Why Should You Care About Politics?
Politics is the way people who live in groups make planned decisions about how to spend their time and resources. They can do this at the level of the family, tribe or city, or in larger groups like countries. They may work in a government, business or institution that makes laws or other plans to govern their group. In modern societies, some people choose to focus on politics by running for office or forming political parties and competing against others in elections to become leaders. Politics can also be studied as a subject in universities, where it is often called political science, government or public administration.
Various theories about the nature of politics exist. One such theory, sometimes called Positive Political Theory (or Positivism), is based on the assumption that there are certain basic facts about how human beings behave in groups, and that these can be used to predict what kind of rules will lead to best results for a society. The other main approach is to use formal methods, such as social choice theory or game theory, to analyze different political systems and to determine their performance. These kinds of analyses usually involve simulated or hypothetical interactions between individuals, parties, nations or other units, assuming that all involved are rational agents seeking to maximize their own personal gain and the good of their group.
Most Americans today are dissatisfied with their country’s politics. Many say the political process is too influenced by special interests and campaign donors. Other major criticisms include the frequency of partisan attacks and the lack of cooperation between Democrats and Republicans. A majority of people support putting age limits in place for elected officials, although opinions on this issue differ by partisanship.
The most important reason to care about politics is that the decisions that are made by politicians can affect your life. For example, if the government decides to build on land that is used for agriculture or recreation, it could have a negative impact on the people who use that land. Another reason to care about politics is that it allows you to voice your societal concerns and priorities. Without it, you would not be able to express your feelings about the world around you and create meaningful change for the future.
People in the United States generally identify with either the Democratic or Republican Party, but there are also dozens of smaller third parties. The Constitution’s framers envisioned a three-branch national government and a system of checks and balances to ensure that power is not concentrated in too few hands. Today, these checks and balances have been weakened, and the nation faces serious problems, from the deficit to health care and immigration reform. It is essential that we regain the ability to solve problems in a bipartisan manner. The country’s future depends on it.
Politics is the way people who live in groups make planned decisions about how to spend their time and resources. They can do this at the level of the family, tribe or city, or in larger groups like countries. They may work in a government, business or institution that makes laws or other plans to govern their group. In modern societies, some people choose to focus on politics by running for office or forming political parties and competing against others in elections to become leaders. Politics can also be studied as a subject in universities, where it is often called political science, government or public administration. Various theories about the nature of politics exist. One such theory, sometimes called Positive Political Theory (or Positivism), is based on the assumption that there are certain basic facts about how human beings behave in groups, and that these can be used to predict what kind of rules will lead to best results for a society. The other main approach is to use formal methods, such as social choice theory or game theory, to analyze different political systems and to determine their performance. These kinds of analyses usually involve simulated or hypothetical interactions between individuals, parties, nations or other units, assuming that all involved are rational agents seeking to maximize their own personal gain and the good of their group. Most Americans today are dissatisfied with their country’s politics. Many say the political process is too influenced by special interests and campaign donors. Other major criticisms include the frequency of partisan attacks and the lack of cooperation between Democrats and Republicans. A majority of people support putting age limits in place for elected officials, although opinions on this issue differ by partisanship. The most important reason to care about politics is that the decisions that are made by politicians can affect your life. For example, if the government decides to build on land that is used for agriculture or recreation, it could have a negative impact on the people who use that land. Another reason to care about politics is that it allows you to voice your societal concerns and priorities. Without it, you would not be able to express your feelings about the world around you and create meaningful change for the future. People in the United States generally identify with either the Democratic or Republican Party, but there are also dozens of smaller third parties. The Constitution’s framers envisioned a three-branch national government and a system of checks and balances to ensure that power is not concentrated in too few hands. Today, these checks and balances have been weakened, and the nation faces serious problems, from the deficit to health care and immigration reform. It is essential that we regain the ability to solve problems in a bipartisan manner. The country’s future depends on it.