MODULE NO.

I. What is political science and why study it?

What comes into your minds when you hear the word “politics”?
Election, Money, Power, Justice, Laws, Corruption, Lobbying,
Politicians. State your personal idea or definition of what Political
Science is. Would you want to be in Politics, why or why not?

The simplest definition of Political Science is the systematic study of

the state and government. Since it is a science of politics, it is about
the basic knowledge and understanding of the state and of the
principles and ideals which bring about its organization and activities.
It also concerns the association of human beings into a political
community which also means being organized under government
and law.

A very comprehensive and broad field, the scope of political science

discuss courses in political theory, public law and public administration.

1.Political theory includes study of doctrines about the origin, form and
purposes of the state.

2. Public law discusses the organization of governments, limitations

upon govt authority, powers and duties of govt office and officers and
the obligations of one state to another. In contrast with private law
which governs the relations among individuals, public law is more
specialized.
3. In the study of public administration, the focus is on the methods
and techniques used in the actual management of state affairs by the
executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government.

Political science is so broad that it relates and shares many points of

interest with other social disciplines that includes the following:

1. History- “ history is past politics and politics is present history”.

Interpretation of the present political situation and probable
developments in the political arena is most often based on what
happened in the past. In short, if people do not learn from the
past, there is always the tendency that it could be repeated
again. For instance, the 1st world war was repeated because of
some lessons unlearned and it may happen again if people fail
to learn from the past lessons again. Historical approach.

2. Economics- political science was previously known as “political

economy” because the study of the production, distribution,
conservation and consumption of wealth is most often related to
public financial policies and the way the government regulates
businesses and money flow. Economic approach.

3. Geography- geopolitics is the science concerned with the study

of the influences of physical factors such as population
pressures, sources of raw materials, geography etc., upon
domestic and foreign politics. This explains why there are
classifications of some cities. For instance, why is Malilipot a 3 rd
or 4th class municipality while others are considered 1 st class or
2nd class..it has something to do with geopolitics.
 4. Sociology and anthropology- a political scientist also study the
society as a whole and “mankind in relation to physical, social,
and cultural development.
5. Psychology- political science, just like psychology, promotes
studies of the mental and emotional processes motivating the
political behaviors of individuals and groups. Psychological
approach.

6. Philosophy- the concepts in philosophy with that of Plato,

Aristotle and the likes are the underlying forces in framing of
constitutions and laws.

7. Statistics and Logic- the political theorist must possess a broad

scientific background and a knowledge of current political
problems, and he must employ scientific methods in gathering
and evaluating data and in drawing conclusions.

8. Jurisprudence- this is concerned with the analysis of existing

legal systems and also with the ethical, historical, sociological
and psychological foundations of law. Law and state are
inseparable. To maintain a full understanding of the facts of
political life, the political scientist has to combine the legal with
the extra-legal viewpoints.

“The ordinary thief steals your money, watch gold etc. But the political
thief steals your future, career, education, health and business.” Do you
personally agree to this statement? Why or why not?

How important is the study of Political Science for an ordinary college or

university student? Why study it if we are not into politics or a politician?
The study of Political Science actually does not offer much help in getting
students get ahead in finding a job or establishing a business, however,
this course makes us discover the principles that should be adhere to in
public affairs and it studies the operations of government in order to
demonstrate what is good, criticize what is bad or inefficient, and to
suggest improvements. The goals in the study of Political Science course
are as follows:

1. Education for citizenship- this is the primary purpose of the polsci

curriculum. One must have a clear understanding of our
obligations and rights as citizens in a society.

2. Essential parts of liberal education- intelligent, responsible

citizenship can save democracy; ignorance and negligence can lose
it. If you think democracy is over rated, try to live in North Korea.
Though it is true that this course bears no materialistic price tag
and promises no job security, but awareness about democracy has
practical advantages which no one can appraise in monetary terms
just how much freedom is worth? “eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty”. Study, information, and understanding of the complexities
of modern government and politics are necessary as eternal
vigilance.

3. Knowledge and understanding of government- the “good citizen”

who behaves himself and votes regularly is no longer enough. He
must also be the citizen who knows the answer. He must know
 how his government operates, what interests and forces are behind
particular policies are likely to be, what his rights and obligations
are, who his elected representatives are, and what they stand for.
For in knowing and understanding such information is the only way
to maintain the priceless democracy.

To conclude, the major purpose of studying Political Science is to deepen

knowledge and understanding of one of the most powerful forces that
operates on people, communities and corporations and ultimately be able to
use that knowledge and understanding to be always assertive of our
individual rights and function as responsible citizens in a state. In short,
understanding politics helps us understand the decisions that actually impacts
our lives now or sooner if not later.

II. Concept of State and Government

A state is a community of persons more or less numerous, permanently

occupying a definite portion of territory, having a government of their own
to which the great body of inhabitants render obedience, and enjoying
freedom from external control.

The Philippines is a state.

Essential Elements of a State:

1. People- the mass of population living within the state. Without

people there can be no functionaries to govern and no subjects
to be governed.
Vatican has reputedly the smallest state in point of population
while China is has the largest population.

2. Territory- this includes not only the land over which the
jurisdiction of the state extends, but also the rivers and lakes
therein, a certain area of the sea which abuts upon its coast and
the air space above it. Thus the domain of the state may be
described as terrestrial, fluvial, maritime and aerial.
The smallest state when it comes to territory is the Vatican
while the largest state is Canada.

3. Government – this is the agency through which the will of the

state is formulated, expressed and carried out. It may also
sometimes refer to the person or aggregate of those persons
whom are for the time being in-charge of political control.
Sometimes government is synonymous to the administration.
The ordinary citizen is always part of the state but are not part
of the government.

4. Sovereignty – the supreme power of the state to command and

enforce obedience to its will from people within its jurisdiction
and in effect, to have freedom from foreign control. The internal
and external aspects of sovereignty are not absolutely true in
practice because of the development of international relations
and consequently, of the international law.

Origin of the states

 Ever wondered why there are nations? Why there are countries? Why are
there different races? There are several theories concerning the origin of the
states, among which are:

1. Divine right theory. – It holds that the state is of divine creation and the
ruler ordained by God to govern the people. Reference has been made by
advocates of this theory to the laws which Moses received at Mount Sinai;

2. Necessity or force theory. – It maintains that states must have been

created through force, by some great warriors who imposed their will
upon the weak; example for this is the US, Canada and Australia, people
from Europe conquered the land and established a state of their own.

3. Paternalistic theory. – it attributes the origin of states to the enlargement

of the family which remained under the authority of the father or mother.
By natural stages, the family grew into a clan, then developed into tribe
which broadened into a nation, and the nation became a state; this is
mostly seen in a monarchy type of state; and

4. Social contract theory. – It asserts that the early states must have been
formed by deliberate and voluntary compact among the people to form a
society and organized government for their common good. Example for
this is Korea which in their early part of history was considered 3
kingdoms that later on decided to unite as one state.

Nobody know which of these is the exact theory that actually formed the states
however, each of the theories presented an element that is present to some
current states that we have now.
State distinguished from Nation and Government

The state is a political concept while nation is an ethnic concept, it is a group

of people bound together by certain characteristics such as common social origin,
language, customs and traditions, and they believe that they are one and distinct
from others. The term is a close synonyms of the word “people”.
A state is not subject to external control while a nation may or may not be
independent of external control. Example of which, are the Kurds in Turkey,
which is a nation without a state.
A single state may consist of one or more nations (example is the US and UK)
and a nation may consist of several states( example is the Arab nation that is
divided by several sovereign states such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria etc.). The
Philippines is a state composed of one nation.
In common usage, the two terms are often used synonymously and even the
constitution uses them interchangeably.

It’s almost the same with the term, Government, in common speech, people
tend to think they are identical because the “acts” of the government (legal) are
also the acts of the state. Example: imposing taxes, implementing law..etc.
The government is the agency through which the state expresses its will. A
state cannot exist without a government but a government may exist without a
state. Example of which are the governments we had during Spanish times. To
further explain, the Philippines does not exist as a state during Spanish rule.
Thus, the government may change, its form may change, but the state, as long
as it has its 4 elements, stays the same.

Purpose of Government
 Do we need a government? Yes. Even the most primitive societies have some
form of it as shown in history.

Government exists and should continue to exist for the benefit of the people
governed. What are the benefits?
 For the protection of the society and its members
 For the security of persons and property
 For the administration of justice
 For the preservation of the state from external dangers
 For the advancement of the physical, economic, social and cultural
well-being of the people
What happens when there is no government?
 There would be anarchy and disorder
 There’ll be a general feeling of fear and insecurity in society
 Progress and development will not be possible
 Some values will be taken for granted such as truth, freedom, justice,
equality, rule of law and human dignity.

Forms of Government

1. As to number of persons exercising sovereign powers:

a. Monarchy- there is only one person with sovereign powers
- Absolute monarchy(rules through Divine Right)
- Limited monarchy(in accordance with a constitution)
b. Aristocracy/oligarchy- political powers is exercised by a few
privilege class.
c. Democracy- political power is exercised by the majority of the
people
- Direct/pure democracy
- Indirect/republican democracy

2. As to extent of powers exercised by the National Government

a. Unitary- control of national and local affairs is exercised by the
National Government
b. Federal government- powers of the govt are divided into 2 organs,
national and local affairs

3. As to relationship between executive and legislative branch

a. Parliamentary government- the legislature determines the tenure of
the real executive. Prime minister is the head of govt, monarch is
head of state.
b. Presidential government- the executive is independent from the
legislative.

On the basis of the above classifications of the government, it can be said that
the Philippine govt is a representative democracy, a unitary and presidential
government with separation of powers. It also embodies some aspects of pure
democracy such as, for instance, the constitutional provision on people’s initiative
and referendum.

III. Concept of Constitution

The term constitution refers to "that body of rules and principles in accordance
with which the powers of sovereignty are regularly exercised.
With particular reference to the constitution of the Philippines, it may be defined
as that written instrument by which the fundamental powers of the government
are established, limited, and defined and by which these powers are distributed
among the several departments or branches for their safe and useful exercise
for the benefit of the people.
Again...why do we have a constitution?

First, it serves as the supreme or fundamental law because it is the charter that
creates a government. We say supreme or fundamental because it speaks for the
entire people from whom it derives its claim to obedience.
 It is binding on all individual citizens and all organs of the
government.
 It is the law to which all other laws must conform and in
accordance with which all private rights must be determined and all
public authority administered
 It is the test of legality of all governmental actions, whether
proceeding from the highest official or lowest functionary.

Second, the constitution establishes basic framework and underlying principles of

government. The purpose of a constitution is :
 to prescribe the permanent framework of the system of
government and
 to assign to the different branches, their respective powers and
duties, and
 to establish certain basic principles on which the government is
founded.
 To preserve and protect the rights of individuals against the
arbitrary actions of those in authority.

The constitution function is not to legislate in detail but to set limits in the
otherwise unlimited power of the legislature.

On the other hand, Constitutional law is that branch of public law which treats of
constitutions, their nature, formation, amendment and interpretation. It refers to
law embodied in the Constitution as well as the principles growing out of the
interpretation and application made by the courts(particularly the Supreme
Court, being the court of last resort). Thus, the Philippine Constitution itself is
brief but the law of the Constitution lies scattered on thousands Supreme court
decisions.

Kinds of Constitution

1. As t origin/history
a) Conventional or enacted- enacted by a constituent assembly or
granted by a monarch to his subjects. (written)
b) Cumulative or evolved- a product of growth or long period of
development originating in customs, traditions, judicial decisions,
etc rather than from a deliberate and formal enactment.
(unwritten)

2. As to their form
a) Written- with a definite written form at a particular time, usually by
a specially constituted authority called a “constitutional
convention”; and
b) Unwritten – One which is entirely the product of political evolution,
consisting largely of a mass of customs, usage and judicial
decisions together with a smaller body of statutory enactments of a
fundamental character, usually bearing different dates. The English
Constitution is unwritten only in the sense that it is not codified in a
single document. Part of it is written – the Acts of Parliament and
judicial decisions. Indeed, there is no Constitution that is entirely
written or unwritten.
 3. As to manner of amending them:
a) Rigid or inelastic – One regarded as a document of special
machinery more cumbrous than the ordinary legislative process;
and
b) Flexible or elastic – One which possesses no higher legal authority
than ordinary laws.

The Philippine Constitution may be classified as conventional or

enacted, written, and rigid or inelastic. It was drafted by an
appointive body called “Constitutional Commission.”

Advantages and disadvantages of a written constitution.

1. It has the advantage of clearness and definiteness over an unwritten one.

This is because it is prepared with great care and deliberation. Such as
constitution cannot be easily bent or twisted by the legislature or by the
courts, to meet the temporary fancies of the moment. Hence, the
protection it affords and the rights it guarantees are apt to be more
secure. Moreover, it is more stable and free from all dangers of temporary
popular passion.
2. Its disadvantage lies in the difficulty of its amendment. (see Art. XVII.)
this prevents the immediate introduction of needed changes and may
thereby retard the healthy growth and progress of state.

What is your personal opinion on the kind of Constitution that we currently have?
With every administration wanting to stretch out their term of office, everyone
tries to have a charter change claiming that the constitution we have now is not
enough.

Requisites of a good constitution:

1. As to form
a) Brief
b) Broad
c) Definite
2. As to contents
a) That dealing with the framework of government and its powers,
and defining the electorate. This group of provision has been called
the constitution of the government;
b) That setting forth the fundamental rights of the people and
imposing certain limitations of the powers of the government as a
means of securing the enjoyment of these rights. This group has
been referred to as the constitution of liberty; and
c) That pointing out the mode or procedure for amending or revising
the constitution. These group has been called the constitution of
sovereignty.

Constitutions of the Philippines

I. The 1935 constitution

II. The 1973 constitution
III. The 1987 constitution

Basic principles underlying the 1987 constitution:

1. Recognition of the aide of the Almighty God (see preamble)

2. Sovereignty of the people( see art II sec1)
3. Renunciation of war as an instrument of nation policy( see ibid., sec2)
4. Supremacy of civilian authority over the military (see ibid sec3)
 5. Separation of Church and State( see ibid., sec6)
6. Recognition of the importance of the family as a basic social institution
and vital role of the youth in nation-building (see ibid secs12,13, art
XV)
7. Guarantee of human rights( see Art.3)
8. Government through suffrage (see art5 sec1)
9. Separation of powers (see artVI sec 1)
10. Independence of the judiciary (art.8 sec1)
11. Guarantee of local autonomy (art.X sec2)
12. High sense of public service morality and accountability of public
officers (art XI sec 1)
13. Nationalization of natural resources and certain private enterprises
affected with public interest (art xvi sec 2,3,17,18)
14. Non suability of the state
15. Rule of the majority
16. Government of laws and not of men.

Name ____________________________________ Year/section_____________

Activity: find the movie Heneral Luna. Comment on how the power of the
constitution was observed in the movie.