Political Science as a social science, deals with the political aspect of man’s social life. However, it is closely related to other social sciences such as History, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Ethics, etc. As such, the scope of Political Science is much narrower than that of Sociology.

Brain science and cognitive psychologists study how the human mind thinks, remembers and learns. They apply psychological science to understand how we make decisions and perceive our world. Experimental psychologists use science to explore the processes behind human and animal behavior.

Sociology provides material to Political Science: Human social relations are the determinants of all political relations. All political institutions are conditioned by social relations. All political activity is the result of the social nature of man. Sociology contributes to Political Science the knowledge of society.

Against it, Political Science is a social science which studies the State and Government. 2. Politics is concerned with the day to day actual activities of the Government. Political Science seeks to study the origin, nature, and functions of the State, Government and its all organs.

In simple words, Political Science is the study of the political environment which includes the study of political parties, political philosophy, Political behaviour etc. On the other hand, Economics is the study related to the production, consumption and trading of activities.

Politics studies the various activities of government and its organisation, law-making process in various States, different form of government and its merit and defects.

Law is divided into four broad categories. These types of law are tort law, contract law, property law and criminal law.

Law is a system of rules created and enforced through social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and the art of justice.

Political science is a rigorous discipline that can benefit both legal scholars and lawyers. Public Law-the subfield of political science that studies law and courts-has much to offer in understanding how judges make decisions and how larger political and institutional contexts affect the legal system.

A political science degree alone won’t get you a job as a lawyer, though. For that, you’ll need to attend and graduate law school to get your Juris Doctor, or J.D., also known as a law degree. You will also need to pass the bar exam in your state if you wish to practice law there.

What is Law and Political Science? There are many areas of overlapping interest between the two disciplines such as the interconnectedness between political theory and jurisprudence, the role and power of constitutions and judges, and the interdisciplinarity of human rights and international law.

Judicial Decisions: The function of the Judiciary is to interpret and declare the law. But in discharging its function the judiciary creates new laws. The laws are later on recognised by the state. In this way, Judicial Decisions are another source of law.

The primary sources of law in the United States are the United States Constitution, state constitutions, federal and state statutes, common law, case law, and administrative law.

The three sources of law are constitutional, statutory, and case law.

The four sources of federal and state law are: statutes and ordinances; rules and regulations; and. case law.

Salmond’s Classification. According to Salmond, there are two main sources of law- formal and material. Formal sources are those from which law derives its validity and force, that is, the will of the State which is expressed through statutes and judicial decisions.

We often speak of two broad sources of law: statute law (the law made by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Parliaments) and common law (for present purposes, the law made by judges in the exercise of both common law and equitable jurisdiction1). These sources of law do not exist independently of each other.

Secondary sources are materials that discuss, explain, analyze, and critique the law. They discuss the law, but are not the law itself. Secondary sources, such as Law Journals, Encyclopedias, and Treatises are a great place to start your legal research.

Legal materials can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary sources are those which state the law – Statutes, Statutory Instruments and law reports. Secondary materials discuss and comment on the law and include textbooks, legal dictionaries, encyclopaedias and journal articles.

Primary and Secondary Legal Sources Primary legal sources are the actual law in the form of constitutions, court cases, statutes, and administrative rules and regulations. Secondary legal sources may restate the law, but they also discuss, analyze, describe, explain, or critique it as well.

When we refer to ‘authority’ or ‘primary authority’, we mean “the law.” The law being a constitutional or statutory provision, an administrative regulation or a court opinion. ‘Secondary authority’ refers to material that is NOT the law, but that which leads you to the law or helps to explain the law.

dictum: a statement, analysis, or discussion in the court’s opinion that is irrelevant or unnecessary for the outcome of the case. holding: that part of the written opinion that has precedential value and is considered primary authority because it is the ruling or decision of the court.

Some examples of primarily American secondary authority are: Law review articles, comments and notes (written by law professors, practicing lawyers, law students, etc.) Legal textbooks, such as legal treatises and hornbooks. Legal dictionaries (such as Black’s Law Dictionary).

You can cite to secondary sources and persuasive authority in legal documents but must know when it is appropriate. If there is no mandatory authority in your jurisdiction, look to persuasive authority. The strongest persuasive authority will likely be primary authority from a higher court or a court of the same level.

State courts are typically bound by the decisions issued by the higher courts in that state. For example, California trial courts are bound by the opinions issued by the California courts of appeals and the California Supreme Court.