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Discuss the psychological approach to the study of comparative politics.

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2025 (Prelims) CSAT Official Paper (25-May-2025)

The psychological approach in comparative politics focuses on the role of individual and group psychology in shaping political outcomes. Unlike institutional or structural analyses, it highlights how personality traits, motivations, beliefs, perceptions, and cognitive biases influence political behavior. By examining how citizens think, feel, and respond to authority, this approach explains why identical institutions may function differently across societies. For example, charismatic leadership may gain legitimacy in one cultural setting while being distrusted in another. Similarly, collective memories of war, colonialism, or trauma can profoundly impact political identities and national behavior. Psychological analysis also studies political socialization, where family, education, peer groups, and media shape attitudes toward authority and participation. Public opinion, often driven by emotional or symbolic factors rather than rational calculation, plays a central role in determining political outcomes. By exploring these dynamics, the approach offers a richer understanding of why citizens behave as they do and why political systems differ globally.

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