What is Politics?

In general, these are activities associated with the governance of an area, to be specific when we say area it could be barangay, a city, a municipality, a province, autonomous region or a country o it can even be a nation, a court, a tribunal, a constitutional office, government controlled corporations, or it could also be a company a group of companies, corporation association group of businessmen that is in private.

And in that area especially between parties having power, (Elected Officials, Officers, General Managers, Department heads, bureau chiefs, CEO’s these are examples) and politics there in that area is aimed at improving someone’s status or increasing ones power within an organization.(Syn. Affairs of the state, public affairs, diplomacy, government)

Example: In the office of the President ( waray and balay group), (political parties in the congress and the senate, even in private entities there is politics)

It is the art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a NATION, and the ADMINISTRATION and CONTROL of its INTERNAL and EXTERNAL affairs.

Politics comeS from the GREEK word POLITIKOS, which means OF, FOR, OR RELATING TO CITIZENS.

It also refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance

o How politics happen?

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It happens by employing methods like the ff:

a)Promotion of political (organizing, leading, flat form of governance) views among people, students, citizens.

b)Negotiation with other political subjects such as making laws

c) Exercise of Force. War against adversaries.

Also, politics is exercised in clans. Tribes of traditional societies, inside a family, companies and institutions up to sovereign states, to international level.

Political system - it is a framework which defines acceptable methods within a given society.

There are so many political systems to discuss with, and there are Five (5) most common political systems around the world, and having an understanding about each of the political system is very helpful and important, also its advantages and disadvantages.

The FIVE (5) most common political system are the ff:

1. DEMOCRACY 2. REPUBLIC 3. MONARCHY 4. COMMUNISM 5.DICTATORSHIP

1.DEMOCRACY – this political system allows each individual to participate

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DIRECT DEMOCRACY – an example of this is shown in Athens, where every citizen has an equal say in the working of the government, such as making laws; or

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY – an example of this is shown by electing a representative and they are the ones who make the laws.

2.REPUBLIC – is a political system in which the government remains mostly subject to those governed. (Single Party, Capitalist, Federal, Parliamentary. The main characteristic is that the government is subject to the people, and leaders can be recalled.

3.MONARCHY – when we hear the word monarchy we think of a political system during the medieval times, in a monarchy the ruler is not usually chosen by the voice of the people or their representative, often a monarch is the head of the state until he dies or abdicates, renounces, resign, relinquish, han over, abandon. That head of the state has always a SAY or final words in the government, in the application of the laws, how will it be enforced. However in today’s monarchical practice as a political system, especially in developed countries that has this system they have a constitution which limits the exercise of power by the head of the state. A country that exercises this kind of political system is UK, Denmark, Kuwait, Spain, Sweden, etc.

4.COMMUNISM, basically this is the ideology of KARL MARX and/or LENIN, where a state is dominated by a single party or a group of people. A planned economy is often part of the governing class, and in many cases resources are taken and the redistributed to others, at the top of the system. In

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here citizens are required to do certain jobs, or have some of their life decisions, especially concerning where they can live and what jobs they can do. AUTHORITARIAN RULE.

5.DICTATORSHIP, in this kind of political system authoritarian form of government, normally the dictator is the main individual ruling the country, all decisions come from him, and usually he has enforces a small group to enforce what he says, in here no restrictions or limits. An example of this is the MILITARY DICTATORSHIP.

ORIGIN OF WORD “POLITICS”

Where does it come from?

French – Politique

Greek – Politikos

In the early ages the book of Aristotle - Politika, it states there the AFFAIRS OF THE CITIES, a dissertation on governing and governments.

What are the TEN (10) images of politics?

1.BOARD-ROOM POLITICS2.BUREAUCRATIC POLITICS3.CONGRESS POLITICS4.CHEIF EXECUTIVE POLITICS5.COURT-ROOM POLITICS6.MULTIMEDIA POLITICS7.RELIGIOUS POLITICS8.MILITARY POLITICS9.CIVIL SOCIETY POLITICS10. X-MEN POLITICS

These 10 images include political reality and practices.

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These frameworks are to be used for analysing political dynamics and the policy processes in the context of Philippine Political System that is reflective of the highly elastic nature of Philippine Democracy. Which run a certain area from highly private to highly public decision making.

1. What is Board – Room Politics?

It is defined as a decision making by business elites and professionals but with important public consequences.

Literally it happens inside corporate boards and sometimes in the level of corporate managers, subject to constraints imposed by the board of directors.

This is more hierarchical, competitive, and unpredictable .

This has to be correlated with Corporate Politics, which can be described Good Corporate Politics and Bad Corporate Politics.

What is Good in a corporate setting- it is when someone needs to work with the system (BEING FIT TO THE SYSTEM), such as the corporate culture, the personality, and organizational background, these are very important to achieve business objectives that are good for the corporation.(REVENUE, GROWTH, PROFIT, AND CUSTOMER SATISFSACTION)

What is Bad in a corporate setting – it happens when someone copies or mimic your strategy. (Copy cat).

o Selfpraise, self promote, manage up (select informations that are only positive. Make friends “buddies” with bosses, Badmouthing.

As Dan King says it POLITCS IS A GAME, PLAY OR NOT PLAY, THE GAME STILL GOES ON!

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2. What is Bureaucratic Politics?

It means rule making and adjudication by bureaucrats, (bureaucracy - a large group of people who are involved in running a government but who are not elected) (a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation) with inputs from clients and professionals, Dept. Secretaries, U. secretaries, A. secretaries, regional directors, bureau directors, are power and authority holders and as such can make decisions favoring private businesses and favored political interests. This is the reason why politicians and some businessman jockey their men into positions in the bureaucracy.

3. What is Congress Politics?

It is a political system which involves policy making by legislatures, constrained by various constituencies. Laws affect private and public interests. The process of legislation in formulating policies can delay the passage of a bill or the proposed bill can be stopped at the committee hearing level.

4. What is Chief Executive Politics?

Refers to a process dominated by president, governors, mayors, and their advisers.

Chief executives are given full power and authority to lead, to govern and administer laws. They possess and exercise discretionary powers that are beneficial to majority but detrimental to some few. When they talk everybody listens.

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5. What is Court room politics?

Refers to court orders and decisions of judges, justices, and prosecutors in response to interest groups and aggrieved individuals. When judicial decisions are sold or influenced based not on merits and evidences, and then the court would have served no purpose as balancer and equalizer of justice and settlement of disputes between and among litigants.

What is the function of a Court of Law? Interpret the Law and apply it to the facts of each case, to ensure equal justice under the law.

Court decisions can put political opponents to jail, can delay political and non-political appointments, can delay the execution of legislative, executive and administrative decisions or even stop the operation of businesses, and can decide to reverse or delay decisions previously made. The issuance of TRO reveals how political our court.

6. What is Multimedia politics?

Multimedia is the field concerned with the computer-controlled integration of text, graphics, drawings, still and moving images (Video), animation, audio, and any other media where every type of information can be represented, stored, transmitted and processed digitally.

The galvanization of public opinion, usually through the news papers, radio, television and other forms of mass media. All of this mass media promote the political interest and choices of those who own them, who pay them and who use them.

7. What is Religious Politics?

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Is one where decisions are made by leaders and members of religious groups and have political implications like El Shaddai, JIL, INC, CBCP, NCCP are some of the most prominent religious groups which take political positions on public issues.

8. What is Military Politics?

Involves the calculated decisions of the military and police generals and their subordinates to affect preferences in the political arena. The decisions and machinations of military generals were the key factors that changed government and government leaders.

9. What is Civil Society Politics?

Is the high profile socio political engagement and proactive lobbying of voluntary groups such as NGO’s PO’s, Socio-Civic Societies, Cause-Oriented Groups, Professional Associations, Cooperatives, Sectoral or Social Class Groupings and Foundations that influence political issues.

10. What is X-Men Politics?

Includes factors and players that are less prominently mentioned, less openly named, less publicly involved but actively engaged in

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