The Post-Behavioural Approach emerged in the late 1960s as a significant intellectual movement within political science, primarily as a critique and evolution of the preceding Behavioural Revolution. While not rejecting the scientific rigor and empirical methods of behaviouralism, post-behaviouralists argued that political science had become too detached from real-world problems and normative concerns.

Its core tenets can be summarized as follows:

1. Relevance and Action: Post-behaviouralists emphasized that political research must be relevant to contemporary societal issues and capable of guiding political action. They criticized behaviouralism for focusing excessively on abstract theories and quantifiable data, often at the expense of addressing pressing social and political crises.
2. Substance over Technique: While acknowledging the importance of rigorous methodology, they argued that the substance and significance of research questions should take precedence over the mere application of sophisticated techniques. They believed that an overemphasis on method could lead to trivial research.
3. Values and Norms: A key departure from behaviouralism was the insistence on the importance of values in political inquiry. Post-behaviouralists contended that political science cannot and should not be value-neutral, as values inevitably shape research questions, interpretations, and policy recommendations. They advocated for a conscious engagement with ethical and normative considerations.
4. Critique of Value-Neutrality: They argued that the claim of value-neutrality often served to implicitly uphold the status quo, as researchers avoided taking a stand on moral or political issues.

In essence, the Post-Behavioural Approach sought to synthesize the empirical rigor of behaviouralism with a renewed commitment to normative concerns, social relevance, and political action, aiming to make political science a more responsive and responsible discipline in addressing the challenges of society.