What Is Politics?
Politics, which derives from the Ancient Greek word politika meaning “affairs of the city”, involves decisions made within groups of people, whether they are tribes, cities or countries. It involves a variety of activities, from promoting one’s own political views to settling disputes through the use of internal and external force. Those who practice politics are called politicians, while the study of politics is known as political science.
It’s possible to be a good politician without being dishonest or manipulative. In fact, there are many ways to use your political skills in an ethical and well-intentioned manner, such as advancing important projects on behalf of your organisation and seeking win-win outcomes for all stakeholders involved. Politics can also be used unethically, however, with unscrupulous people using it to advance their own self-serving interests.
In modern society, politicians can be found at all levels of government, from local town councils and company boards to national governments and international organizations. The practice of politics is widely considered to be an essential part of a democratic state, where the citizens are represented by a legislative branch (legislative), a judicial branch (judicial) and an executive branch (executive). The process of politics can be seen as a form of conflict between competing interests, and it may involve a variety of methods to settle disputes, including lobbying, negotiation, public policy development and legislation.
There are a number of different political theories and frameworks, from the classical ideals of Plato and Aristotle to the modern ideas of Machiavelli, Hobbes and Mill. A classic view of politics is that it is primarily about settling contestation over distribution of material goods, but this view has been challenged by the emergence of what scholars call a ‘ideational turn’ in studies of politics, which has shown that politics is as much about contestation over how problems are framed and narrated as it is about struggles for distributive goals.
In America, politics are largely dominated by the two major political parties, with elected officials at all levels of government being popularly selected in elections. At the federal level, a President is chosen through the electoral college. In addition, states often hold their own primary or caucus elections to determine delegates who will support the presidential candidate of their choice at a national convention. Unlike some other countries, there is no central organization at the national level that controls party membership or policy, and thus, elected officials are not bound to follow the party line and will sometimes deviate from it. Nevertheless, the two major political parties remain largely ideological, and they maintain distinct policies at all levels of government.
Politics, which derives from the Ancient Greek word politika meaning “affairs of the city”, involves decisions made within groups of people, whether they are tribes, cities or countries. It involves a variety of activities, from promoting one’s own political views to settling disputes through the use of internal and external force. Those who practice politics are called politicians, while the study of politics is known as political science. It’s possible to be a good politician without being dishonest or manipulative. In fact, there are many ways to use your political skills in an ethical and well-intentioned manner, such as advancing important projects on behalf of your organisation and seeking win-win outcomes for all stakeholders involved. Politics can also be used unethically, however, with unscrupulous people using it to advance their own self-serving interests. In modern society, politicians can be found at all levels of government, from local town councils and company boards to national governments and international organizations. The practice of politics is widely considered to be an essential part of a democratic state, where the citizens are represented by a legislative branch (legislative), a judicial branch (judicial) and an executive branch (executive). The process of politics can be seen as a form of conflict between competing interests, and it may involve a variety of methods to settle disputes, including lobbying, negotiation, public policy development and legislation. There are a number of different political theories and frameworks, from the classical ideals of Plato and Aristotle to the modern ideas of Machiavelli, Hobbes and Mill. A classic view of politics is that it is primarily about settling contestation over distribution of material goods, but this view has been challenged by the emergence of what scholars call a ‘ideational turn’ in studies of politics, which has shown that politics is as much about contestation over how problems are framed and narrated as it is about struggles for distributive goals. In America, politics are largely dominated by the two major political parties, with elected officials at all levels of government being popularly selected in elections. At the federal level, a President is chosen through the electoral college. In addition, states often hold their own primary or caucus elections to determine delegates who will support the presidential candidate of their choice at a national convention. Unlike some other countries, there is no central organization at the national level that controls party membership or policy, and thus, elected officials are not bound to follow the party line and will sometimes deviate from it. Nevertheless, the two major political parties remain largely ideological, and they maintain distinct policies at all levels of government.