Q1) in your own words what is politics?

In my own understanding I think politics is the set of activities that are associated with making
decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the
distribution of resources or status. Or Politics are the actions or activities concerned with
achieving and using power in a country or society. It is also the way in which people living in
groups make decisions. Politics is about making agreements between people so that they can
live together in groups such as tribes, cities, or countries. In large groups, such as countries,
some people may spend a lot of their time making such agreements.

Q2). Explain on the following

* Politics as an art of government
* Politics as Public affairs
* Politics as compromise and consensus
* Politics as power

a) POLITICS AS AN ART OF GOVERNMENT

Politics is not a science an art of government. According to Chancellor Bismarck he says

Politics is the exercise of control within society through the making and enforcement of
collective decisions. The word ‘politics’ is derived from polis, meaning literally ‘city-state’.
Politics can be understood to refer to the affairs of the polis in effect, ‘what concerns the polis’.
People are said to be ‘in politics’ when they hold public office, or to be ‘entering politics’ when
they seek to do so. To study politics is, in essence, to study government, or, more broadly, to
study the exercise of authority. Politics as the ‘authoritative allocation of values’. Politics is
associated with ‘policy’. Politics is what takes place within a polity, a system of social
organization centered on the machinery of government.

B) POLITICS AS PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The distinction between ‘the political’ and ‘the non- political’ coincides with the division
between an essentially public sphere of life and what can be thought of as a private sphere. It is
only within a political community that human beings can live the ‘good life’. • Politics is an
ethical activity concerned with creating a ‘just society’; it is called the ‘master science’. -
Aristotle.

C) POLITICS AS COMPROMISE AND CONCENSUS

Politics is seen as a particular means of resolving conflict that is, by compromise, conciliation
and negotiation, rather than through force and naked power. Politics is the activity by which
differing interests within a given unit of rule are conciliated by giving them a share in power in
proportion to their importance to the welfare and the survival of the whole community.

D) POLITICS POLITICS AS POWER

Politics is, in essence, power, the ability to achieve a desired outcome, through whatever
means. This notion was neatly summed up in the title of Harold Lasswell’s book Politics: Who
Gets What, When, How? (1936). Politics can therefore be seen as a struggle over scarce
resources, and power can be seen as the means through which this struggle is conducted.

Politics as a process, specifically one related to the exercise of power over others. • Politics as
‘power-structured relationships, arrangements whereby one group of persons is controlled by
another’.

Politics is to refer to the apparatus of the state. Political power as ‘merely the organized power
of one class for oppressing another’. Politics, together with law and culture, are part of a
‘superstructure’ that is distinct from the economic ‘base’ that is the real foundation of social
life. • Politics is the most concentrated form of economics. • Class struggle is the very heart of
politics.

Q4) What is the difference between government political system and regimes and regimes

Government is any mechanism through which ordered rule is maintained, its central feature
being ability to make collective decisions and enforce them. In popular use, government refers
just to the highest level of political appointments: the presidents, prime ministers and cabinet
members at the apex of power. In a wider sense government consists of all organizations
charged with reaching and implementing decisions for community.

A political system or regime is also commonly known as a political system, is a “system of

rule”. It is a broader term that encompasses not only the mechanisms of government and
institutions of the state, but also the structures and processes through which these interact
with the larger society.

* First main difference between government and regime is how they are changed, in terms of
how a government i.e. Conservative, moves on to another i.e. Labour. And how a regime i.e.
Monarchy moves on to Democracy.

* Furthermore governments compared to regime are much more easily changed, because this
is decided or done during elections, where as regimes on the other hand can only be changed
once there has been a military intervention.

Q5) What are the major regimes of modern world

Five regime types can be identified in the modern world:

* Western polyarchies

* New Democracies

* Eat Asian Regimes

* Islamic Regimes

*Military Regimes

Q3) What is a state and how can it be distinguished from government

A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population
within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state.[1][2] One widely used definition
comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "state" is a polity that maintains a monopoly
on the legitimate use of violence,

Some of the main differences between state and government are as follows:

1. Government is only an element of the state:

A State has four essential elements—Population, Territory, Government and Sovereignty.

Government is only one element of the State. It is just one part of the State which acts for the
state.

2. Government is an Agency or Agent of the State:

Government is an agency of the State. It acts for the state. It is that agency of the State which
formulates the will of the state into laws, implements the laws of the state and ensures
conformity to the laws of the state. Government exercises power and authority on behalf of the
state.

3. State is Abstract, Government is Concrete:

State is a concept, an idea or a name used to denote a community of persons living on a

definite territory and organised for the exercise of sovereignty. State cannot be seen.
Government is made by the people of the State. It is formed by the representatives of the
people. It has a definite and defined organisation and form. It can be seen as a team of people
exercising the power of the State.

4. Government is organised only by a portion of the population of State:

The whole population is a part of the State. All the people are citizens of the State. However,
government is made by the representatives of the people. Only some people, who get elected
act as representatives of the people, form the government of the State. Their number is limited
to few hundred only. In India around 5500 MPs and MLAs represent the total population of
around 110 crores and exercise the political power at the centre and in all states of India.

5. Membership of a State is compulsory but not of Government:

All people are citizens of the State. They together constitute the population of the State. Each
one normally gets the membership (citizenship) of a state automatically right at the time of
one’s birth and continues to live life as such. However, membership of the government is not
automatic. No one can be forced to become its part. Anyone can voluntarily seek an election,
get elected as a representative of the people and become a part of the government. Only some
persons form the government.

6. Sovereignty belongs to State and not to Government:

Sovereignty is the hallmark of the State. It belongs to the State. The government exercises
power on behalf of the State. It acts on the basis of the sovereignty of the State. Sovereignty is
comprehensive, absolute, unlimited and all inclusive supreme power of the State. The
government exercises only well defined and limited powers.

Q7) What is a political party

political party, a group of persons organized to acquire and exercise political power. Political
parties originated in their modern form in Europe and the United States in the 19th century,
along with the electoral and parliamentary systems, whose development reflects the evolution
of parties. The term party has since come to be applied to all organized groups seeking political
power, whether by democratic elections or by revolution.

Q8) How parties can be classified

Traditionally, party systems are classified by the number of parties they include. More recently
their coalitional possibilities have been taken into account, even though policy positions of
parties were ignored. Closed Minimal Range Theory holds that parliamentary coalitions in
support of a government will consist of parties that are adjacent on an ordinal scale of social-
economic policy positions, and will span a range along that scale that is no larger than is
necessary for the coalition in order to control a majority of seats in the voting body. This theory,
which has achieved very satisfactory empirical results, allows the classification of parties
according to the number of closed minimal range coalitions they are part of in a given situation.
There is always a party that is a member of every such closed minimal range coalition; in actual
fact such pivotal parties may maintain this position for very long periods and were found to be
a member of the government in 104 out of 108 coalitions studied. Party systems may be
classified according to the number of closed minimal range coalitions they present in a given
situation and whether or not all parties are included in at least one such coalition. Coalitional
situations in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden since 1918, and in Israel
since 1948, Italy since 1945, in the French IVth Republic, and the German Weimar Republic are
presented in a table and discussed briefly.

Q9) What are the major function of political parties

1. It makes the working of parliamentary government possible. A parliament consists of the

representatives of the people. The political parties organize these representatives on party
lines. The electorate chooses their representatives on the basis of their party affiliation. The
party which gets the majority of votes forms the government and runs the state and the other
parties in the legislature constitute the opposition and try to find fault with the government,
thus making it more responsible. In the absence of political parties, the elected representatives
may work at cross purposes just making the formation of a government or opposition an
impossibility.

2. Political Parties formulate public policies. Each political party fights the election to
achieve its objectives incorporated in their political manifesto. Soon after the election
the majority party forming the government seeks to formulate its policies of
administration on the basis of promises made in the election manifesto. These policies
are made keeping in mind the interest of general public. The most important objective
behind most policies remains the betterment of general condition. Other than this, they
make policies on national security, internal law and order, etc. Besides, each party has
its own ideology. It is assured that the majority party gets the mandate of the electorate
to implement its own political programme.
3. Political parties educate Public opinion. Parties in any system of government educate,
formulate and organize public opinion. They also help in the growth of the level of
political consciousness of common citizens, who otherwise have no time to peruse and
study issues of the state. The political parties in their effort to come closer to the people
organize public rallies, meetings, press conferences on important issues and make their
views clear. The common people is made aware of the economic, social, and political
condition of the country. The general public is made aware of their voting rights. This
provides the common people with an opportunity to analyze the pros and cons of
various important issues. This process leads to organize and formulate public opinion on
important issues. The common people who otherwise have no time to devote to politics
 immensely benefit by these meetings, etc. and understand different aspects of the basic
issues involved in administration.
4. Political parties provide political stability. The political parties in more than one way
unite, simplify and stabilized the political process of the country. The destabilizing forces
of localism, regionalism, section, interests and geographical situations are tackled by
political parties by making these parts of their party ideology thus pacifying the
disintegrating forces and inducing cohesion. The political parties mainly perform the
functions of ‘aggregation of interests’. Besides the political parties in a representative
democracy play a great role in maintaining the stability by performing their roles in the
legislature. The majority party forms the government and the other small parties in the
opposition.
5. It helps in the recruitment of leaders: The essential function of any party is to recruit
men of integrity, letters, action, leadership to its fold as members and prepare them for
election in future. Because it is these members of party who propagate the party
ideologies, discuss the burning issues and hold meetings and press conferences to
mobilize public support. It is these leaders again who contest in the election and form
government if elected to power. Such leaders being drawn from public life are expected
to understand expectations of the common people and formulate public policies
accordingly. Parties always get popularity and recognition though their leaders only.