Polotics and Governance

• Politics


  The activity through which people make, preserve and amend the general rules (law) under which they live
• Different definitions of politics

  • The exercise of power
  • The science of government
  • The making of collective decisions
  • The allocation of scarce resources
  • The practice of deception and manipulation
• Politics (according to Heywood)

  • Politics as the art of Government
  • Politics as public affairs
  • Politics as compromise and consensus
  • Politics as power
• Political science


  The study of the state and government
• The word "Political" comes from the Greek word "polis", which means "city-state"
• "Ciencia" means knowledge or study
• Importance of Political Science

  • Part of Liberal education that contributes towards making a person a whole man
  • Primary objective is to educate students for citizenship
  • Gives students civic skills and humane ideals for responsible participation in political and social life
  • Prepares students for careers in law, Foreign Service, public administration, politics, teaching, economics, etc.
  • Provides a wide background for those intending to take up these careers
  • Equips students with intellectual resources that will catapult them to greater heights of human achievements and make their human existence more meaningful and satisfying
• Aristotle wrote "Politics", the first systematic work on political affairs


  14th century BC
• Aristotle


  Considered the "Father of Political Science"
• Niccolo Machiavelli


  Considered the "Father of Modern Political Science"
• Stages of development of Political Science

  • Religious stage
  • Metaphysical stage
  • Modern stage
• Religious stage


  • Began during the prehistoric era and continued as long as the divine right of kings was supported (18th century)
  • Example: Early datus of pre-Spanish Philippines believed their power to rule came from "Bathala", the Supreme Being
• Metaphysical stage


  • State was considered a human institution (no longer divine), but almost worshipped as a perfect institution
  • Aristotle and Plato thought the state was the means to develop the highest potential of the individual
  • Aristotle claimed "Man is by nature a political animal" and the state was established for the greatest good of the greatest number of citizens
• Plato's political philosophy


  • Expounded in The Republic and The Laws, an attempt to describe the ideal state in terms of a theory of justice
  • Firm critic of democracy
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

  Glorified the state at the expense of the individuals who comprise it and laid the foundations of modern totalitarian governments
• Modern stage


  • State was still considered a human institution but deemed capable of being improved by rulers and subjects according to certain principles and laws
  • Ushered in by Niccolo Machiavelli
• Niccolo Machiavelli


  • Renaissance writer of The Prince, a handbook for rulers in the art of government
  • Often credited as the "Father of Modern Politics"
• Aristotle and Machiavelli have opposing philosophies
• Socrates was executed for corruption of the youth and mockery of the divine because he was first to publicly preach or perceive the concept of one divine being (there were many Gods at the time)
• Plato was the best student of Socrates, and Aristotle was the best student of Plato
• Metaphysical stage


  • Aristotle and Plato, not religious, focused on the highest potential of individuals
• Plato's dislike of democracy


  Democracy is far from the concept of unity, follows impulses instead of common good, and unable to allow all citizens to be heard
• Downside of Aristocracy


  Oligarchy - a kind of corrupted aristocracy where the leaders are the worst members of society
• Areas of Political Science

  • Political Theory
  • Public Law
  • Public Administration
  • Political Dynamics
  • Government and Business
  • Legislatures and Legislations
  • International Relations, International Law, and International Organizations
  • Comparative Government
• Political Theory


  • Deals with the entire body of doctrines relating to the origin, form, behavior, and purposes of the state
  • Analyzes fundamental political concepts such as power and democracy and foundational questions
  • Differs from other subfields in political science in that it deals primarily with historical and normative, rather than empirical, analysis
• Public Law


  • Laws which regulate the structure and administration of the government, the conduct of the government in its relations with its citizens, the responsibilities of government employees and the relationship with foreign governments
  • Must be enforced by some aspect of government interference or intrusion
• Subdivisions of Public Law

  • Constitutional Law
  • Administrative Law
  • International Law
• Public Administration


  • Houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and prepares civil servants for this work
  • Fundamental goal is to advance management and policies so that government can function
• Political Dynamics


  • Studies in political science concerned with the interplay of different societal forces that influence political decision and action
  • These forces may be economic, social, political, and moral or religious, educational and cultural in nature
• Government and Business


  • Gives emphasis to the governmental exercise of corporate, or business function, as well as its regulatory function affecting the national economy
  • In the case of the Philippines which is a mixed market economy, the government asserts itself through imposing regulations in the conduct of businesses and corporations
• Legislatures and Legislations


  • Brings into the political limelight the vital role that the legislature plays in making laws
  • Legislation is an intricate process, and as a separate course, it can be expanded to describe a clear view of what the legislature is, its structure and organization
• International Relations, International Law, and International Organizations

  • Involves inquiries into the foreign policy of nation-states in their mutual relationships on the different forces-geographical, technological, economic, demographic, psychological and political which contribute to the shaping of such policy
  • International relations (IR) is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations (MNCs)
• Comparative Government


  • Uses descriptive comparisons among states as regards their executive, legislative and judicial bodies, their constitutions, laws, administrative organizations, foreign policies, political parties and processes, economic, social and political functions, and their cultures and traditions
  • Comparative politics is a subfield of political science, characterized by an empirical approach based on the comparative method
• Political Science is interrelated to Social Sciences
• Studies under Social Science that are interrelated to Political Science


  • History
• Comparative politics is a subfield of political science, characterized by an empirical approach based on the comparative method
• Social Sciences interrelated to Political Science

  • History
  • Economics
  • Sociology
  • Psychology
  • Anthropology
  • Geography
  • Philosophy
  • Jurisprudence
• History


  • Political scientists make study of states and their political institutions, they depend on history to know its origin, their growth and development, and their institutions
  • An analysis of the causes and factors that influence the state's growth and development makes it necessary for political writers to rely on historical facts
• Economics


  • By employing an economic approach, a student of Political science gains an insight into the economic conditions of the state
• Sociology


  • Students must have a clear understanding of how the state exercises its power and authority over its citizens and why such an exercise is balanced by the citizens and other groups of individuals in the enjoyment of their liberties and freedoms