摘要
人既有私，就難免有爭，既有爭，那麼誰大誰小、誰說了算、怎麼個算法、何時才算的權力支配現象，就很值得探討了。而凡是涉及小我與大我、個體與群體、群體相互間權力之分配與行使的種種活動和規範，就是政治。當然，這裡所說的群體，可以小自兩三個人的非正式團體，擴及社團、派系、族群、政黨，乃至於各級政府、國家、國際組織等等。 大體來說，政治學這門學科，著重的就是描述個人與群體在權力活動上的行為，分析這些行為的前因後果，以及提出此類活動的規約性（應然面）主張。在較傳統的政治學裡，強調的是有關國家、政府、及正式的政治組織之典章、運作和思想。自二次大戰以來，政治學的研究焦點已由宏觀的集體擴及微觀的個體，尚正式的組織擴及非正式的團體，由應然的哲學擴展到實證的理論和批判的學說。為求專精與效率，政治學又劃分成了幾個次領域，較常見的包括：政治學方法論、比較政治、國際關係、合共行政與政策、政治經濟學、政治思想等。除此之外，我們還要配合國情，突出台灣政治研究及中國大陸研究這兩個次領域，以促進政治學之本土化。
並列摘要
At the risk of oversimplification, political science can be said to focus on describing power activities of individuals and groups, analyzing their causes and consequences, and prescribing their norms and objectives. Before the 1950s, students in political science tended to emphasize philosophy about as well as rules and laws of the state, governments and official organizations. Since the World War Ⅱ, however, the scope of the discipline has expanded dramatically from the aggregate to individuals, from the formal to informal groups and organizations, and from normative philosophies to positive and even critical theories. In order to balance specialty with such a great diversity, the discipline is further divided into several sub-fields, including political methodology, comparative politics, international relations, public administration and public policy, political economy, and, of course, political philosophy. Taiwan and China studies, although often treated in western nations as part of the sub-field of comparative politics or East Asia/Pacific study, deserve domains of their own on this island due to their great importance to our discipline and survival.