Assignment No.

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Name: Jennifer Elizabeth S. Robb Date: September 2, 2022
Class schedule: TTh 4:30-6:00 PM

General instruction: Below is the four major approaches to defining politics

(Heywood, 2013). Explain each approach briefly (no more than three sentences)
and provide an example for each approach using fact-based situations, news
clippings or articles, and other relevant sample cases in the history of Philippine
politics. Cite reliable sources after each item. (10 points each)

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 A. Politics as the art of the government
A perspective of politics that is state-centered views politics as the art of government. Politics, in this
understanding, is the exercise of controlling the masses through the formal establishment and
implementation of decisions made collectively. This recognizes the system of a state's social
institution and authoritative distribution of values primarily focused on the machinery of the
government, implying that politics can be characterized as a process of various mechanisms by which
the government responds to the desires and needs and needs of the society through adequate and
appropriate resource distribution through a formal or legitimate course of action that establishes a
significant and practical course of action for the city-state, guaranteeing that all demands are
addressed.

Azer. “Marcos’ Gov’t to Decide on Plan to Impose New Taxes.” Philippine News Agency, 26 May
2022, www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1175242.

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 B. Politics as public affairs
A more expansive view of politics emphasizes the idea that politics is a public affair. Since politics in
this context primarily concerns itself with the city-state, it essentially undertakes moral actions that are
concerned with the formation of a more ethical and just society. Furthermore, it is crucial to remember
that politics as public affairs confine itself to state-led initiatives that address the polis's problems as a
whole and ends when it intrudes on personal affairs

Galvez, Daphne. “DSWD: Cash Aid Extended to over 148,000 Students, so Far | Inquirer News.”
INQUIRER.Net, 29 Aug. 2022, newsinfo.inquirer.net/1654751/fwd-dswd-distributes-aid-to-over-
148000-students-so-far.

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 C. Politics as compromise and consensus
Politics as compromise and consensus entails settling disputes via consultation, discussion, and
consensus building in order to reach an agreement that will solve the issue rather than imposing bare
power. In this sense, politics refers to the process of resolving problems and conflicting interests
within a polis by distributing power in accordance to each institution's significance to the society's
benefit and sustenance (Crick, 2000). By weighing alternatives that might address issues pertaining
to the welfare of the community, politics, as a compromise and consensus-building process,
addresses the issues that threaten the welfare and survival of the city-state.

“Philippine City Passes Law Against LGBT Discrimination | Human Rights Watch.” Philippine City
Passes Law Against LGBT Discrimination | Human Rights Watch, 5 June 2018,
www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/05/philippine-city-passes-law-against-lgbt-discrimination.

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 D. Politics as power
Understanding how politics and power are defined is crucial to comprehending politics as power.
Politics can be defined as a struggle or dispute over limited resources, whereas power is the methods
by which the conflict is contested. This indicates that, because of man's insatiable drive for
satisfaction, there is always a necessity for additional resources, that leads to a requirement for
power, which allows one to use the exercise of authority over others to achieve a desired outcome,
that will address the needs of those they are in control of, since politics as power involves power-
structured relationships, with a greater authority in control of a collection of individuals. Politics as
power does not confine itself to a particular sphere; this views politics as a social activity that exists in
within public and private realms.

“PEOPLE POWER of 1986: A NATIONWIDE PHENOMENON - National Historical Commission of the

Philippines.” National Historical Commission of the Philippines, 24 Feb. 2022, nhcp.gov.ph/people-
power-of-1986-a-nationwide-phenomenon.

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REFERENCES:

Heywood, Andrew (2013). What is Politics?, pp. 3-10.