What Is Politics?
Politics is the way people make planned decisions about how to live together in groups like tribes, cities, and countries. It includes how to share scarce resources, and access to precious rights and privileges. It also deals with how to settle disputes between people. Politics is a powerful tool, and people spend much of their lives making decisions about it. People who study politics are called political scientists or political leaders, and some of them work in government or business. Politics is also the subject of books and academic courses. It is sometimes taught at universities under the names of political science, government, or public affairs.
In modern times, people often form political parties to put forward their ideas. There is usually some disagreement between people within a party, but they work together because they believe that they will have more power in an election if they all agree to support the same changes to law and the same leaders. In the US, there are two major political parties: Democratic and Republican.
Many political scientists focus on the way that people interact with each other to make plans about resources and rights. They are interested in how politicians acquire power, how they use it, and how they maintain their legitimacy. They study things like voting systems and how governments are organised, including institutions like parliaments and courts. They also look at practices like lobbying and demonstrations, and how they can shape policy.
For example, if a group of people is unhappy with the way that their government is run, they may organise protests and try to influence politicians or public opinion. They might also try to change the rules that govern how governments operate, for example by pushing for age limits for politicians or removing the Electoral College.
The word ‘politics’ comes from the Greek politya, which means “affairs of the city.” Politics is all about how people manage to get and keep control of the things they need to survive, whether that be money, land, or a place in a line-up for an event. It can be a positive activity that helps all people, but it can also be dangerous, violent and corrupt.
Politics is a game that can be played on a variety of levels, from the small groups of traditional societies through to multinational corporations and sovereign states. It requires a lot of ruthlessness, a cold as ice mind and zero emotion to be successful at. The root quality required is the ability to manipulate other people for one’s own self-aggrandisement. It’s a field that is always changing and challenging, but it remains central to our human existence. We all play it in some way.
Politics is the way people make planned decisions about how to live together in groups like tribes, cities, and countries. It includes how to share scarce resources, and access to precious rights and privileges. It also deals with how to settle disputes between people. Politics is a powerful tool, and people spend much of their lives making decisions about it. People who study politics are called political scientists or political leaders, and some of them work in government or business. Politics is also the subject of books and academic courses. It is sometimes taught at universities under the names of political science, government, or public affairs. In modern times, people often form political parties to put forward their ideas. There is usually some disagreement between people within a party, but they work together because they believe that they will have more power in an election if they all agree to support the same changes to law and the same leaders. In the US, there are two major political parties: Democratic and Republican. Many political scientists focus on the way that people interact with each other to make plans about resources and rights. They are interested in how politicians acquire power, how they use it, and how they maintain their legitimacy. They study things like voting systems and how governments are organised, including institutions like parliaments and courts. They also look at practices like lobbying and demonstrations, and how they can shape policy. For example, if a group of people is unhappy with the way that their government is run, they may organise protests and try to influence politicians or public opinion. They might also try to change the rules that govern how governments operate, for example by pushing for age limits for politicians or removing the Electoral College. The word ‘politics’ comes from the Greek politya, which means “affairs of the city.” Politics is all about how people manage to get and keep control of the things they need to survive, whether that be money, land, or a place in a line-up for an event. It can be a positive activity that helps all people, but it can also be dangerous, violent and corrupt. Politics is a game that can be played on a variety of levels, from the small groups of traditional societies through to multinational corporations and sovereign states. It requires a lot of ruthlessness, a cold as ice mind and zero emotion to be successful at. The root quality required is the ability to manipulate other people for one’s own self-aggrandisement. It’s a field that is always changing and challenging, but it remains central to our human existence. We all play it in some way.