The Study Of: Politics

The Study of Politics
BY: ALFRED V. RIGOR, DPA

TSU-CPAG FACULTY
Reference:
Thomas M. Magstadt & Peter M. Schotten (1988). Understanding
Politics: Ideas, Institutions, and Issues. St. Martin’s Press Inc. USA.
What is politics?
Human polity – it can mean a state, or any society that has an

organized government. Or it can refer to a “body politic” that is any
group of persons who have some form of political relationship with
one another.
What is politics?
 Politics is a means of organizing collective human activity;

 Immense (great) problems require measures of collective efforts,
hence, governments are formed to accomplish collective goals.
Basic Concepts of Politics
Order
 Politics seeks to understand how human life in the aggregate is
ordered.
 It begins by identifying a specific kind of social order commonly
known as community.
 A community is an association of individuals who share a
common identity.
 Identity is defined by geographic location, enjoyed shared
experiences, speak the same language, and have similar values
and interests to fulfill a wide variety of social functions such as
physical security, economic prosperity, and cultural enrichment that
cannot be met by individuals acting on their own.
 Government – every community is maintained by a political
order, or government.
 Sovereignty – enforce its claim to rule within a given territory.
 Authority – they command the obedience of society’s members.
Legitimacy – that their claim to rule is willingly
recognized/accepted.
Nation-State
 A nation is a distinct group of people who share a common

background as a larger community.
 Members of Nation-State – typically exhibit a strong collective
sense of belonging that is associated with a particular territory
considered to be exclusively their own – property, for which they
willing to fight and die if necessary.
Nation-State
 State – it denotes the existence of a capable sovereign
government exercising authority and power in the name of society.
 Power – the ability to use the states’ resources to maintain
peace, guarantee security, promote economic growth, or pursue
effective policies.
Nation-State
 Justice – the guardian in the exercise of power whether it is for
the interest of the ruled or merely for the sake of the rulers. This
attests to the importance of justice in political life.
Normative Versus Empirical-
Political Puzzles
 A normative puzzle is a puzzle about values.
 Decisions will depend on what standards, or norms (desirable
characteristics) an individual, a group, or a social system apply to
the facts uncovered.
P.A. & Political Science
 Public Administration – focuses on how the bureaucracy
implements governmental policies.
 The emphasis is on national, state, and local governments and
with intergovernmental relations.
 Students of public administration seek to understand what helps
as well as what hinders the bureaucracy in carrying out its
assigned functions.
 Bureaucratic structures, and processes are examined in an
attempt to improve efficiency and reduce waste and duplication.
 Political scientist who study public administration frequently
concentrate on case studies.
 They pay attention not only to the ways which governmental
powers is exercised but also to whether power is exercised in a
manner consistent with the public interest.
 In that sense, public administration shares the concerns of
political science as a whole.
The Nation as Political System
 Inputs: (demands and or supports expressed via individuals or

organizations);
 Conversion of inputs by authorities: (governments);
 Outputs: (decisions, policies, actions, and information);
 Feedback; (Members of a polity);
The Nation as Political System
 Members of a polity (Political culture and patterns of political

socialization)/(Nonpolitical environment/the non-political factors
influencing attitudes and behavior of citizens and authorities)
 Feedback: Inputs.
Political Science
 Studying political behavior. Focusing on how individuals act

politically and seeking explanations for that behavior within those
individuals.
 Studying political structure and functions. Focus on the important
political roles established in a society, what functions they perform,
and how the carrying out of these roles influences the quality of life.
Political Science
 Studying political phenomenon. Focus on what are the causes of

a significant change in a political system? What are events
(phenomenon) that led up to that change, and which of these were
significant in producing that change?
Political Science
 Studying political ideas. Focus on the philosophical approach to

the study of politics – focuses on the meanings of political life (i.e.,
what are the limits in the exercise of political power? What are the
various meanings of representation in the political arena? Can the
apparent conflict between economically sound versus humanely
caring public policy ever be resolved?
Political Science
 Studying political documents. The art and practice of reading

political documents, from constitutions to campaign speeches,
statutory law, party platforms, leaders speeches and memoirs,
records of legislative proceedings, authorized biographies, judicial
decisions, and newspaper accounts of political happenings.
Political Science
 Studying the political future. The focus is sharply honed by our

desire to be prepared for what might be next to take the
responsibility to make well founded predictions (using information
from the past and present) about the feared or hoped- for events of
the future.
Political Science
 From what perspective: political theory, government, comparative

politics, international relations, and public administration.
How do political scientists do their work?
 They read or listen to what other people have to say;

 They follow current events;
 They note what appears to them to be certain interesting
tendencies;
 They wonder why such things are happening;
 They wonder what will happen next.
Conclusion
 Understanding how human life is ordered in the areas of political

and social order constitutes the first recognition of politics.
The study of politics is based on three fundamental concepts:
order, power, and justice.
Review Questions
1. What does the study of politics entail (involve)?

2. The study of politics is based on three fundamental concepts:
order, power, and justice. Explain this concept.
3. How can individuals benefit from the study of politics and
government?
END OF LECTURE
THANK YOU!

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The Study of Politics

BY: ALFRED V. RIGOR, DPA

Human polity – it can mean a state, or any society that has an

 Politics is a means of organizing collective human activity;

 A nation is a distinct group of people who share a common

 Inputs: (demands and or supports expressed via individuals or

 Members of a polity (Political culture and patterns of political

 Studying political behavior. Focusing on how individuals act

 Studying political phenomenon. Focus on what are the causes of

 Studying political ideas. Focus on the philosophical approach to

 Studying political documents. The art and practice of reading

 Studying the political future. The focus is sharply honed by our

 From what perspective: political theory, government, comparative

 They read or listen to what other people have to say;

 Understanding how human life is ordered in the areas of political

1. What does the study of politics entail (involve)?

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