What Is Politics?
Politics is the way people make decisions in groups, such as tribes, cities, countries or businesses. When it comes to modern government, politics is the system of choosing leaders and establishing rules to govern the nation. People who study the process of political decision-making are known as politicians or political scientists. Politics is also the term used to describe the struggle for power in groups. Niccolo Machiavelli, in his 1532 book The Prince, said that politics is the art of securing and maintaining power over others.
When we think of politics in this context, we can see how it relates to power struggles at all levels of society, from clans and tribes, through the local governments of cities and institutions, and up to sovereign states and international organizations. At each level, a variety of methods are used to promote competing interests and assert dominance.
For example, a business group might promote low corporate taxes and labor unions may push for minimum wage legislation. Often, the competing interests can only be reconciled through a compromise that gives each party some of what they want. This type of bargaining is the essence of politics.
Whether we like it or not, every person is involved in politics in some way. Depending on the situation, our politics might be evident in our choice of company to do business with, or how we vote in an election. More broadly, though, our politics are the ideas we have about how a country should be governed, and our political beliefs inform the way we behave.
There are a wide range of definitions for politics, and the word itself can be used as a noun or a verb. As a noun, politics refers to the activities of governing a state or city, while as a verb it means to engage in power struggles and other processes by which people obtain or lose control over resources or access to rights and privileges. Politics can be a positive force in society, when it results in laws that promote justice and human rights, and it can also be destructive, as when it creates division and hatred.
In the United States, we are governed by a federal entity that was laid out in the Constitution, and several units of local government. Citizens are typically members of two political parties, and they participate in a democratic electoral system to choose their leaders. While the Founding Fathers were opposed to political parties, they have been a major feature of American politics since shortly after the Civil War. The Constitution does not formally address the issue of how candidates become nominated for public office, but most states have their own process that decides which political parties’ candidates will appear on the ballot. Occasionally, someone who does not belong to either of the major parties will be elected by running as an independent. Those who are not affiliated with a political party must often prove they are legitimate contenders for a position by passing background checks and other requirements.
Politics is the way people make decisions in groups, such as tribes, cities, countries or businesses. When it comes to modern government, politics is the system of choosing leaders and establishing rules to govern the nation. People who study the process of political decision-making are known as politicians or political scientists. Politics is also the term used to describe the struggle for power in groups. Niccolo Machiavelli, in his 1532 book The Prince, said that politics is the art of securing and maintaining power over others. When we think of politics in this context, we can see how it relates to power struggles at all levels of society, from clans and tribes, through the local governments of cities and institutions, and up to sovereign states and international organizations. At each level, a variety of methods are used to promote competing interests and assert dominance. For example, a business group might promote low corporate taxes and labor unions may push for minimum wage legislation. Often, the competing interests can only be reconciled through a compromise that gives each party some of what they want. This type of bargaining is the essence of politics. Whether we like it or not, every person is involved in politics in some way. Depending on the situation, our politics might be evident in our choice of company to do business with, or how we vote in an election. More broadly, though, our politics are the ideas we have about how a country should be governed, and our political beliefs inform the way we behave. There are a wide range of definitions for politics, and the word itself can be used as a noun or a verb. As a noun, politics refers to the activities of governing a state or city, while as a verb it means to engage in power struggles and other processes by which people obtain or lose control over resources or access to rights and privileges. Politics can be a positive force in society, when it results in laws that promote justice and human rights, and it can also be destructive, as when it creates division and hatred. In the United States, we are governed by a federal entity that was laid out in the Constitution, and several units of local government. Citizens are typically members of two political parties, and they participate in a democratic electoral system to choose their leaders. While the Founding Fathers were opposed to political parties, they have been a major feature of American politics since shortly after the Civil War. The Constitution does not formally address the issue of how candidates become nominated for public office, but most states have their own process that decides which political parties’ candidates will appear on the ballot. Occasionally, someone who does not belong to either of the major parties will be elected by running as an independent. Those who are not affiliated with a political party must often prove they are legitimate contenders for a position by passing background checks and other requirements.