What Is Politics?
Politics is the process of making agreements about how people should live together in groups such as tribes, cities or countries. It involves decisions about what to do and how to share resources. Politics is also about power and control. People who spend a lot of time doing politics are called politicians. The study of politics is called political science, public affairs or government.
The word “politics” comes from the Greek politika, meaning “affairs of the city”. Traditionally, politics has been considered the business of governments and the activity of those who make decisions about the running of cities, states or countries. However, the scope of politics is wider than this. Some people have argued that any activity that relates to making agreements about how humans should live together is political. These include animal rights movements and the choice not to eat meat. This broader view of politics is sometimes known as post-ideological politics.
Others have argued that it is impossible to separate politics from the process by which people allocate scarce resources and privileges. For this reason, they have suggested that politics is best understood as the authoritative and legitimate struggle for limited resources or precious rights and privileges. The ideas of the philosophers Plato and Aristotle have influenced this perspective on politics.
Humans have engaged in politics as long as they have faced scarcity and different beliefs about how resources should be allocated. Some of the most important political issues involve religion, race and ethnicity and the environment.
In some societies, politics is run by a single person or organisation. In others, politicians are elected or appointed to positions in a variety of institutions, including local councils, schools and hospitals. People also engage in politics by lobbying, demonstrating and voting. Governments and other organisations also participate in political processes in the international sphere through organisations like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
Some people form political parties to put forward their views on how a society should be run. These groups may have some disagreements within them but they work together because they believe that they will have more power if they agree on enough issues and support the same leaders. Elections are held to decide which party will get power at different levels of government. The most important elections are for president and members of parliament.
In the United States, people choose their president by participating in a series of events, from caucuses and primaries to political conventions and the general election. There are also regional and supranational political institutions, such as the European Union and the African Union. The way that these different organisations interact with each other is the domain of political globalization, which began in the 20th century.
Politics is the process of making agreements about how people should live together in groups such as tribes, cities or countries. It involves decisions about what to do and how to share resources. Politics is also about power and control. People who spend a lot of time doing politics are called politicians. The study of politics is called political science, public affairs or government. The word “politics” comes from the Greek politika, meaning “affairs of the city”. Traditionally, politics has been considered the business of governments and the activity of those who make decisions about the running of cities, states or countries. However, the scope of politics is wider than this. Some people have argued that any activity that relates to making agreements about how humans should live together is political. These include animal rights movements and the choice not to eat meat. This broader view of politics is sometimes known as post-ideological politics. Others have argued that it is impossible to separate politics from the process by which people allocate scarce resources and privileges. For this reason, they have suggested that politics is best understood as the authoritative and legitimate struggle for limited resources or precious rights and privileges. The ideas of the philosophers Plato and Aristotle have influenced this perspective on politics. Humans have engaged in politics as long as they have faced scarcity and different beliefs about how resources should be allocated. Some of the most important political issues involve religion, race and ethnicity and the environment. In some societies, politics is run by a single person or organisation. In others, politicians are elected or appointed to positions in a variety of institutions, including local councils, schools and hospitals. People also engage in politics by lobbying, demonstrating and voting. Governments and other organisations also participate in political processes in the international sphere through organisations like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Some people form political parties to put forward their views on how a society should be run. These groups may have some disagreements within them but they work together because they believe that they will have more power if they agree on enough issues and support the same leaders. Elections are held to decide which party will get power at different levels of government. The most important elections are for president and members of parliament. In the United States, people choose their president by participating in a series of events, from caucuses and primaries to political conventions and the general election. There are also regional and supranational political institutions, such as the European Union and the African Union. The way that these different organisations interact with each other is the domain of political globalization, which began in the 20th century.