science

Politics

The actual activity through which people and groups compete, bargain and co-operate to gain and use power and to make collective decisions.
Practical and often partisan: politicians, parties, campaigns, elections, protests.
Deals with immediate issues and is shaped by interests and passions.

Political science

The systematic, academic study of politics, the state and government.
Theoretical and analytical: it explains why politics happens as it does and builds general ideas and theories.
Aims at objectivity, using evidence, comparison and reasoning.

Differences in brief
1. Nature: politics is an activity; political science is a discipline (a body of knowledge).
2. Approach: politics is practical and partisan; political science is theoretical and seeks to be impartial.
3. Persons: politics is practised by politicians and citizens; political science is pursued by scholars and students.
4. Scope: politics deals with particular, current issues; political science seeks general principles valid across time and place.

They are related: political science studies politics, and politicians may use its findings.

Worked example

[4] Distinguish between politics and political science. (Understanding)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Politics is an activity; political science is a discipline - 1 mark.
Politics is practical and partisan; political science is theoretical and objective - 1 mark.
Politics is practised by politicians and citizens; political science by scholars - 1 mark.
Politics deals with current, particular issues; political science seeks general principles - 1 mark.

Answer: Politics is the activity of competing for and using power, while political science is the systematic study of that activity. Politics is practical and often partisan; political science is theoretical and aims at objectivity. Politicians and citizens practise politics; scholars and students study political science. Politics deals with particular, current issues, whereas political science seeks general principles and theories.

Meaning and elements of the state

Meaning: the state is a people permanently living in a definite territory, organised under a government and possessing sovereignty, that is, free from external control and supreme within.

Garner defined the state as a community of persons, more or less numerous, permanently occupying a definite territory, independent or nearly so of external control, with an organised government to which the great body of inhabitants render habitual obedience.

Elements
(a) Population: there can be no state without people. There is no fixed size: the Vatican City has a few hundred people, India over a billion. Plato and Aristotle preferred small city-states; today the quality (unity, skills, health) matters more than numbers.
(b) Territory: a definite area with fixed boundaries, including land, inland waters, territorial sea and the airspace above. A wandering tribe without fixed territory is not a state.
(c) Government: the organisation (legislature, executive, judiciary) through which the will of the state is formed, expressed and carried out. Without government there is anarchy, not a state. Its form may vary: monarchy or republic, parliamentary or presidential.
(d) Sovereignty: the supreme power of the state. Internal sovereignty means its authority is supreme over all individuals and groups within; external sovereignty means it is independent of control by any other state. Sovereignty distinguishes the state from all other associations.

Tests: before 1947 India had population, territory and a government but not sovereignty, so it was not a state. The states of the Indian Union (such as Kerala) are not states in political science, since they are not sovereign.

Worked example

[4] Explain the four elements of the state with examples. (Understanding)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Population: no fixed size (Vatican to India) - 1 mark.
Territory: definite land, waters and airspace - 1 mark.
Government: legislature, executive, judiciary through which the state acts - 1 mark.
Sovereignty: supreme within, independent outside; India before 1947 lacked it - 1 mark.

Answer: A state needs a population, whether as small as the Vatican's or as large as India's; a definite territory, including its land, waters and airspace; a government through which its will is made and carried out; and sovereignty, supreme authority within and independence from outside control. Colonial India before 1947 had the first three but lacked sovereignty, so it was not a state.

State and nation

Nation: a people who feel united by a strong sense of belonging, based on things such as common history, culture, language, religion, traditions and a shared wish to live together and shape their future. The bond is mainly psychological and cultural.

State: a political and legal organisation of people on a definite territory, with a government and sovereignty.

Differences
1. Nature: the state is political and legal; the nation is cultural and psychological.
2. Sovereignty: essential for a state; a nation need not be sovereign.
3. Territory: essential for a state; a nation may exist without a territory of its own (the Jews before 1948).
4. Boundaries: one nation may be spread over several states (the Kurds, living in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria); one state may contain many cultural and linguistic communities (India).
5. Origin and change: a state can be created or ended by law or treaty; a nation grows slowly and cannot be created overnight.
6. Organisation: a state must have a government; a nation needs none.

When a nation has its own sovereign state, we speak of a nation-state.

Worked example

[4] Distinguish between state and nation, giving examples. (Analysis)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

State is political-legal; nation is cultural-psychological - 1 mark.
Sovereignty and territory essential for a state, not for a nation (Jews before 1948) - 1 mark.
A nation may be spread over several states (Kurds); a state may contain many communities (India) - 1 mark.
A state can be created by law or treaty; a nation develops slowly - 1 mark.

Answer: A state is a political and legal organisation, while a nation is a people bound by cultural and psychological unity. A state must have territory and sovereignty, but a nation need not, as the Jews before 1948 show. One nation, like the Kurds, may be spread over several states, and one state, like India, may contain many communities. A state can be created by law or treaty, but a nation grows slowly over time.

Introduction to Political Science and State in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

The test of sovereignty

Suppose a large housing society has residents, a fixed boundary and an elected committee, but every decision can be overruled by the city municipal corporation.

Is the society a state? Which element is missing?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

It has population, territory and a form of government.
It lacks sovereignty: a higher authority can overrule it.
So it is an association, not a state.

Answer: No. It has people, territory and a committee, but lacks sovereignty because its decisions can be overruled from outside; without sovereignty no body is a state.

Memory hook: No supreme power, no state.

Politics versus political science

Imagine two people at an election: a candidate canvassing door to door, and a researcher counting how many voters changed their choice after a television debate.

Who is doing politics and who is doing political science?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The candidate is competing for power: politics.
The researcher is studying behaviour systematically: political science.
The researcher's findings may later be used by candidates.

Answer: The candidate is engaged in politics; the researcher is doing political science, studying voting behaviour systematically and objectively.

Memory hook: One plays the game; the other studies it.

Nation without a state

Suppose a people share a language, songs and history, and feel they belong together, but live in four neighbouring countries and have no government of their own.

Are they a state, a nation, or both?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

They have the cultural and psychological unity of a nation.
They lack a territory and sovereignty of their own.
So they are a nation but not a state, like the Kurds.

Answer: They are a nation but not a state: they share a sense of belonging but have no sovereign government or territory of their own, as with the Kurds.

Memory hook: Shared hearts make a nation; sovereign power makes a state.

Topics in this chapter

Introduction to Political Science and State: key facts

Classical definition: Garner: 'Political science begins and ends with the State.'; Study of state and government.
Modern definitions: Lasswell: shaping and sharing of power; Easton: authoritative allocation of values; Study of power and the political system.
Five fields of scope: Political theory; comparative politics; international relations; public administration; political economy; Learn the meaning of each.
Elements of the state: State = Population + Territory + Government + Sovereignty; Sovereignty distinguishes the state.
Two sides of sovereignty: Internal (supreme within) + External (independent outside); India before 1947 lacked it.
Nation: Common history, culture, language, sense of unity; Nation + own sovereign state = nation-state.

How the school exam asks Introduction to Political Science and State

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Definitions	Define political science (classical/modern), state or nation; give one definition by a thinker.	Quote one definition accurately and explain it in your own words.
Four-mark distinctions	Classical versus modern view; politics versus political science; state versus nation.	Point-by-point comparison on the same basis (nature, scope, persons, examples).
Eight-mark explanation	(a) Scope of political science; (b) elements of the state with examples.	Four fields or four elements, each with meaning and an example.

Tricks to remember Introduction to Political Science and State

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Elements: 'P-T-G-S'
People, Territory, Government, Sovereignty: 'Please Take Good Seats'.
Use it when: Four elements in order.
Scope: 'T-C-I-P-P'
Theory, Comparative, International, Public administration, Political economy.
Use it when: Five fields.
Classical versus modern: 'State versus Power'
Classical studies the state; modern studies power.
Use it when: Core difference.

Introduction to Political Science and State: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Missing element · 1 mark · MCQExam level

Colonial India before 1947 was not a state in political science because it lacked:
(a) Population
(b) Territory
(c) Government
(d) Sovereignty

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

India had people, territory and a colonial government.
It was under British control, so it lacked sovereignty.

Answer: (d) Sovereignty.

Example 2: Assertion-reason: Kerala · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder exam level

Assertion (A): Kerala is not a state in the sense used in political science.
Reason (R): Kerala does not possess sovereignty; it is a unit of the Indian Union.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

In political science 'state' means a sovereign political community.
Kerala is a constituent unit without sovereignty, so R explains A.

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Example 3: Why sovereignty is the most important element · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

[4] 'Sovereignty is the most important element of the state.' Explain. (Analysis)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Other associations also have members, area and organisation.
Only the state has supreme authority over all within its territory.
External sovereignty makes it independent of other states.
Examples: India before 1947; states of the Indian Union.

Answer: Many associations, such as clubs or municipalities, have members, an area and an organisation, but only the state has sovereignty: supreme authority over every person and group within its territory and independence from external control. That is why colonial India before 1947 and the states of the Indian Union, despite having people, territory and governments, are not states in political science.

Example 4: Modern view in practice · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

[4] How does the modern view of political science help us study an Indian election better than the classical view alone? (Analysis)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Classical view: Election Commission, constitutional provisions, Parliament.
Modern view: voting behaviour, caste and class, campaigns, media, money.
Uses surveys and data on turnout and swings.
Shows how power is actually shaped and shared, not only how rules say it should be.

Answer: The classical view would study the constitutional rules, the Election Commission and Parliament. The modern view adds the study of voting behaviour, the influence of caste, class, media, money and party campaigns, using surveys and data on turnout and swings. It therefore shows how power is actually won and shared, not just how the rules say it should be.

Example 5: Scope and elements · 8 marks · Long answerHarder exam level

[8] (a) Explain the meaning of the five fields in the scope of contemporary political science. [4]
(b) Explain the elements of the state, showing why each is necessary. [4]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(a) Political theory and comparative politics (1).
(a) International relations (1).
(a) Public administration (1).
(a) Political economy (1).
(b) Population: no state without people (1).
(b) Territory: definite area (1).
(b) Government: agency of the state's will (1).
(b) Sovereignty: supreme and independent (1).

Answer: (a) Political theory studies political concepts and ideas, and comparative politics compares political systems across countries; international relations studies relations among states and other actors, including foreign policy, war and international organisations; public administration studies how policies are carried out through government departments and the civil service; and political economy studies how politics and the economy shape each other. (b) A state needs a population, since there can be no state without people; a definite territory, which fixes the area over which it rules; a government, the agency through which its will is formed and enforced; and sovereignty, which makes it supreme over everyone within and independent of other states, distinguishing it from every other association.

Example 6: Is India a nation-state? · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

[4] Can a state contain many nationalities? Discuss with reference to India. (Evaluate)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A state is political-legal; nationality is cultural-psychological.
India contains many languages, religions and regional cultures.
Yet a shared history of the freedom struggle and the Constitution create a common national identity.
So a state can hold many communities within one civic nation.

Answer: Yes. A state is a political and legal unit, while nationality rests on cultural and psychological bonds. India contains many languages, religions and regional cultures, yet the shared experience of the freedom struggle and a common Constitution have built an overarching national identity, showing that a state can hold many communities within one civic nation.

Case-study practice (Section D style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 8-mark question split into 2 + 1 + 2 + 3 marks.

A new island (source-based)

Read the imaginary report and answer.

A volcanic island rose in the ocean. Within a few years five thousand settlers from three neighbouring countries lived there. They elected a council that made laws and collected taxes, and the council declared that no foreign country could give it orders. Two neighbouring countries recognised it; one claimed the island as its own.

(i) · 2 marks
Which elements of the state does the island community clearly have?
Answer
Answer: Population (five thousand settlers), territory (the island) and government (the elected council that makes laws and collects taxes).
2 marks for three correct elements; 1 for two.
(ii) · 1 mark
Which element is the council claiming by saying no foreign country could give it orders?
Answer
Answer: External sovereignty.
1 mark.
(iii) · 2 marks
Why might the island's claim to statehood be disputed?
Answer
Answer: A neighbouring country claims the island, so its sovereignty is contested; its independence depends on whether it can actually keep control and win wider recognition.
1 for the claim; 1 for the link to sovereignty.
(iv) · 3 marks
The settlers come from three countries. Explain how this shows the difference between a state and a nation.
Answer
Answer: (1) The island may become a state if it has sovereignty, even though its people come from different cultural backgrounds. (2) A nation depends on a shared sense of belonging, which the settlers may not yet have. (3) A state can be created quickly; a nation develops slowly as shared history and identity grow.
1 mark each.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

[4] Distinguish between state and nation. (4 marks)

Step	Marks
Political-legal versus cultural-psychological.	1
Sovereignty and territory essential only for the state.	1
Examples: Kurds; India.	1
Created by law versus grows over time.	1

[8] Meaning of political science: classical and modern views, with the scope of the subject. (8 marks)

Step	Marks
Classical meaning with Garner's definition.	1
Classical features: institutions, history, values.	1
Modern meaning: Lasswell or Easton.	1
Modern features: behaviour, data, value-neutral.	1
Political theory.	1
Comparative politics and international relations.	1
Public administration.	1
Political economy.	1

Where students lose marks in Introduction to Political Science and State

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Calling the states of the Indian Union 'states' in the political science sense
The everyday word differs from the technical meaning.
Do this: Explain that they lack sovereignty and are units of the Union.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Writing long accounts of each field of scope
The syllabus asks only for the meaning of each field.
Do this: Two or three lines each: what it studies, with one example.
Usually costs: Time lost for other answers.
Mistake: Confusing government with state
In daily speech 'the state' often means the government.
Do this: Government is one element; governments change, the state continues.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.
Mistake: One-sided distinctions
A distinction must compare both terms on the same basis.
Wrong working
A nation is cultural. A state has a government.
Right working
A nation is cultural, whereas a state is political and legal.
Do this: Use 'whereas' to pair each point.
Usually costs: 1 mark per point.
Mistake: Misquoting definitions
Attributing quotations to the wrong thinker.
Do this: Garner: begins and ends with the State; Lasswell: shaping and sharing of power; Easton: authoritative allocation of values.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Practice questions on Introduction to Political Science and State

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
Who said 'Political science begins and ends with the State'?
Hint
A classical definition.
Answer
J. W. Garner.
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
From which Greek word is 'politics' derived?
Hint
City-state.
Answer
Polis.
Q3 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
Which field of political science studies how government policies are implemented through departments and civil servants?
(a) Political theory
(b) Comparative politics
(c) Public administration
(d) International relations
Hint
Bureaucracy.
Answer
(c) Public administration.
Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Who defined politics as the 'authoritative allocation of values'?
Hint
Systems theorist.
Answer
David Easton.
Q5 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
[4] Explain the meaning of political economy and international relations as fields of political science.
Hint
Two marks each.
Answer
(1) Political economy studies the interaction of politics and the economy. (2) For example, how government decisions on taxes, trade and welfare shape the economy, and how economic classes and interests influence politics. (3) International relations studies relations among states and other actors such as the UN and multinational companies. (4) It covers foreign policy, diplomacy, war and peace, trade and international law.
Q6 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
[4] Explain internal and external sovereignty with examples.
Hint
Within and outside.
Answer
(1) Internal sovereignty: the state's authority is supreme over all individuals and groups within its territory. (2) Example: Parliament's laws bind every citizen and organisation in India. (3) External sovereignty: the state is free from control by any other state. (4) Example: India decides its own foreign policy; before 1947 Britain controlled it, so India lacked external sovereignty.
Q7 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
[4] Why is a government not the same as the state?
Hint
Element versus whole; permanence.
Answer
(1) Government is only one element of the state; the state also includes population, territory and sovereignty. (2) Governments change after elections; the state is permanent. (3) Sovereignty belongs to the state; the government only exercises it on the state's behalf. (4) Citizens may oppose a government without opposing the state.
Q8 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
[4] 'Population is essential, but its size is not.' Discuss.
Hint
Vatican to India; quality.
Answer
(1) No state can exist without people. (2) There is no fixed minimum or maximum: the Vatican has a few hundred people and India over a billion. (3) Plato and Aristotle preferred small populations for good government, but modern states are large. (4) What matters is a population that can sustain the state: united, healthy, skilled and loyal.
Q9 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
[4] Is the modern view of political science better than the classical view? Evaluate.
Hint
Strengths and limits of each.
Answer
(1) The modern view is broader: it studies behaviour, parties, groups and power, not only formal institutions. (2) It uses observation and data, making findings more testable. (3) But by trying to be value-neutral it may ignore questions of justice and the good state, which the classical view asks. (4) The best approach combines both: facts about how politics works and judgement about how it should work.
Q10 · 8 marks · Long answerHarder exam level
[8] (a) Distinguish between politics and political science. [4]
(b) Distinguish between state and nation. [4]
Hint
Four bases each.
Answer
(a) (1) Activity versus discipline. (2) Practical and partisan versus theoretical and objective. (3) Politicians and citizens versus scholars. (4) Particular current issues versus general principles. (b) (1) State political-legal; nation cultural-psychological. (2) Sovereignty and territory essential for the state, not for a nation (Jews before 1948). (3) A nation can be spread over several states (Kurds); a state may contain many communities (India). (4) A state can be created by law or treaty; a nation develops slowly.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Who is called the father of political science?Show answer
Aristotle.
2.Name Lasswell's description of politics.Show answer
The shaping and sharing of power; 'who gets what, when, how'.
3.What is comparative politics?Show answer
The study and comparison of political systems and institutions of different countries.
4.What does territory include?Show answer
Land, inland waters, territorial sea and airspace.
5.Give an example of a nation spread over several states.Show answer
The Kurds (Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria).
6.What is a nation-state?Show answer
A state whose people form a single nation.

Best order to study it

Classical and modern meanings with definitions.
Five fields of scope.
Politics versus political science.
State: definition and four elements.
State versus nation.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Classical: study of state (Garner); institutions, history, values.
Modern: study of power (Lasswell), authoritative allocation of values (Easton); behaviour, data.
Scope: theory, comparative, international relations, public administration, political economy.
Politics: activity, practical; political science: discipline, theoretical.
State: population, territory, government, sovereignty (internal and external).
Nation: cultural-psychological unity; may lack state (Kurds); state may have many communities (India).

Introduction to Political Science and State: frequently asked questions

Is political science really a 'science'?

It is a social science: it studies human behaviour systematically and uses evidence, but it cannot run controlled experiments or predict exactly as natural sciences do.

Do I need definitions by thinkers?

One accurate definition for political science (classical and modern) and for the state will strengthen answers, but explain them in your own words.

Is the United Nations a state?

No. It has no territory or population of its own and no sovereignty over member states; it is an international organisation.

Based on: CISCE ISC 2028 Political Science (852) syllabus (Classes XI and XII); CISCE Regulations for the ISC Examination Year 2028 (Class XI internal examination)