№ 5 - 1999
Lowi Th.J.
Globalization, the State, Democracy: Vision of a New Political Science

The article is devoted to the analysis of new problems confronting political science under the conditions of globalization. Thus, countries that are joining the global economy are developing new regimes, the author states; but since new regimes are paradigmatic, they demand new thought. The author points to the need not only for new concepts, but for new characterization of existing concepts, as well as for sophisticated descriptions of experiences that concepts are intended to capture. Which means, the author stresses, reversing the prevailing scientific rule that hypotheses precede research. For to start with hypotheses is to build on existing consensus; if, however, a new consensus about experience and concepts must be built (as is mostly the case in connection with globalization), then hypotheses have to take their turn after both discussion, dispute about experience, and conceptualization take place.