Definition of Politics
Politics is the way that human groups (such as countries or companies) decide how to organise themselves and make decisions. It is also the study of these ways of making agreements, and the ways that power and influence are used within a group. Politics is usually studied at universities in departments such as government, public administration or political science. Many world leaders have studied politics, including former US Presidents Barack Obama and Gerald Ford, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People involved in politics are often called politicians, and they sometimes form political parties to put forward their ideas. Politics is a key topic of study for students of international relations, as well as those studying business, economics and human resources.
One of the classic definitions of politics is as the authoritative and legitimate struggle to assert rival interests. This idea implies that politics is a game in which people try to manoeuvre each other into doing what they want them to do – and this often involves the use of force and coercion.
This idea of politics is sometimes called the’realist’ view, and it has some strengths. It captures the idea that politics is about competing for limited or scarce resources, and it is about access to precious rights and privileges. It also suggests that a good politician knows how to balance the conflicting needs of different groups, and can come up with an agreement that satisfies everyone. However, it also has some limitations. For example, it assumes that a ‘fair’ solution can be found that reflects the competing interests fairly – and this is rarely the case.
Other definitions of politics are more expansive. They see politics as the activity of settling contestation over distribution, and they include issues that are not directly related to the state, such as issues relating to economic and social justice. They also include non-electoral politics, such as lobbying and the activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), pressure groups, think tanks and mobilised activists or protesters.
The ‘ideational turn’ in studies of politics has challenged this traditional view of politics, by showing that the contestation over how problems are framed and narrated is as important as issues of distribution. This is important because the competing narratives can have profound implications for how a problem is solved.
Finally, this broadened definition of politics enables a broader definition of power. It includes less observable ways of exercising power, such as setting agendas – be they parliamentary agendas that determine who gets to speak and for how long, or news agendas that dictate which stories should get top billing on the evening news. This idea of politics is reflected in contemporary political theory, and it is an important concept to understand in order to appreciate the complexity and variety of the ways that governments and societies make decisions. The more we know about politics, the better we can navigate it and help it to work for our benefit.
Politics is the way that human groups (such as countries or companies) decide how to organise themselves and make decisions. It is also the study of these ways of making agreements, and the ways that power and influence are used within a group. Politics is usually studied at universities in departments such as government, public administration or political science. Many world leaders have studied politics, including former US Presidents Barack Obama and Gerald Ford, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People involved in politics are often called politicians, and they sometimes form political parties to put forward their ideas. Politics is a key topic of study for students of international relations, as well as those studying business, economics and human resources. One of the classic definitions of politics is as the authoritative and legitimate struggle to assert rival interests. This idea implies that politics is a game in which people try to manoeuvre each other into doing what they want them to do – and this often involves the use of force and coercion. This idea of politics is sometimes called the’realist’ view, and it has some strengths. It captures the idea that politics is about competing for limited or scarce resources, and it is about access to precious rights and privileges. It also suggests that a good politician knows how to balance the conflicting needs of different groups, and can come up with an agreement that satisfies everyone. However, it also has some limitations. For example, it assumes that a ‘fair’ solution can be found that reflects the competing interests fairly – and this is rarely the case. Other definitions of politics are more expansive. They see politics as the activity of settling contestation over distribution, and they include issues that are not directly related to the state, such as issues relating to economic and social justice. They also include non-electoral politics, such as lobbying and the activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), pressure groups, think tanks and mobilised activists or protesters. The ‘ideational turn’ in studies of politics has challenged this traditional view of politics, by showing that the contestation over how problems are framed and narrated is as important as issues of distribution. This is important because the competing narratives can have profound implications for how a problem is solved. Finally, this broadened definition of politics enables a broader definition of power. It includes less observable ways of exercising power, such as setting agendas – be they parliamentary agendas that determine who gets to speak and for how long, or news agendas that dictate which stories should get top billing on the evening news. This idea of politics is reflected in contemporary political theory, and it is an important concept to understand in order to appreciate the complexity and variety of the ways that governments and societies make decisions. The more we know about politics, the better we can navigate it and help it to work for our benefit.