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Introduction to Politics

Definitions

Politics

G. polis - Greek city-states

• based on the experience of Athens- pure and direct democracy- All of the people discussed public issues and everyone is involved in city and political matters. They drew lots to decide who among the elders will facilitate the discussion and all of the people participated in the voting process. Those who did not participate are called idiotists.

• may pertain to the set of activities in governing a state

• According to David Easton- "the authoritative allocation of values in society" - authoritative (something accepted by all, may be imposed or by own free will); values (things that people consider important, may be tangible like budget and resources or intangible like freedom); implies the process of decision-making

• According to Harold Lasswell- "who gets what, when and how in society" - Who controls the decision-making process?

• According to James Danziger- "the process through which power and influence are used in the promotion of certain values and interests"- implies that politics is inevitable, because there's a scarcity of resources and different interests of individuals and groups

Political Analysis

Levels of Analysis

• Description- answers the question WHAT?; empirical analysis
• Explanation- answers the question WHY?; empirical analysis
• Prescription- answers the question WHAT OUGHT TO BE?; normative analysis meaning it is based on certain value judgments which could be subjective

Power, Authority and Legitimacy

Power

L. potere - to be able

• the ability to cause others to do what one desires

Authority

• government power to make binding decisions and issue obligatory commands

• institutionalized power (accepted by all)

• people who have been given the right to exercise power have authority

Legitimacy

• involves perception of what is right, that those who exercise power is correct and that the manner in which power is exercised is correct

• legitimacy depends upon the general perception held by the public

• different from legality which is being the rightful leader under the rule of law

State and Nation

State

• Its legal definition is "teritorially bound sovereign entity."

• Its structural-functional definition is "an organized institutional machinery for decision-making and implementing and enforcing rules."

• community of persons more or less numerous permanently occupying a definite portion of territory that is free from external control and that possesses an organized government to which the inhabitants render habitual obedience

    The third definition above identifies 4 crucial elements of a State:

• Population - What's a state without people or citizens? Of course there has to be people composing a state.

• Territory - It must have clear and defined boundaries that separate it from other states

• Form of Government

• Sovereignty - They must of course have complete authority over their own territory, may it be internal (meaning everyone in the territory is under the state) or external (territorial integrity meaning no other state could interfere with their affairs--mind each other's business in other words)

Nation

• a set of people with a deeply shared fundamental identification which is subjective, meaning that all people feel like they belong with each other

• QUESTION: Is there really one single Filipino nation? Here's what I think

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