LESSON 1 CHARACTERISTICS OF POLITICS
POLITICS AND ➤ According to Shievely (2013), Politics
always involves the making of collective
GOVERNANCE decisions for a group of people; Those
decisions are made by some members
of the group exercising power over
CONCEPT OF POLITICS other members of the group.
➤ The term Politics is derived from the SCIENCE OF POLITICS
Greek word “Polis” which means the City
State.
➤ It is the basic knowledge and
understanding of the state and
➤ According to Greek Philosophers,
principles and ideals which underlie its
Politics was a subject which dealt with
organization and activities.
all activities and affairs of the city
state.
➤ It is primarily concerned with the
association of human beings into body
➤ Ancient Greeks never differentiated
politic or in a political community.
between personal life and social life.
Hence according to them, Politics was a
➤ It deals with those relations among
total study of man, society, state,
men and groups which are subject to
morality and so on.
control by the state with the relations of
men and groups to the state itself and
MEANING OF POLITICS the relations of the state to another
state.
➤ Politics is the exercise of power, the
science of government, the making of MEANING OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
collective decisions and the allocations
of scarce resources and the practice of
➤ A study of the state in the past,
deception and manipulation.
present and future of political
organization, political processes and
NATURE OF POLITICS political functions; of political
institutions and political theories.
➤ Politics is not only a mere institution
of governance but also a mechanism
for achieving societal goals
Metaphysical Stage ➤ the state was
considered as a human institution, and it
SUBFIELDS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
is therefore, absolute or cannot be
changed
Political science has several subfields,
Including: Modern Stage ➤ the state was
➤ Political Theory deemed capable of being improved by
➤ Public Policy rulers and subjects according to certain
➤ National Politics principles and law.
➤ International Relations
➤ Human Rights
➤ Environment Politics
➤ Comparative Politics
MEANING OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
➤ Political science is the discipline that
seeks to understand the relationship
between individual and political
institutions.
NATURE OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
➤ Political science is a social science
concerned with the theory and practice
of politics and the description and
analysis of political systems and
political behavior.
STAGES IN THE STUDY OF
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Religious Stage ➤ the government, its
leaders and laws, was considered as
divine or divinely inspired.
CONCEPT OF GOVERNANCE Local Governance ➤ remains the most
transparent degree of interaction with
public bodies and state agencies in
➤ A decision making mechanism and
every region, irrespective of its political
the system by which actions are or not
situation. It is the nearest tool and
followed.
platform for people to access basic
resources and opportunities to better
According to UNESCO, Governance can
their life, to partake in democratic
be viewed in the following contexts:
institutions where actions are taken that
impact their lives, and to exercise their
Corporate Governance ➤ in the rights and responsibilities.
business context refers to the systems
of rules, practices, and processes by
which companies are governed. In this
WHAT MAKES UP A GOOD
way, the corporate governance model
followed by a specific company is the GOVERNMENT?
distribution of rights and responsibilities
by all participants in the organization
➤ Assures that corruption is minimized
International Governance ➤ Global ➤ Views of minorities is taken into
governance puts various entities account
together to organize concerted action
at the planetary level. Global ➤ Voices of the most vulnerable in the
governance, loosely defined, has the society are heard in decision-making
purpose of delivering global public
goods, in particular peace and stability, ➤ Responsive to the present and future
dispute justice and mediation processes, needs of the society
working economies and unified trade
and business standards. ➤ Focused on Legitimacy,
Accountability, Competence, and
Ex. United Nations (UN), International Respect for Human Rights and Law
Criminal Court (ICC)
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
National Governance ➤ Political
control, that oversees a nation. A GOVERNANCE
national government needs at least a
national army, ample jurisdiction over ➤ Participation
its states or provinces to create and ➤ Rule of Law
sustain foreign policy, and the power to ➤ Transparency
levy taxes. ➤ Responsiveness
➤ Consensus-oriented
➤ Effectiveness and Efficiency
➤ Accountability
➤ Equity and Inclusiveness
POLITICS GOVERNANCE
Art or Science of A system that
Government governs
Participation does Able to make and
not supply official interpret laws
governance then implement
them
capabilities
Symbolic or Over a group of
Representative individual or
country
May or may not Organized and
be orderly Systematic
