POLITICS

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POLITICS
polis- city state
scire- to know
Process that determine who shall occupy
roles of leadership in the govt. and how
powers of the govt. shall be exercised
(Lazarte)
Study of the power and the powerful, of
the infl uence and the infl uential, of the
rulers and the ruled and the authority
and the authoritative. (Daquila)

The art and science of governance; the

means by which the will of the
community
is
arrived
at
and
implemented. (Daquila)
Struggle for power
Artistic use of science and technology
to obtain the needs, wants, interests
and values benefi cial to individuals and
society

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF POLITICS

1. Power-authoritative/coercive capacity to
get things done.
2. Rule- regulation or law that controls the
conduct or behavior of people.
3. Authority-power inherent in the position or
function that allows an incumbent to
perform assigned duties and assumed
delegated responsibilities.
4. Infl uence- power exerted over others often
through ones position, intellect, force of
character or degree of accomplishment,
wealth etc.

ESSENTIAL TERMS RELATED TO

POLITICS
P- power, process, people, purpose
O- organization, opportunity, on-line
L- leadership, law, liberty
I- infl uence, impact, innovativeness
T- timeline, training, trustworthiness
I- issues, intelligence, integrity
C- communication, costs, charisma
S- security, style, strategy

WHY STUDY POLITICS?(LAZARTE)

Theories and principles learned will help men
develop a proper perspective and sound
judgement in achieving a better synthesis of
the changing modern world.
Understand the structural components of the
political environment and the problems that
control it.
Politics is everywhere.
Develop a positive attitude in dealing w/
political problems
Actively participate in the aff airs of the state

WHAT MAKES POLITICS A SCIENCE?

When it uses the cardinal rules of
scientifi c logic
1. Studies political phenomena/problem
2. Develop a hypotheses
3. Collect data
4. Statistically manipulate the data and
to validate the hypotheses

WHAT MAKES POLITICS AN ART?

POLITICAL SCIENCE
study of politics (Lazarte)
social science which deals w/ the systematic
study of state and government (Zulueta)
systematic study of state and government
(De Leon)
an academic discipline which studies political
phenomena (Dannug)
study of the state, its institutions, laws and
processes,
power
structures,
patterns,
distribution
and
relationship
between
individuals and group

GOALS/USES OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Understand the govt.
Part of liberal education
Education for citizenship

IS POLITICS DIRTY? IS POLITICS

GOOD OR BAD?
Former DILG Sec. Robledo

POLITICS MAY BE EITHER:

Good
3 Gs- gutsy
disposition, glorious
programs and good
performance.
Good Politics= Good
Governance=Good
Politician
GUIAPOs (Good
Uncorrupted
Achievements in
politics)

Bad
3 Gs- guns, goons
and gold
Bad Politics=Bad
Governance=Bad
Politician
TRAPOs (Traditional
Politicians)

GOVERNANCE
(UNDP) the exercise of political,
economic and administrative authority
in the management of the countrys
aff airs at all levels.
process of decision-making and the
process by which decisions are
implemented (or not implemented).

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
GOVERNANCE AND GOVERNMENT
Government
Governance
is what a "government"
does. It might be a geopolitical government
(nation-state), a corporate
government (business
entity), a socio-political
government (tribe, family
etc.), or any number of
diff erent kinds of
government, but
governance is the physical
exercise of management
power and policy

it is the
instrument
(usually
collective) that
does it

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
GOVERNANCE

PARTICIPATORY/PARTICIPATION
Participation by both men and women is a key
cornerstone of good governance. Participation
could be either direct or through legitimate
intermediate institutions or representatives. It
is important to point out that representative
democracy does not necessarily mean that the
concerns of the most vulnerable in society
would be taken into consideration in decision
making. Participation needs to be informed and
organized. This means freedom of association
and expression on the one hand and an
organized civil society on the other hand.

RULE OF LAW
Good governance requires fair legal
frameworks
that
are
enforced
impartially.
It
also
requires
full
protection of human rights, particularly
those
of
minorities.
Impartial
enforcement of laws requires an
independent judiciary and an impartial
and incorruptible police force.

TRANSPARENCY
Transparency means that decisions taken
and their enforcement are done in a
manner that follows rules and regulations.
It also means that information is freely
available and directly accessible to those
who will be aff ected by such decisions
and their enforcement. It also means that
enough information is provided and that it
is provided in easily understandable
forms and media.

RESPONSIVENESS
Good governance requires that
institutions and processes try to
serve all stakeholders within a
reasonable timeframe.

CONSENSUS-ORIENTED
There are several actors and as many view
points in a given society. Good governance
requires mediation of the diff erent interests in
society to reach a broad consensus in society
on what is in the best interest of the whole
community and how this can be achieved. It
also
requires
a
broad
and
long-term
perspective on what is needed for sustainable
human development and how to achieve the
goals of such development. This can only
result from an understanding of the historical,
cultural and social contexts of a given society
or community.

EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS

A societys well being depends on
ensuring that all its members feel that
they have a stake in it and do not feel
excluded from the mainstream of
society. This requires all groups, but
particularly the most vulnerable, have
opportunities to improve or maintain
their well being.

EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY

Good
governance
means
that
processes and institutions produce
results that meet the needs of society
while making the best use of resources
at their disposal. The concept of
effi ciency in the context of good
governance
also
covers
the
sustainable use of natural resources
and the protection of the environment.

ACCOUNTABILITY
Not only governmental institutions but also
the
private
sector
and
civil
society
organizations must be accountable to the
public and to their institutional stakeholders.
Who
is
accountable
to
whom
varies
depending on whether decisions or actions
taken are internal or external to an
organization or institution. In general an
organization or an institution is accountable
to those who will be aff ected by its decisions
or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced
without transparency and the rule of law.