What is

Summary
Definitions of politics
Politics and power
End of politics
Is politics good or bad?

Definitions of politics
Who gets what, when, where, why, and how?
(Lasswell)
Political science
Authoritative allocation of scarce resources (Easton)
Study of politics and government (Traditional definition)

Politics conceived as a particular means of resolving

conflict: that is, by compromise, conciliation and
negotiation (Heywood)
How and why individuals think, decide, and act
towards political objects (Political behavior)

Definitions of politics
The personal is political.
Are we always going to be happy with the decisions
that are made?
In essence, politics is an activity whereby an individual
or group seeks power by mobilizing support for their
particular point of view. Politics is the ability to get
what you want by obtaining power. What is power?

Politics and Power

A has power over B
to the extent that A can get B to do something
that B would otherwise not do. (Dahl)

A exercises power over B when A affects B in a

manner contrary to Bs interests. (Lukes)
Hard power: Military force
Soft power: Propaganda
Inherent powers of a state: police power, tax power,
power of eminent domain

End of politics
Achieve common good

Is politics good or bad?

Politics is inherently good as its goal is to achieve the
common good of a society, community, nation-state.
Varying points-of-view in politics (political ideologies)
define what is good or bad in politics.