What do we study in political theory, and why should we study it?

Political theory is the study of the philosophy and history of political thought. It includes the study of topics such as law, justice, and rights. Political theory is concerned with questions of ethics and legitimacy, such as: how should we govern? How should different social groups relate to each other? What is justice? Political theory is distinct from (but closely related to) political science. Whereas political science is the empirical study of how governments actually operate, political theory is more concern with the question of how governments ought to operate.

We should study political theory because it's important to think about how we ought to govern. Political theory is a way for us to examine the history of political thought, and our current assumptions and ideas. We can learn how these assumptions and ideas arise from an entire history of political thought. By learning about how contemporary political ideas arise, we can critically examine them, and improve upon them.