Introduction: The Concepts of Politics and Governance

The Meaning of Politics

 Politics generally refers to the practice and theory of influencing other people, which often times is directed
towards decision making or policy formulation but at times results in conflict or conflict-ridden situation.
 In effect, Politics involves the making of a common decision for a group of people, that is, a uniform decision
applying in the same way to all members of the group but are not at all times agreeable to everyone.
 Latin word “polis” which means “city state”
 Politics is the art or science of government, the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing
governmental policy and the art or science that is concerned with winning and holding control over a
government. - Chancellor Otto von Bismarck of Germany
 Politics may be broadly refer to political actions, practices, or policies or political affairs or business;
especially,
a. competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in
government)
b. Political life especially as a principal activity or profession;
c. Political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices.
 Laswell (1978) defines politics as an activity that generally refers to an “act of getting what, when and how in
the government.”
 Politics is what takes place within a polity, a system of social organization centered upon the machinery of
government.
 Politics is therefore practiced in cabinet rooms, legislative chambers, government departments and the like,
and is engaged in by a limited and specific group of people, notably politicians, civil servants and lobbyist.
WHY IS POLITICS ESSENTIAL?
 While many will view politics as something that is synonymous with CORRUPTION, GOVERNMENT
INEFFICIENCY and CONFLICT, one cannot deny that it is indeed very important especially in a democracy, like
in the Philippines.
1. The existence of politics is essential for the mobilization of citizen awareness, participation, dynamism
and empowerment. -When people are politically aware, they can become more active stakeholders.
2. Politics also allows greater involvement of the polity with the affairs and decisions that concern them.
3. Realities of politics serve as an eye-opener for a more vibrant and involved citizenry.
4. Politics can serve as a way of letting truth come out and while it may be a painstaking process, it serves
to make the government responsive to the needs of the people and the people more appreciative of the
efforts of the government officials.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
 is a social science discipline that deals with systems of government and the analysis of political activity and
political behaviour.
 Deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics which is commonly thought of as the determining
of the distribution of power and resources
 The branch of social sciences that studies the state, politics and government
 Deals extensively with the analysis of political systems, the theoretical and practical applications to politics
and the examination of political behaviour.
 Aristotle, the Greek Thinker, defined political science as the study of the state.
POLITICAL Scientists
 Help us understand how the political world works
 Explain the degrees of the political economy
 Study the matters concerning allocation and distribution as well as the transfer of power
 Examine the multifaceted and multi-layered factors at work that contribute to good or bad governance
 They measure the success of governance and specific policies by examining many factors such as stability,
justice, material wealth, peace and public health.
Subfields of Political Science
1. COMPARATIVE POLITICS
  Is a field and a method used in political science, characterized by empirical approach based on the
comparative method.
 In other words, it is the study of the domestic politics, political institutions, and conflicts of countries.
 It often involves comparisons among countries and through time within single countries, emphasizing the
key patterns of similarity and difference
 When applied to specific fields of study, comparative politics may be referred to as, for example,
 Comparative government- comparative study of forms of government
Comparative foreign policy- comparing the foreign policies of different states in order to establish
general empirical connections between the characteristics of the state and the characteristics of its foreign
policies
2. Political economy
 Also known as Global Political Economy (GPE)
 An academic discipline within political science that analyses economics and international relations
 Studies the way how political forces shapes the systems through which economic interactions are expressed
3. International Relations or international affairs
 Studies the relationships among countries, the roles of sovereign states, inter-governmental organizations
(IGOs), international non-governmental organizations (INs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and
multinational corporations (MNCs).
4. Political philosophy or political theory
 Political philosophy often refers to a general view or specific ethic, political belief or attitude, about politics
 Example: politics, liberty, justice, rights, law, property (what they are, why they are needed, what form
should it take, etc.).
 Political theory is the categorization of social thought by a group or by the persuasion or beliefs of a geo-
political mass
5. Public administration
 The implementation of government policy and also an academic discipline that studies this implementation
and prepares civil servants for working in the public service
 Deals with the administrative activities of the government
 Covers everything the civil agencies of government do or could do to help the state attain its purpose
6. Public law
 Part of law which governs relationships between individuals and the government and those relationships
between individuals which are of direct concerns to the society.
 Comprises constitutional laws, administrative law, tax law and criminal law, as well as procedural law
Importance of political science
• Helps us understand global political economy
• Understand political systems
• Help us cope up with the changing political setting

Government
• Is the means by which a state or a community is controlled.
• A group of people that governs a community or unit
• It sets and administers public policy and exercises executive, political and sovereign power through customs,
institutions, and laws within a state.
• Is the means by which a state or a community is controlled.
• Act as stabilizing factor to ensure that order can be achieved both in the state in particular as well as in
society in general.

Classifications of Government
A. According to the Geopolitical and Distribution of Power
- This corresponds to where the power to exercise governance is located
1. UNITARY SYSTEM
• The power to govern is given to the national or central government
 • a state is governed as a single power in which the central government is ultimately supreme and
any administrative divisions (sub-national units) exercise only powers that the central government chooses
to delegate.
• Examples: Italy, France, Philippines, Indonesia, Ireland, South Africa, Myanmar, South Korea, etc.
2. FEDERAL SYSTEM
• The power to govern is shared between the national, state, and local levels.
• There exists a central government but there are also autonomous states.
• federal system of government is one in which a nation is ruled by a central government under which there
are smaller subdivisions of government. It is a two-tiered system of government
• Example: The United States (50 states)
• A federal government is a system of dividing up power between a central national government and local
state governments that are connected to one another by the national government. Some areas of public life
are under the control of the national government, and some areas are under control of the local
governments. Federal government systems usually have a constitution that specifies what areas of public life
the national government will take control over and what areas of public life the state governments will take
control over.

3. CONFEDERACY SYSTEM
• A confederate government is a group of states, nations or territories that are joined together by a central
government that has limited powers of authority. With a weaker central government, the individual state or
nation governments retain a strong sense of independence
• Example: European Union

B. As to Who Possess the Power to govern- This corresponds to who actually possess the power to govern
• A GOVERNMENT OF ONE
1. AUTOCRACY- any system of government in which the power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single
individual.
-An autocracy is a system of government in which supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one
person
Examples of Autocracy
a. TOTALITARIAN DICTATORSHIP- a single leader seeks to control all aspects of social and economic life
Example: Adolf Hitler of Germany, Joseph Stalin of USSR, Fidel Castro of Cuba
b. DICTATOR RULE- a form of government where a country is ruled by one person or political entity, and
exercised through various mechanisms to ensure the entity’s power remains strong.
Example: Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, Muhammad Suharto of Indonesia
2. MONARCHY- traditionally ascribed to the power to govern given to Kings, Queens, Emperors, Czars, Sultans, etc.
a. Absolute Monarchy- Monarchs have complete and unlimited power to rule their people.
b. Constitutional Monarchy/ Limited Monarchy- monarchs do not possess the real power to govern.
-Serves mainly as ceremonial leaders of their government.
- The power to govern is normally vested in the hands of the President or the Prime Minister
• Examples of countries with absolute monarchies today: Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Qatar, Oman
• Today constitutional monarchies are mostly associated with Western European countries such as
the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Luxembourg, Monaco, and
Sweden. However, the two most populous constitutional monarchies in the world are in Asia: Japan
and Thailand.

A GOVERNMENT OF THE FEW

1. ARISTOCRACY- a form of government that places the power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling
class.
o The term derives from the Greek word aristokratia meaning, “ruling of the best”
 o the highest social class in some countries : the people who have special titles (such as duke
and duchess ), who typically own land, and who traditionally have more money and power
than the other people in a society
2. OLIGARCHY- any system of the government in which a small group holds the power.
-As in dictatorships, oligarchies usually suppress all political oppositions – sometimes ruthless.
- in here exists, the rule of the wealthy whose policy framework are directed against the poor and
the marginalized.
-the most well-known example is the former Soviet Union. Other examples of oligarchy governments
are found in the countries of China, North Korea, and Venezuela

A GOVERNMENT OF THE MANY

DEMOCRACY
• Supreme power is given to the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of
representation.
• Democratic countries have free elections where all citizens have a vote.
• The word “democracy” literally means “rule by the people.”
a. DIRECT DEMOCRACY- the people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens.
-No country has a government based on direct democracy
b. REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY- the people elect representatives and give them power to make laws and
conduct government.
- this is a form of democratic government which vests the sovereign power in the people but is exercized by
the representatives chosen by the popular votes or appointed by those who are chosen.

C. As to Source of Power
1. Hereditary- The monarch inherits the crown according to a fixed rule of succession determined either by a
constitution, or act of parliament, or by the rule of dynastic house or family to which the monarch belongs
2. Elective- The voters elect the ruler through a popular election

D. As to Political Structure- Parliamentary and Presidential/Republic

In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative, elected body of government. Generally a
modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government
(i.E., Hearings, inquiries).
PARLIAMENTARY REPUBLIC
Executive and legislative are aligned and work as one. Has three distinct branches- Executive, Legislative, Judiciary
Executive power is executed by the parliament through the Executive power is vested on the president
prime minister.
Prime Minister is elected from the members of the parliament President is elected through an election by the people
Every election can change who has executive power (Prime Only presidential elections can change who has executive
Minister) power
The entire country doesn't usually get to vote for the executive The entire country does get to vote for a specific leader by
by name name
The head of state is usually a different person than the head of The head of state and head of government tends to be the
government. HOG is often vested with more official power, but same person
holds that position for a relatively short time
It is the elected legislators that serve in the executive roles in the executive is elected to their position in a national election,
the government, from the top spot to the cabinet posts. but the leaders of the key cabinet posts need not have ever
been elected.
Elections can be called and held at previously unscheduled Elections are held on strict schedule that doesn't generally
times change

The Concept of Governance

• Governance refer to “all processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market or network,
whether over a family or a tribe, formal or informal organization or territory and whether through laws,
norms, power or language.”
• It relates to the processes of interaction and decision-making among the actors involved in a collective
problem that lead to the creation, reinforcement, or reproduction of social norms and institutions.
• Government is a formal body invested with the authority to make decisions in a given political system.
 • Governance is the way the rules, norms and actions are produced, sustained, regulated, and held
accountable.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
• Good governance is about the processes for making and implementing decisions.
• It’s not about making “correct decisions, but about the best possible process for making those decisions.”
• It can be a useful tool to engage the public, to foster cooperation, mitigate corruption, and promote
efficiency in the government.
EIGHT ELEMENTS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE
Rule of Law
Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced by an impartial regulatory body, for the
full protection of stakeholders
Transparency
Transparency means that information should be provided in easily understandable forms and media; that it
should be freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by governance policies and
practices, as well as the outcomes resulting therefrom; and that any decisions taken and their enforcement
are in compliance with established rules and regulations.
Responsiveness
Good governance requires that organizations and their processes are designed to serve the best interests of
stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe. This can be observed in times of calamities and disasters.
Consensus Oriented
Good governance requires consultation to understand the different interests of stakeholders in order to
reach a broad consensus of what is in the best interest of the entire stakeholder group and how this can be
achieved in a sustainable and prudent manner. The government must bear in mind that policies are made for
people.
Equity and Inclusiveness
The organization that provides the opportunity for its stakeholders to maintain, enhance, or generally
improve their well-being provides the most compelling message regarding its reason for existence and value
to society.
• Inclusiveness means that the benefits of growth and progress must be holistic, broad and far-reaching to
include the poorest of the poor.
Effectiveness and Efficiency
Good governance means that the processes implemented by the organization to produce favorable results
meet the needs of its stakeholders, while making the best use of resources – human, technological, financial,
natural and environmental – at its disposal.
• Efficiency denotes the proper use of resources utilizing the least amount of time but producing the
desired output without sacrificing quality.
Effectiveness and Efficiency
Good governance means that the processes implemented by the organization to produce favorable results
meet the needs of its stakeholders, while making the best use of resources – human, technological, financial,
natural and environmental – at its disposal.
Efficiency denotes the proper use of resources utilizing the least amount of time but producing the desired
output without sacrificing quality.
Accountability
Accountability is a key tenet of good governance. Who is accountable for what should be documented in
policy statements. In general, an organization is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or
actions as well as the applicable rules of law.
• It denotes answerability to the people
• “May pananagutan”
Participation
Participation by both men and women, either directly or through legitimate representatives, is a key cornerstone of
good governance.
• Participation needs to be informed and organized, including freedom of expression and
assiduous concern for the best interests of the organization and society in general.