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A Nomenclature in Political Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Charles H. Titus*
Affiliation:
University of Californiaat Los Angeles

Extract

A nomenclature is a system of names or signs, or both, used in any field of knowledge. Such systems are of value to scientists in a field if they enable positions to be seen more clearly or distinctions to be drawn more readily.

In a recent article, Huntington Cairns says: “There prevails, secondly, confusion with respect to the instrument—linguistics—with which the anthropologist, the jurist, or the social scientist must pursue his investigations and through whose medium he must state his conclusions. … But once the social scientist passes from these simple aspects to the realm of theory, linguistics becomes a problem and it is in his struggle with this problem that he is most envious of the symbolism of the mathematician.”1

Confusion and uncertainty appear to be present in several sections of political science. Linguistics is a problem for us in theory; in addition, it is a serious one in teaching and in the field of research.

When a problem appears in a field of knowledge which handicaps effective work, experiments are in order, not only to analyze the phenomenon itself, but, in addition, to find ways or means by which the causes producing the unfortunate circumstance may be removed, or at least reduced. Can the apparent confusion and uncertainty among political scientists concerning the meaning of terms, labels, or intellectual positions be reduced? This is an important problem which directs our attention to the possibility of developing a nomenclature for political science.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1931

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Footnotes

*Part I of this article appeared in the February, 1931, issue of this Review.

References

1 Law and Anthropology,” Col. Law Rev., XXXI, 39 (Jan., 1931)Google Scholar.

2 See Part I, p. 50.

3 A friend maintains that all government officials are to be classified as h 5. Another suggests that they are merely a rough cross-section of a given society, and consequently vary qualitatively from h 4 to h −4. Neither of these positions may be important, but, from the pragmatic standpoint, it makes considerable difference which of the two o) is a basis underlying a given study or discussion. It is valuable to have a means of distinguishing clearly between positions occupied by various h) and groups, and also to have a method of presenting concisely the positions under consideration.

4 To repeat, using ): A) are activities performed by h. h performs A))); but it is doubtful if any h performs ΣA.

5 To repeat, using ): U = h) united, h belongs to 2 or more U), but not ΣU.

6 O [Titus] = U) so constituted that the human organisms, though not belonging to all the groups, do belong to a sufficient number that they, h), feel the pressure of similarity and express through their activities the spirit of unity.

7 It probably would have been more convenient to use the A for agency, but as agency is not thought to be as important a factor as activity, the letter in the English alphabet that stands at the other end from A was selected as the for the agent or servant position.

8 There are U) of Z) or ZU) as well as Z 2) and Z −2). Z) are sometimes called the hired men of O.

9 When U[10] is not organized, a diagonal from right to left is superimposed on the ✡. ✡ U [3] and [10]. This diagonal is also superimposed on the = sign when one wishes to express is not equal.

10 Σh 1) = mankind. Σz) = h). Σh) ≠Z) necessarily. ΣUO necessarily. ΣA) not performed by h. h 3[leaders] = an important U). ✡ U generally ≧ effective than U. [These may or may not be true, but one quickly sees a basis of distinction.]

11 ΣBA) = A), but ΣA) ≠ B). BA) are performed either by h) as such or by h) as Z) for h), U), or one or more O).

12 BZ) may be interested in RA) and RZ), not to mention TA) and TZ). Δ*RZ) may be TZ) as well. QZ) may perform BA) and TA) as well as QA).

* Δ stands for a section, some, or a portion of.

13 PA[Titus]) = QA)

14 S [Titus Mid Harding] = ΣPA) of an O or S = .

G [Titus and Harding] = ΣPZ) in an O or G =.

S[Bluntschli] =✡h)) [unified] ⊕ Y [1]† ⊕ Sovereignty.

* O= almost addition, but not quite.

Y 1 = Territory, as explained below, p. 635.

15 N = National or Nationalism.

16 There are several important ) centering around the L program. One of these, the policy-forming , has been given the subscript numeral 1. L 1 = policy-forming function of the legislature.

17 ) clarify differences when one is studying G from the standpoint of supremacy;

a parliamentary G = L∣Ḡ,

= a presidential G = J∣Ḡ,

= bureaucratic G = σ∣Ḡ, and

a monarchy (in times past) E∣Ḡ a dictatorship (at present)

20 The itself; i.e., A at times might be thought of as a cross-section of a candle-snuffer. In general, it represents the dead hand of the past.

21 1st in the subscript brackets indicates 1st class or important.

22 3ϕ may indicate that the first classification is being used, and 6ϕ may indicate that it is the second one.

23 To illustrate further the uses to which ) may be put, let us consider an analysis and presentation of O∣Ḡ and a G∣Ō. The 0 analyzed for this illustration might be the United States of America. Upon examination, suppose there appear some nineteen control devices which are thought to be more or less effective in controlling the various Δ) of G [US]— Imagine that these nineteen are in three classes—primary, secondary and minor—and presented in the following manner:

Primary

∣Ḡ[US] = Δ) ⊕ V1) ⊕ L) ⊕ C 1,) ⊕ W) ⊕ PU 1) ⊕ h 4[Leaders]) ⊕ X

Secondary

= PZ) ⊕ BZ) ⊕ TZ) ⊕ RZ) ⊕ V2X

Minor

= Other G)IBIGW) ⊕ ψX

Is this analysis clear, and are you in a position to determine quickly as to what extent you agree and disagree with the analysis, and, in addition, to locate the points of disagreement? Would one care to write out in longhand this analysis? Would one care to read such a lengthy description? From the teaching standpoint, should such materials be written on the blackboard in paragraphs or symbolized?

A study of G us control over O [us] has also been made. It is presented in the following manner:

Primary

G∣Ō[US] = 6ϕ ⊕ N ⊕ πA) ⊕ ψA) ⊕ W) ⊕ C1 ⊕ TU✡) ⊕ RU✡⊕ X

Minor

= Δ) ⊕ BA) ⊕ BU✡) ⊕ PU) ⊕ F* ⊕ X

The same questions might arise in regard to these examples as appeared in the preceding set.

* F = Force.

24 In working on problems of voting in California (”Voting in California Cities, 1900–1925,” Southwestern Polit. and Soc. Sci. Quar., Vol. 8, Mar., 1928, 383, and “Rural Voting in California, 1900–1926,” ibid., Vol. 9, Sept., 1928, 198), ), were developed and used extensively except when presenting the results in final form. Some ) were defined in a special manner as follows:

Among other things desired were two series of estimates for each city included in the study, one a population and the other a voting population series. The popula-tion series was derived in the following manner. The E series was found to be most satisfactory of the seven or eight annually compiled series considered.

Then by straight line interpolation,

When these derived r) were multiplied by their respective E), a series of P estimates was secured

These P series were shifted from June 30 to November 1 as follows:

The VP series were established in a similar way

Thus, two measuring series were built up for each city studied (P series and VP series), and four series to be measured were compiled (VC for Pres., VC for G, VC for Cong., and VC for Assm.).

This set of ) increased accuracy, cut down the amount of confusion, and aided materially in the work of studying some aspects of voting behavior in California cities.

25 ProfessorCook's, Walter W.Hohfeld's Contribution to the Science of Law,” 28 Yale Law Journal 721 (1919)CrossRefGoogle Scholar and 23 Yale Law Journal 16 (1913)CrossRefGoogle Scholar, and Professor Edwin A. Cottrell's studies with ) and special notation have been particularly helpful and stimulating.

26 Appreciation is here expressed to Professor Charles G. Haines, University of California at Los Angeles, for his help and his encouragement; and to Professor Robert T. Crane, University of Michigan, the late Professor Victor J. West, of Stanford University, and Captain Victor H. Harding, Palo Alto, Cali-fornia, for their stimulating suggestions in times past.

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