The use of mathematics in political science: A survey of European and American Journals

Abstract

Political science is one of the last disciplines to have begun using mathematics on a widespread basis. During the first half of this century mathematical formulae were used less in political science than in psychology, economics and even history. In fact, political science was originally conceived as State science - the study of State institutions from a judicial perspective - and was closely linked to the study of moral philosophy and the history of political thought. With this judicial-legislative focus it is no wonder that at the beginning of the twentieth century political science made virtually no use of mathematics.