POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE WITH PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

Lecture #1

POLITICAL SCIENCE: DEFINITION

 A branch of the social sciences that:
1. Deals with the systematic study of the state and government
2. The study of people and their relationship with the community
3. The study of power relationships between individuals and groups with emphasis on the
study of modern national state – its governments, political system and laws

SCOPE OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

1. Comparative politics - covers the study of political experience within more than
one nation-state for the purpose of making systematic comparisons
2. Political theory – body of doctrines relating to the origin, form, behavior and
purposes of the state
3. International relations - an attempt to explain behavior that occurs across the
boundaries of states,
4. Public administration – focuses on methods and techniques used in the actual
management the field of service that maintains a civil society and provides for the
needs of the public
5. Public law - the law of relationships between individuals and the government
a. Limitations on government authority
b. Power and duties of government offices and officers
c. State obligations of one state
6. Political economy - analyzes how public policy is created and implemented
GOVERNMENT
 the agency through which the will of the state is carried out
 political machienery by which the people are government

GOVERNANCE
 the group of people with the authority to govern a country or state

POLITICS
 science and art of government or governing a political entity
 methods and tactics used to run a government or an organization.

POWER
 the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of
events

POLITICAL SYSTEM - the set of formal legal institutions that constitute a “government” or
a “state.”

1
Goals of the study of Political Science Courses
1. Education for citizenship – prepares the students for responsible citizenship and
participation in careers in politics, law, teaching, civil service and foreign
service
2. Essential part of liberal education – having no materialistic price and security
but intelligent and responsible citizen
3. Knowledge and understanding of government – seeks to gather and impart his
knowledge and understanding of how the government operate

CONCEPTS

State
 A body of people, politically organized under one government, within a definite
territory
 A community of persons, more or less numerous, permanently occupying a definite
portion of territory, independent of external control and having an organized
government where inhabitants render obedience
 Often referred to as a POLITICAL CONCEPT

Nation
 A large or small group, or inhabitants occupying a definite territory, having a common
language, custom, traditions, history and aspirations
 A racial or traditional concept

ELEMENTS OF STATE

1. People
 Inhabitants -- Without it, there can be no functionaries to govern and no subjects
to be governed
 The population must not be too small nor too large; small enough to be well
governed and large enough to be self-sufficient.
 Vatican is the smallest state in terms of population (1,000). China has the most
number of population.
 The size, progress and importance of State depend much on the following factor:
(a) Population – whether it is thickly or sparsely affects the social, economic
and industrial status, domestically and internationally
(b) Characteristics of the people – determines the chances to prosper or
retrogress
(c) Nationalism of the people – determined by the people’s homogeneity or
heterogeneity
2. Territory
 Includes all the lands, water, airspace and resources within its jurisdiction
 There is no fast rule to determine the extent of territory required to constitute
a state. It must have a sufficient territory to accommodate its population and

2
 maintain social, political, civic and economic life nationally and
internationally.
 The increase and decrease of territorial behavior can be done through:
1. Discovery and occupation of new lands
2. Conquest
3. Accretion – increase through national or artificial causes
4. Cession – through gifts, purchase or exchange

3. Government
 The agency/political machinery by which the will of people are carried out. The
body of men usually referred to as administration.

4. Sovereignty
 It is the supreme power of the state to command and enforce obedience to the
people.
 Freedom from foreign control
 Perpetual, indivisible and inalienable (Bodin)
 Has 2 dimensions:
A. Internal – supremacy within the territory of the state
B. External – independence from direct political control and intervention

Features of Sovereignty

1. Comprehensiveness
 It is all embracing and covers both internal and external aspects of things within
the jurisdiction of the state.
 Every individual and every association of individual is subject to the sovereignty
of the state. No association or group of individuals, however, rich or powerful it
may be, can resist or disobey the sovereign authority.
2. Originality
 By originality we mean that the sovereign wields power by virtue of his own right
and not by virtue of anybody’s mercy.
3. Perpetuity
 It is inherent in the state, hence, perpetual and lasting. It is enduring and
resides in the people and remains unaffected by internal changes.
4. Extensiveness
 Supreme, exclusive and invincible. It resides solely on the people in a democracy.
There cannot exist another sovereign slate within the existing sovereign state.
5. Absolute
 Sovereignty is absolute and unlimited. The sovereign is entitled to do whatsoever
he likes. Sovereignty is subject to none
6. Inalienability
 By inalienability we mean that the State cannot part with its sovereignty. In
other words, we can say that the sovereign does not remain the sovereign or the
sovereign state, if he or the state transfers his or its sovereignty to any other
person or any other state.
7. Imprescriptbility
 By imprescriptibility, we mean that if the sovereign does not exercise his
sovereignty for a certain period of time, it does not lead to the destruction of
sovereignty. It lasts as long as the state lasts.
8. Indivisibility
 Sovereignty cannot be divided state, American statesman Calhoun has declared,
“Sovereignty is an entire thing; to divide it is to destroy it. It is the supreme
power in a state and we might just well divide it is to destroy it.
9. Unity
 Unity is the very spirit of Sovereignty. The sovereign state is united just as we
are united.

Prepared by: Dr. Maria Luisa B. Arnobit

Political Science Instructor
3