What Is Politics?
Politics is a set of rules and laws that govern the way people live together in groups such as tribes, cities and countries. These rules and laws are set by political leaders, often called politicians. People who study politics are known as political scientists, public affairs specialists or government scholars.
Some people argue that the traditional definition of politics is too narrow, and that the term should be expanded to include all aspects of life. They claim that politics is anything that affects how humans make decisions about consuming and producing resources, such as food, money or energy, or about living together in society. This includes things like legislative debates, Supreme Court nominations and election campaigns. It also includes more abstract issues, such as how historical developments precondition political outcomes today. These arguments challenge the view that politics only involves the state, and that politics is a distinct field of study separate from other areas such as economics or history.
Others disagree with this broader interpretation of politics. They point out that politics is more than just the power struggle of competing interests, but a way of making and shaping the world. They also argue that there are many benefits to political engagement, such as the sense of fulfillment and solidarity that comes from performing a civic duty, or the entertainment rewards from supporting a political candidate, party or cause. There is also evidence that a wide range of social and psychological benefits can be obtained from engaging in political activity, such as improved cognitive functioning, decreased feelings of anxiety and depression, and greater levels of social capital.
Regardless of the definition of politics, most political events are the result of a power struggle between competing interests. These interests may be a group, such as the people of a country, or an individual, such as a politician or company owner. The struggle is to balance the competing interests, and to find a solution that satisfies all stakeholders. Sometimes, this can be done through compromise or reaching a bargain that pleases everyone. Other times, a solution will be highly unsatisfactory for some of the participants.
The way to prevent this is to be vigilant about limiting the concentration of power, and to avoid excessively favoring one interest over another. For example, be careful about allowing wealthy individuals to acquire too much political power through donations or lobbying, and don’t encourage the display of wealth in public buildings or public spending. Finally, it is important to promote a culture of transparency in politics, and to discourage corruption and other corrupt activities.
In addition, there are many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and labor unions that can help to bring about political change through protests and strikes. The most powerful force of all, however, is the people themselves. They can bring about political change through revolutions, elections and constant supervision, exposure and pressure on politicians, so that they always “work for the people.” These forces can be augmented by technology or media power, and by their ability to organize as a mass movement with global reach.
Politics is a set of rules and laws that govern the way people live together in groups such as tribes, cities and countries. These rules and laws are set by political leaders, often called politicians. People who study politics are known as political scientists, public affairs specialists or government scholars. Some people argue that the traditional definition of politics is too narrow, and that the term should be expanded to include all aspects of life. They claim that politics is anything that affects how humans make decisions about consuming and producing resources, such as food, money or energy, or about living together in society. This includes things like legislative debates, Supreme Court nominations and election campaigns. It also includes more abstract issues, such as how historical developments precondition political outcomes today. These arguments challenge the view that politics only involves the state, and that politics is a distinct field of study separate from other areas such as economics or history. Others disagree with this broader interpretation of politics. They point out that politics is more than just the power struggle of competing interests, but a way of making and shaping the world. They also argue that there are many benefits to political engagement, such as the sense of fulfillment and solidarity that comes from performing a civic duty, or the entertainment rewards from supporting a political candidate, party or cause. There is also evidence that a wide range of social and psychological benefits can be obtained from engaging in political activity, such as improved cognitive functioning, decreased feelings of anxiety and depression, and greater levels of social capital. Regardless of the definition of politics, most political events are the result of a power struggle between competing interests. These interests may be a group, such as the people of a country, or an individual, such as a politician or company owner. The struggle is to balance the competing interests, and to find a solution that satisfies all stakeholders. Sometimes, this can be done through compromise or reaching a bargain that pleases everyone. Other times, a solution will be highly unsatisfactory for some of the participants. The way to prevent this is to be vigilant about limiting the concentration of power, and to avoid excessively favoring one interest over another. For example, be careful about allowing wealthy individuals to acquire too much political power through donations or lobbying, and don’t encourage the display of wealth in public buildings or public spending. Finally, it is important to promote a culture of transparency in politics, and to discourage corruption and other corrupt activities. In addition, there are many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and labor unions that can help to bring about political change through protests and strikes. The most powerful force of all, however, is the people themselves. They can bring about political change through revolutions, elections and constant supervision, exposure and pressure on politicians, so that they always “work for the people.” These forces can be augmented by technology or media power, and by their ability to organize as a mass movement with global reach.