The Meaning of Politics and
How It Can Be Studied
According to Heywood (2007), people may disagree about the
following concerns:
• How people should live?
• Who should get what?
• How should power and other resources be distributed?
• Should society be based on cooperation or conflict?
Heywood further stressed that humans also disagree about
• how such matters should be resolved,
• how should collective decisions be made,
• who should have a say and how much influence
should each person have?
Defining Politics
(Heywood 2007)
in broadest sense, politics is
the activity through which
people make, preserve and
amend the general rules
under which they live.
(Hague & Harrop 2013)
activity or process through which groups
reach and enforce binding decisions.
(Crick 2005)
activity by which different interests are
conciliated by giving them a share in power in
proportion to their importance to the welfare
and the survival of the whole community.
(Barrington et al. 2010)
set of activities that organizes individuals,
systematically resolves disputes, and maintains order
in society through creation and enforcement of rules
and government policy.
(Aristotle in Heywood 2007)
activity through which human beings
attempt to improve their lives and
create the Good Society.
Studying Politics - The Different Views about
Politics
A. Politics as the art of government
• Politics is viewed as an art or practical application of knowledge for
attaining a particular objective.
• the art of government or exercise of control in society through making
and enforcement of collective or group decisions.
Here are the additional features of this view about politics:
➢ This view was developed in Ancient Greece. The word politics is derived from
the ancient Greek word polis, meaning city-state. Politics can be studied by
referring it to the affairs or concerns of the polis or the state.
➢ If you are studying politics, you are studying the government. Two aspects are
under this setting: Government personnel or the people in government and
government machinery or the different government departments, offices, or
agencies.
➢ Politics happens in cabinet official meetings, legislative chambers,
and government departments.
➢ To study politics is to study the exercise of authority defined as
legitimate power. Legitimate means it is acceptable for the people.
➢ Politics is engaged in by a limited and specific group, notably
politicians, civil servants and lobbyists.
B. Politics as public affairs
This second view looks at politics as what happens in the public sphere of life. It is important
that you remember the distinction between ‘the political’ and ‘the non political’. It coincides
with the division between what is public and what is private. If it happens in the public sphere,
it is political.
To clarify, the distinction between public and private conforms to the division between the state
and civil society. The institutions of the state (the government offices, departments and
agencies) can be regarded as ‘public’ because they are responsible for the collective
organization of community life. Moreover, they are funded at the public’s expense through
taxation. In contrast, civil society consists of institutions such as private businesses, trade
unions, clubs, community groups and so on that are ‘private’ in the sense that they are set up
and funded by individual citizens to satisfy their own interests, rather than those of the larger
society.
C. Politics as compromise and consensus
The third view about politics focuses on the way how decisions are made.
Politics is seen as a particular means of resolving conflict: that is, by
compromise, conciliation and negotiation, rather than through the use of force
and naked power. Describing a solution to a problem as a ‘political’ solution
implies peaceful debate and arbitration, as opposed to what is often called a
‘military’ solution. This is anchored on the perspective that society is
characterized by consensus and not by irreconcilable conflict. Disagreements
that exist can be resolved without resort to intimidation and violence. This view
of politics has a positive character. Members of society should be encouraged to
respect politics as an activity, and they should be prepared to engage in the
political life of their own community.
D. Politics as power
The fourth view sees politics as something that is present in all social activities, at
every level of social interaction; it can be found within our families and amongst
our small groups of friends just as much as amongst nations and on the
international or global stage. What makes a specific social activity or behavior
political is the presence of power. Politics under this view is in essence the power
or ability to achieve a desired end, through any way possible. Politics is viewed as
a struggle over limited resources, and power can be seen as the means through
which this struggle is conducted. In politics, power is usually thought of as a
relationship: that is, as the ability to influence the behavior of others. It is
referred to in terms of having ‘power over’ people. Remember, politics may be
defined as: the art of government, public affairs, compromise and consensus,
and power.
