The American political scientist Vladimir Orlando Key, Jr. (1908-1963), played an extremely influential role in the development of the now predominant behavioral, or empirical, approach to the study of politics.

After spending his early life in Texas and receiving much of his education there, Key attended McMurray College in Abilene for 2 years and then the University of Texas, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in 1929 and a master of arts degree in 1930. He went to the University of Chicago for his doctoral work. There he came under the influence of Charles E. Merriam, the leading figure in the "Chicago school" of political science. The intention of the Chicago school was to explore and develop new methods of studying political and administrative behavior. It pioneered in the use of statistics, the use of filed methods, the study of the role of psychology in politics, and especially the...