The Basics of Politics

Politics

Politics refers to the way a group of people makes decisions about what to do, especially when they have different interests. This can include anything from a few friends deciding who gets the best pizza toppings, to a country of millions determining its leaders. The field of study that studies these processes is called Political Science.

The people that make politics happen are called politicians. In most countries, these people belong to one or more political parties, which have differing views on how a country should be run. It’s the politician’s job to persuade others to support their party and its candidates for office. The more support a candidate receives from their party, the better chance they have of being elected to office. Once they are in office, it’s the politician’s responsibility to follow through on the promises they made during campaigning.

In some cases, a person may choose to not belong to any political party and instead act as an independent. These people are sometimes referred to as non-partisan or independent politicians.

Historically, there have been two main political parties in the United States: Democrats and Republicans. Since the end of the American Civil War, these have been the only parties to have much influence at the national and state level. This is partly due to the United States’ plurality-based first-past-the-post voting system, which discourages vote splitting and rewards strategic votes. The two major parties also have strong internal factions that diverge from their official positions.

There are many types of government in existence around the world. Some governments are ruled by one person (an autocracy), some by a select group of people (an aristocracy), and most by the people as a whole (a democracy). Some of these governments are federal, while others are republics.

A defining feature of a democratic government is that people have the power to decide who governs them, and when. This power is exercised through elections, where voters decide who should be their leader based on the manifesto they outlined during their campaigns. These leaders then make political decisions for the country based on the needs and desires of the citizens.

The basic idea behind politics is that people living in groups give up some of their autonomy in order to benefit from the advantages of living as part of a larger society. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in 1532 that politics is first about getting and keeping power, while Thomas Hobbes wrote in 1651 that a social contract is a fundamental principle of government.

Most governments are structured into distinct institutions that each have a specific set of powers, duties, and functions. The distribution of these institutions differs between governments, as does the number and functions of those institutions. In most democratic countries, the political power is split between a central national government and several local state governments. Typically, these governments are organised into branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Often, these different branches of government are separated into separate institutions in order to avoid any single entity becoming too powerful.

Politics refers to the way a group of people makes decisions about what to do, especially when they have different interests. This can include anything from a few friends deciding who gets the best pizza toppings, to a country of millions determining its leaders. The field of study that studies these processes is called Political Science. The people that make politics happen are called politicians. In most countries, these people belong to one or more political parties, which have differing views on how a country should be run. It’s the politician’s job to persuade others to support their party and its candidates for office. The more support a candidate receives from their party, the better chance they have of being elected to office. Once they are in office, it’s the politician’s responsibility to follow through on the promises they made during campaigning. In some cases, a person may choose to not belong to any political party and instead act as an independent. These people are sometimes referred to as non-partisan or independent politicians. Historically, there have been two main political parties in the United States: Democrats and Republicans. Since the end of the American Civil War, these have been the only parties to have much influence at the national and state level. This is partly due to the United States’ plurality-based first-past-the-post voting system, which discourages vote splitting and rewards strategic votes. The two major parties also have strong internal factions that diverge from their official positions. There are many types of government in existence around the world. Some governments are ruled by one person (an autocracy), some by a select group of people (an aristocracy), and most by the people as a whole (a democracy). Some of these governments are federal, while others are republics. A defining feature of a democratic government is that people have the power to decide who governs them, and when. This power is exercised through elections, where voters decide who should be their leader based on the manifesto they outlined during their campaigns. These leaders then make political decisions for the country based on the needs and desires of the citizens. The basic idea behind politics is that people living in groups give up some of their autonomy in order to benefit from the advantages of living as part of a larger society. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in 1532 that politics is first about getting and keeping power, while Thomas Hobbes wrote in 1651 that a social contract is a fundamental principle of government. Most governments are structured into distinct institutions that each have a specific set of powers, duties, and functions. The distribution of these institutions differs between governments, as does the number and functions of those institutions. In most democratic countries, the political power is split between a central national government and several local state governments. Typically, these governments are organised into branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Often, these different branches of government are separated into separate institutions in order to avoid any single entity becoming too powerful.