PPG-Lesson-2-Lecture.pdf

LECTURE PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE Grade 12 THE CONCEPT OF GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE GOVERNMENT It is defined as a formal body invested with the authority to make...

LECTURE PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE Grade 12 THE CONCEPT OF GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE GOVERNMENT It is defined as a formal body invested with the authority to make decisions in a given political system. It is an organization that exercises the authority to govern based on the existing legal frameworks. It is the primary vehicle for governance to take place. It is an agency and an instrument of change and mobilization. GOVERNANCE A concept integral to the study of politics is governance. It can be broadly defined as the action of sovereign authority; specifically, the exercise of authoritative direction or control, over a particular political unit or organization. It refers to “all processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market or network, whether over a family, tribe, formal or informal organization or territory and whether norms, power and language. It also deals with the way power is exercised in managing the country’s economic and social resources. Good governance is reflected in the dictum, "Public office is public trust," stressing the accountability of the government to its people and its duty to implement laws and serve the nation selflessly. The World Bank, an international governmental organization, presents a comprehensive and holistic approach to governance. THE DOMAINS OF GOVERNANCE 1. The State - The state is the essential element in governance. It is considered as the principal actors that take the lead in running the government. 2. The Local Government - The local government includes provincial, municipal, city and barangay government attached to the central government. These local governments derive its authority from the 1987 Constitution and the Local Government Code of 1991. Local governments administer localities defined by law. 3. The Private Corporations and Business Organizations - Private corporations and business organizations are considered as the lifeline of governance. They can provide financial resources by means of donations, grants or loans for projects that are beneficial to the people. 4. The Civil Society - Civil society refers to the organizations that advocate certain causes. They are the “vulnerable sectors” or “third sector” because most often they are disregarded or neglected. 1|P h i l i p p i n e P o l i t i c s a n d G o v e r n a n c e – W e e k 1 - 2 CLASSIFICATIONS OF GOVERNMENT A. According to the Geopolitical 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. Example: Great Britain, Italy and France developed unitary governments as they emerged from smaller kingdoms. The Philippines is also a unitary government in as much as policies and decisions are emanated from a central government following a hierarchical structure. 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. Example: The US and its 50 states. This has been proposed for the Philippines as a possible substitute to the current unitary system. 3. Confederacy – a loose organization of independent states held together by a weak central government. A confederation (also known as confederacy or league) is a union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Example: is Canada, the European Union and Switzerland. B. As to Who Possess the Power to Govern – this classification of governments corresponds to who actually possess the power to govern. Traditionally, it is classified as government of “one” as in the case of monarchial states, a government of a “few” as in oligarchic rulings and a government of the “many” as in the case of Democracy. 1. A government of “One” a. Autocracy – any system of government in which the power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual. This is maintained by the ruthless use of military or police power. Examples: Totalitarian Dictatorship – a single leader seeks to control all aspects of social and economic life. Examples – Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Fidel Castro Dictatorial Rule – is 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. Examples – Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and Suharto of Indonesia. b. Monarchy – traditionally ascribed to the power to govern given to Kings, Queens, Emperors, Czars, Sultans, and the like. Examples: Absolute Monarchy – monarchs have complete and unlimited power to rule their people. Example – King of Saudi Arabia, today they are rare, but they ruled Western Europe from 1400s-1700s. Constitutional Monarchy/Limited Monarchy – in this type, the monarch does not possess the real power to govern. Serves mainly as ceremonial 2|P h i l i p p i n e P o l i t i c s a n d G o v e r n a n c e – W e e k 1 - 2  leaders of their governments. The power to govern is normally vested in the hands of the President or the Prime Minister. 2. A government of the “Few” a. Aristocracy – is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class. The term derives from the Greek word aristokratia, meaning “rule of the best”. b. Oligarchy – any system of government in which small group holds the power. In here exists the rule of the wealthy whose policy framework are directed against the poor and the marginalized. It is a government ruled by the few, especially despotic power exercised by a small and privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes. 3. A government of the “Many” a. Democracy – any system of government in which the rule is by the people. Abraham Lincoln described it as, “government of the people, by the people and, for the people.” It is a government in which the sovereign power is vested in the majority of people. b. Direct Democracy -- the people govern themselves by voting on issues individually as citizens. No country has a government based on direct democracy. c. Representative Democracy – the people elect representatives and give them the power to make laws and conduct government. This is considered to be the most efficient way to ensure the rights of the individual citizen. C. As to Source of Power – as to the source of power, governments may either be: 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 – voters elect the ruler through a popular election D. As to the Political Structure 1. Parliamentary – in this government, the real executive— the cabinet or the ministry is immediately and legally responsible to the legislative or one branch of it (usually the more popular chamber) for its political policies and acts, and immediately or ultimately responsible to the electorate, while the titular or nominal executive the chief of the State occupies a position of irresponsibility. The members of the Cabinet or the Ministry are usually members of the Legislature and leaders of the majority party headed by the Prime Minister. 2. Presidential Government/Republican – it is a form of democratic government where the executive (President) is constitutionally independent of the legislative (Congress), in respect to the duration of his term or tenure. The Philippines has a Presidential Government. E. As to its Legality or Constitutionality 3|P h i l i p p i n e P o l i t i c s a n d G o v e r n a n c e – W e e k 1 - 2  1. De Jure Government – is one which has the general support of the people and exists according to the constitutional or other legal process. It may or may not be in actual exercise of government power within its territory. 2. De facto Government – is one, which does not have the general support of the people but not its existence in accordance with the Constitution. It is a government of fact in the sense that is has the actual possession or exercise of government powers. 4|P h i l i p p i n e P o l i t i c s a n d G o v e r n a n c e – W e e k 1 - 2