Politics and Political Science PDF

Politics: Derived from the Greek word "Polis," meaning city-state. Defined as the process determining the distribution of power and resources. Encompasses the theory and practice of influencing decision-making and implementing projects and programs. Associated with power, authori...

Politics: Derived from the Greek word "Polis," meaning city-state. Defined as the process determining the distribution of power and resources. Encompasses the theory and practice of influencing decision-making and implementing projects and programs. Associated with power, authority, and governance, including policy formulation, law creation, and maintaining public interest. Political Science: A branch of social science focusing on the study of politics. Investigates systems of government, political activity, and human behavior in relation to governance. Analyzes the allocation of power, political behavior, and the role of governments and international organizations. Uses scientific methods and frameworks to measure governance effectiveness. Political Scientists: Analyze political events and formulate principles about how politics works. Use primary and secondary sources, examining factors like stability, justice, and public welfare. Political Statements: Normative Statements: Subjective, expressing value judgments (e.g., "Unemployment is more harmful than inflation"). Positive Statements: Objective, testable statements (e.g., "Minimum-wage laws cause unemployment"). Comparison between Political Science and Politics: Political Science: Focuses on state and power as a social science. Involves empirical and normative analysis, undertaken by political scientists. Politics: A social activity dealing with state and power, involving politicians and administrators. Aims to improve public welfare through policy implementation. Branches of Political Science: Political Theory: Study of ideas from classical thinkers like Aristotle and Machiavelli. Comparative Politics: Analyzes constitutions, political systems, and actors across countries. Public Administration: Focuses on government policy implementation. International Relations: Studies political-economic interactions between nation-states and organizations. Public Law: Examines the relationship between government and citizens. Political Methodology: Uses quantitative methods to describe political phenomena. Key Concepts in Political Science: State: An organized political community under a government, with elements like population, territory, government, and sovereignty. Legitimacy: The right of the government to exercise power, recognized by other states. Governance: Actions related to governing. Ideology: A set of beliefs that influence views and actions. Development of Political Science: Ancient Thinkers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Medieval and Renaissance Thought: Influenced by figures like St. Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, and Thomas More. Enlightenment Thinkers: John Locke (Natural Law), Rousseau (Social Contract), and Voltaire, who influenced American republicanism and democracy. Modern Political Science: Defined by a behavioral revolution in the 1950s and 1960s, led by thinkers like William H. Riker and Robert Dahl. Power, Legitimacy, and the Government: Power in Politics: Power refers to the ability of individuals or groups to influence the behavior of others, particularly within the state and government. Political power often refers to sovereignty, which is the state's ability to govern without external interference. Sovereignty can also refer to the government's authority to enforce its will over citizens or manage relations with other nations. Weber's Types of Authority: Charismatic Authority: Based on an individual's personal traits and the recognition of those traits by others. Traditional Authority: Rooted in long-established customs, traditions, and social ties (e.g., monarchies, political dynasties). Legal-Rational Authority: Based on a system of laws and formal rules (e.g., bureaucracy). Power is derived from one's position in this legal structure. Power and Influence: Influence is often achieved through persuasion and non-coercive means (e.g., diplomacy or media campaigns). Influence has a broader, less formal scope than power but can still yield significant results in politics. The Social Contract and Democratic Sovereignty: The concept of sovereignty changed with the Age of Enlightenment, where political philosophers like John Locke and Rousseau proposed the social contract theory, which places sovereignty in the hands of the people. This idea forms the basis for democracy, where the government exists to serve the people, and power is delegated to it by the consent of the governed. In direct democracies (e.g., ancient Greece), citizens directly participate in government decisions. In representative democracies, citizens elect leaders to govern on their behalf. Legitimacy: Legitimacy refers to the recognition and acceptance of a government's right to exercise power. Legitimacy is often derived from elections, laws, and constitutions. In some cases, a government may lose legitimacy if citizens believe it has overstepped its authority (e.g., election fraud or misuse of power). Example of Crisis of Legitimacy: After the 1986 elections in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos lost legitimacy due to widespread reports of electoral fraud. This led to the People Power Revolution, the collapse of his government, and the rise of Corazon Aquino. Aquino’s government, established through a popular revolt, initially lacked legitimacy but gained it through the formation of a constitutional commission that drafted the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Limits on Political Power: Even in democratic systems, power is subject to checks and balances. Once officials complete their term of office, they lose the power to govern. Branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) act as checks on each other, ensuring no branch has absolute power. Monarchies and Other Forms of Government: Monarchical States: Power resides with the monarch (e.g., traditional monarchies). Constitutional Monarchies: The monarch's role is largely symbolic, while governing power rests with an elected parliament (e.g., the UK). Presidential Systems: In some systems (like the Philippines), the president serves as both head of state and head of government, performing symbolic and actual duties. Power in Governance: Military, Economic, and Psychological Power: Military Power: Ability to wage war and defend sovereignty. Economic Power: Control over resources, trade, and finances to influence other states. Psychological Power: Using reputation and diplomacy to shape international relations. National Power: Government expresses national power through key resources like the economy, population, and military. It uses these to enact programs, initiate activities, and make critical decisions. This power is also reflected in the roles of government agencies, officials, military, police, and public servants. Citizen Participation and Legitimacy: Citizen Sovereignty: In a democracy, citizens exercise their sovereignty through elections and other participatory processes like referendums, plebiscites, and initiatives. Participation in Government: Citizens can influence government decisions through voting, forming advocacy groups, or participating in public debates. Popular Revolts: Non-violent movements (e.g., EDSA Revolution) have shown how citizens can remove governments that lose legitimacy. Key Differences and Concepts: Power is the ability to enforce decisions or influence others. Legitimacy is the recognized right to wield that power. Government refers to the system or group of people governing a state or community. Inherent Powers: Police Power: Used to maintain law and order. Eminent Domain: Allows the government to acquire private property for public use. Taxation: Empowers the government to impose and collect taxes to fund its operations and projects. Control and Influence: The government uses laws and regulations to compel citizens to act (e.g., paying taxes) or refrain from certain behaviors (e.g., committing crimes). Indoctrination and propaganda can influence public opinion, particularly regarding national identity, values, and cultural pride (e.g., National Anthem, cultural traits). In democratic states, these methods are subtler, whereas totalitarian regimes, like North Korea, use them to enforce rigid control. International Power: Military Power: Capability of a state to wage war (e.g., military forces, weapons). Economic Power: Using economic resources to influence other states (e.g., trade sanctions, aid). Psychological Power: Leveraging a state's image and reputation in global diplomacy. Power and Citizenship: Sovereignty resides in the people, who exercise power through rights guaranteed by the state (e.g., Bill of Rights in the 1987 Philippine Constitution). Suffrage: Citizens exercise power by voting in elections and running for public office. Referendum and Plebiscite: Citizens vote for or against laws or constitutional changes. Initiatives: Citizens propose laws or constitutional amendments directly. Advocacy and Citizen Participation: Advocacy allows citizens to influence decisions or implement changes in society, systems, and government. Examples include non-violent protests like the 1986 EDSA Revolution. Unconventional participation: Popular revolts, peaceful resistance (e.g., Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent movement), or mass demonstrations (e.g., Tiananmen Square protests). Effects of Power: Power is crucial for ensuring social control and stability, and when exercised properly, it upholds democratic ideals. Misuse of power can lead to violations of rights, dissent, rebellion, and terrorism, especially in authoritarian or totalitarian states. Corruption and Abuse of Power: Abuse of Power: Public officials may misuse their power for personal gain, commit illegal acts, or act outside their authority. Abuse of Authority: Using power excessively or illegally (e.g., police brutality). Abuse of Discretion: Ignoring proper procedures or protocols (e.g., nepotism in hiring practices). Corruption: The most evident abuse, involving the misuse of power for private interest (e.g., bribery, patronage, nepotism). Graft: A form of corruption where public officials use public funds for personal enrichment. Accountability Mechanisms: The 1987 Philippine Constitution establishes mechanisms to hold officials accountable: Office of the Ombudsman: Investigates abuse, suspends officials, and recommends prosecution. Sandiganbayan: Anti-graft court dealing with cases of corruption and abuse of power. Commission on Audit (COA): Ensures proper use of government funds and investigates improper expenditures. Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG): Initially established to recover ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos regime, also investigates graft and corruption. Senate Blue Ribbon Committee: Investigates government wrongdoing to recommend legislative reforms. Transparency: Public officials must disclose their assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), ensuring transparency in government dealings. Media: Plays a vital role in exposing corruption and holding public officials accountable.