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Political System

A political system is the integrated set of institutions and processes through which a society makes decisions and allocates resources. It maintains order, regulates foreign relations, and provides security. There are three main types of political systems: totalitarian, where the state controls all aspects of life; oligarchic, where a small elite group dominates; and democratic, where individuals are free and equal under the law and participate in government through elected representatives. A political system performs functions like integrating society, adapting rules to achieve collective goals, and protecting the system from outside threats. It is characterized by the legitimate use of force, comprehensiveness, interdependency between parts, and distinct boundaries.

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507 views1 page

Political System

A political system is the integrated set of institutions and processes through which a society makes decisions and allocates resources. It maintains order, regulates foreign relations, and provides security. There are three main types of political systems: totalitarian, where the state controls all aspects of life; oligarchic, where a small elite group dominates; and democratic, where individuals are free and equal under the law and participate in government through elected representatives. A political system performs functions like integrating society, adapting rules to achieve collective goals, and protecting the system from outside threats. It is characterized by the legitimate use of force, comprehensiveness, interdependency between parts, and distinct boundaries.

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XJoshuax Cc
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Political System

A ‘system’ is an integrated whole of various 3. Democratic system


parts.
In its broadest sense, democracy is a way of life in which
A ‘political system’ is collectivity of political an individual feels free to act within accepted
institutions (e.g., government), associations (e.g., boundaries of norms and also equal in respects of
political parties) and organizations performing roles his/her rights.
based on set norms and goals (like, maintaining internal
order, regulating foreign relations, and providing People participate in the government through their
security from external forces). representatives that they elect. In other words, people
represent themselves and take their own decisions.
Each society must have a political system in
order to maintain recognized procedures for allocating The political system is characterized by four elements
valued resources.
(1) Use of legitimate force,
Political system is that system of interactions to
(2) Comprehensiveness,
be found in all independent societies which performs
the functions of integration and adaptation by means of (3) Interdependency, and
legitimate physical compulsion.’
(4) Existence of boundaries.
Functions of a Political System
David Easton (1953) has referred to its three com-
1. To maintain integration of society by determining ponents
norms.
(1) It allocates values by means of policies.
2. To adapt and change elements of social, economic,
religious systems necessary for achieving collective (2) Its allocations are authoritative.
(political) goals.
(3) Its authoritative allocations are binding on the
3. To protect the integrity of the political system from society as a whole.
outside threats.

Types of Political Systems:


According to Edward Shills, there are three main types
of political systems.

1. Totalitarian system

A system in which the state controls and


regulates all phases of life considered essential for
perpetuating its power and for carrying out programs
arbitrarily. It is the most extreme form of
authoritarianism.

Societies having totalitarian system do not


permit dissent.

Totalitarian states are ruled by one political


party that organizes the citizens into a unified group.

2. Oligarchic system

Any form of government in which there is a ‘rule by a


few’, for example, by members of a self-regulating elite
having domination over a large society is known as an
oligarchic political system.

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