All CSS subjects
CSS written syllabus
CSS Political Science Syllabus
Political Science is a 200-mark Group I optional subject in the CSS written exam, examined in two three-hour papers of 100 marks each. Below is FPSC's official syllabus, word for word: both papers, their sections, topics and suggested readings.
- Marks
- 200
- Papers
- 2
- Time
- 3 hours a paper
- Group
- Group I
- Subject code
- 14
PAPER I-
100 marks- I.Western Political Thought:
- Plato
- Aristotle
- Machiavelli
- Montesquieu
- Hobbes
- Locke
- Rousseau
- Kant
- Mill
- Bentham
- Hegel
- Marx
- Lenin
- Mao
- Gramsci
- Karl Popper
- Pierre Bourdieu
- John Rawls
- Frances Fukuyama
- Foucault
- Derrida
- Kierkegaard
- Jean Paul Sartre
- Rene Descartes
- II.Muslim Political Thought: Al-Farabi, Al-Mawardi, Ibn Rushd, Imam Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyyah, Nizam-ul-MulkTusi, Ibn Khaldun, Shah Waliullah, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Jamaluddin Afghni, Rashid Rida.
- III.State System: The nature and emergence of modern nation-state system, Islamic concept of state and Ummah.
- IV.Political Concept (Western and Islamic): Sovereignty, Justice, Law, Liberty, Freedom, Equality, Rights and Duties, Human Rights, Political Authority and Power.
- V.Comparative Politics:
- Political Socialization
- Political Culture
- Political Development
- Political Recruitment
- Social Change
- Civil Society
- Violence and Terrorism in Politics
- Gender and Politics
- Women Empowerment
- VI.Political Participation: Political Change and Revolution, Elections, Electoral System, Public Opinion, Propaganda, Political Parties, Pressure Groups and Lobbies.
- VII.Political Institutions and Role of Government: Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, Political Elites, Civil and Military Bureaucracy.
- VIII.Forms of Government: Monarchy, Democratic, Dictatorship, Totalitarian/Authoritarian, Unitary, Federal, Confederation, Presidential and Parliamentary.
- IX.Political Ideologies: Capitalism, Marxism, Communism, Socialism, Totalitarism, Fascims, Nationalism, Islamic Political Ideology.
- X.Local Self Government: Theory and practice of Local Self-Government with special reference to Pakistan, Comparative analyses of systems of local governance, Public Administration and Public Policy.
PAPER-II
100 marks- I.Comparative and Analytical Study of the Political Systems: Political System of U.S.A, U.K, France and Germany
- II.Global and Regional Integration
- Globalization and Politics
- Global Civil Society
- Regional politico-economic integration and organizational structure of the European Union
- SAARC
- ECO
- International Financial Regimes IMF and WTO
- III.Comparative and Analytical Study of the Political Systems: Political system of Turkey, Iran, Malaysia, India and China.
- IV.Political Movements in India (Colonial Period): Rise of Muslim Nationalism in South Asia and Pakistan Movement (with special reference to the role of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah)
- V.Government and Politics in Pakistan:
- Constitution making from 1947 -1956
- A comparative and critical analysis of 1956
- 1962
- 1973 Constitutions of Pakistan
- Constitutional Amendments up-to-date
- Federal Structure in Pakistan, and Central-Provincial relations after 18th amendment
- Political Culture of Pakistan
- Political Developments and the Role of Civil and Military Bureaucracy
- Judiciary
- Feudalism
- Dynastic Politics
- Political Parties and Interest Groups
- Elections and Voting Behavior
- Religion and Politics
- Ethnicity and National Integration
- VI.International Relations: History of International Relations: Post World War-II (WW-II) Period.
- Foreign Policy of Pakistan: National Interests and Major Determinants i-e
- 1).Size/Geography
- 2).Economic Development
- 3).Security
- 4).Advancement in Technology
- 5).National Capacity
- 6).Political Parties/Leadership
- 7).Ideology
- 8).National Interest
- 9).Role of Press/Bureaucracy
- 10).Social Structure
- 11).Public Opinion
- 12).Diplomacy.
- 13).Foreign Policy-making Process in Pakistan
- Also External Factors like International Power Structure, International Organizations, World Public Opinion and Reaction of other States.
Suggested readings
- 1.Pakistan’s Foreign Policy, 1947-2005Abdul Sattar,
- 2.Democracy and Authoritarianism in South AsiaAyesha Jalal
- 3.Military, Civil Society and Democratization in PakistanAkbar Zaidi
- 4.The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in IslamAllama Iqbal
- 5.A history of Pakistan and its originsChristophe Jaffrelot,
- 6.Greek Political Thought: Plato & AristotleEearnest Barker,
- 7.Political Thought From Plato to PresentEbenstein
- 8.Political Thought in Medieval IslamErwin I.J. Rosenthal
- 9.Constitutional Developments in PakistanG.W.Choudhury,
- 10.Comparative Politics Today: A Theoretical FrameworkGabriel A. Almond, G.Bingham Powell,
- 11.Contemporary Political AnalysisGarles Worth James,
- 12.A History of Political TheoryGeorge Holland Sabine
- 13.Studies in Muslim Political Thought and AdministrationH K Sherwani,
- 14.Modern Islamic Political ThoughtHamid Enayat,
- 15.Constitutional and Political History of PakistanHamid Khan,
- 16.Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and PeaceHans J. Morgenthau,
- 17.Military and Politics in PakistanHasan Askari Rizvi,
- 18.Pakistan Foreign Policy: An Overview 1947-2004 (PILDAT)Hasan Askari Rizvi
- 19.Pakistan and Geostrategic Environment : A Study of Foreign PolicyHasan Askari Rizvi
- 20.International Politics: A Framework for AnalysisHolsti, K.J.
- 21.Pakistan: A Modern HistoryLan Talbot,
- 22.21st Century Political Science: A Reference HandbookJohn T.Ishiyama, Marijke Breuning,
- 23.Political Thought from Plato to PresentJudd Herman,
- 24.The Political System of Pakistan,K.B.Sayeed,
- 25.Pakistan: A Political StudyKeith Callard,
- 26.Pakistan: An Enigma of Political DevelopmentLawrance Ziring,
- 27.Pakistan in the Twentieth CenturyLawrance Ziring,
- 28.Pakistan: At the Crosscurrent of HistoryLawrance Ziring,
- 29.History of Muslim PhilosophyM M.Sharif,
- 30.History of Local Government in PakistanMasudul Hasan
- 31.Nationalism: The Nation-State and NationalismMonserrat Guibernau,
- 32.Politics and the State in PakistanMuhammad Waseem,
- 33.Government and Politics in PakistanMushtaq Ahmad
- 34.Making of PakistanNoor ul Haq
- 35.Pattern of GovernmentSamuel H. Beer & Adam B. Ullam
- 36.Political Thinkers: From Socrates to the PresentPaul Kelly (Ed)
- 37.Introduction to Political Science, Islamabad, National Book Foundation,Rodee Anderson etc.
- 38.Pakistan’s Foreign Policy : An Historical AnalysisS.M. Burke
- 39.State & Society in PakistanShahid Javed Burki
- 40.Islami RiyasatSyed Abul Aala Maudoodi
- 41.Khilafat O MalookeyatSyed Abul Aala Maudoodi
- 42.Ethno National Movements of PakistanTahir Amin
- 43.Politics, Parties and Pressure GroupsV.O. Key Jr.
- 44.Democratization in PakistanWaseem, M.
- 45.Contemporary Political Philosophy: An IntroductionWill Kymlicka
- 46.History of Political Theories (Three Volumes)Willaim A. Dunning,
- 47.International Relations: Politics and Economy in the 21st CenturyWilliam Nester
Past papers
FPSC's Political Science papers from 2016 to 2026, as text. Open a year, or see them all.