What Is Politics?
Politics is the way people make agreements about living together in groups such as tribes, cities, and countries. People who spend a lot of time making such agreements are called politicians. The study of politics in universities is called political science, government, or public affairs.
Politicians make decisions about how scarce resources (money, land, and people) are allocated among members of a group. They often compete with other groups for the same scarce resources, and their decisions may lead to war. Politics is a fundamental human activity because it deals with the allocation of limited resources in an uncertain world.
The term “politics” is most frequently applied to the activities of a government, though it can also refer to the actions of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), corporations, and other private groups. The practice of politics is often referred to as power play because it involves the effort to obtain or maintain control over others. The exercise of power by individuals or groups can take many forms, from minor manipulations to major conspiracy. Politics has existed as long as humans have faced scarcity and conflicting preferences, and it will continue to exist as long as these conditions persist.
In the United States, the Constitution establishes a federal government with two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House is composed of districts, and each district elects one representative. The Senate is composed of state delegations, and each state elects two senators. The President vetoes legislation passed by Congress, and a veto can be overridden by two-thirds of each chamber voting in favor of the bill. In addition to these political bodies, the American system has many local and community-level governmental institutions.
Although the Founding Fathers opposed them, political parties have been a part of America’s democracy since shortly after George Washington’s presidency. A large percentage of the country’s population identifies with one or more political parties, and voters are often able to choose candidates from lists of candidates put forward by their party. Other factors that contribute to political party identification include race and ethnicity, religion, class, ideology, and region.
Despite the frequent negative connotations associated with “office politics,” research indicates that many professional careers benefit from strong political skills. In the case of a business, this can be an advantage in attracting and retaining employees, negotiating contracts and partnerships, and obtaining financing. Moreover, numerous studies have shown that having strong political skills in the workplace is associated with greater job satisfaction and lower stress levels.
Whether you consider yourself a politician or not, it’s likely that you are exposed to politics on a daily basis. For example, political behaviors are common in the office, in family life, and in student-government activities. However, the kind of politics studied by political scientists is distinct from the politics you encounter in these other contexts. The focus of political science is on political matters of consequence at the city, state, national, and international level.
Politics is the way people make agreements about living together in groups such as tribes, cities, and countries. People who spend a lot of time making such agreements are called politicians. The study of politics in universities is called political science, government, or public affairs. Politicians make decisions about how scarce resources (money, land, and people) are allocated among members of a group. They often compete with other groups for the same scarce resources, and their decisions may lead to war. Politics is a fundamental human activity because it deals with the allocation of limited resources in an uncertain world. The term “politics” is most frequently applied to the activities of a government, though it can also refer to the actions of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), corporations, and other private groups. The practice of politics is often referred to as power play because it involves the effort to obtain or maintain control over others. The exercise of power by individuals or groups can take many forms, from minor manipulations to major conspiracy. Politics has existed as long as humans have faced scarcity and conflicting preferences, and it will continue to exist as long as these conditions persist. In the United States, the Constitution establishes a federal government with two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House is composed of districts, and each district elects one representative. The Senate is composed of state delegations, and each state elects two senators. The President vetoes legislation passed by Congress, and a veto can be overridden by two-thirds of each chamber voting in favor of the bill. In addition to these political bodies, the American system has many local and community-level governmental institutions. Although the Founding Fathers opposed them, political parties have been a part of America’s democracy since shortly after George Washington’s presidency. A large percentage of the country’s population identifies with one or more political parties, and voters are often able to choose candidates from lists of candidates put forward by their party. Other factors that contribute to political party identification include race and ethnicity, religion, class, ideology, and region. Despite the frequent negative connotations associated with “office politics,” research indicates that many professional careers benefit from strong political skills. In the case of a business, this can be an advantage in attracting and retaining employees, negotiating contracts and partnerships, and obtaining financing. Moreover, numerous studies have shown that having strong political skills in the workplace is associated with greater job satisfaction and lower stress levels. Whether you consider yourself a politician or not, it’s likely that you are exposed to politics on a daily basis. For example, political behaviors are common in the office, in family life, and in student-government activities. However, the kind of politics studied by political scientists is distinct from the politics you encounter in these other contexts. The focus of political science is on political matters of consequence at the city, state, national, and international level.