Interdisciplinarity as a Source of Relevance for Political Science

Abstract

This article seeks to shed light on the critical role of interdisciplinary qualities for the societal relevance of Political Science. It traces the historical development of Austrian Political Science embedded in the larger international context and by considering the cases of the United States, France, Germany and Italy. It serves as a means to demonstrate the close linkage between interdisciplinarity in Political Science and its professional, political and civic relevance. By addressing the question of Political Science’s societal relevance from a historical and cross-national perspective, it prepares the ground for consecutive studies that conduct in-debt comparative analysis.