Social Science 1

PHILIPPINE
GOVERNMENT AND NEW
CONSTITUTION WITH
CURRENT EVENTS.
Concept of Politics
 
 What is Politics?

-It is process by which groups of

people make collective decisions.
- It denotes a social activity.

a. the creation, maintenance and

amendment of social norms or rules.

b. it is an art and science of the

government.

c. it is the realm of public affairs or

the state.
-The term is generally applied to
behavior within civil governments,
but politics has been observed in
other group interactions.

-It consists of social relations

involving authority or power and
refers to the regulation of public
affairs within a political unit,
and to the methods and tactics used
to formulate and apply policy.
 The Basic Concepts of
Politics

1. Order- it is the central to

the study of politics because
it shows different components
of human society.
 Structures of Order

a. Community- is one kind of social

order which refers to the association
of individual who shares a common
identity.
b. Government- is a higher level of
social order that exist primarily for
the maintenance and perpetuation of
the community.
c. State- is the largest order today and
in which the term politics originally
derived.
 The Basic Concepts of
Politics

2. Power- the main source

of reign of the government.
The possession to govern or
rule the state.
 The Basic Concepts of
Politics

3. Justice- the process of

legalizing and penalizing
the abuse of political
power and power of rule.
 Two Approaches to the Study of
Politics
1. Political Philosophy- it is the
traditional approach in which the primary
goal is to understand the essence or the
truth about politics.

2. Political Science- it is the

empirical/objective approach in which it
places little emphasis on abstract and
normative question, and concentrates on a
dispassionate and objective of the
realities of politics.
 What is Power?

- A term of influence.

- A central concept when

studying politics.
 What is Power?

Who has the Power?

How much power does he/she

have?

How is that power exercised?

 Possible Nuances
 Authority- connotes the rightful exercise
of power.

 Persuasion- connotes the exercise of power

in a manner of non-violence and whereby (B)
comes to agree that to act in the manner
(A) wants is in his best interests as well.

 Coercion- connotes the exercise of power in

a violent manner (or presupposing the
threat of violence).
 Types of Power

Manifest- based on any observable

action that results in (B) doing what
(A) wants.

Implicit- More tacit than observable.

- generally contextual and

indirect.
 Measuring Power

1. The amount of change in the position

of the actor influenced.
2. The costs of compliance.
3. The amount of difference in the
probability (or frequency) of
compliance.
4. Differences in the scope of the
responses.
5. The number of respondents.
 Political Power

-A type of power held by a group in a

society which allows administration of
some or all of public resources,
including labour, and wealth.
 Ways to Obtain Political Power

Political Legitimacy- political power

held by the representatives of
national sovereignty.

Political powers are not limited to

heads of the states.
 Political Behavior

It is consists of human activities

relating to the government and its
processes of authoritative decision
making and action.
 Examples of Political
Behavior/Political Activity

1. Voting in elections.

2. Contributing money to political

parties or to the election campaigns
of candidates running for government
office.

3. Attending and actively participating

in party caucuses or meetings.
 Examples of Political
Behavior/Political Activity
4. Serving on party and campaign
committees.

5. Serving as campaign workers for

particular candidates.

6. Working for political action

committees.
 Examples of Political
Behavior/Political Activity
7. Active membership in political
interests.

8. Lobbying.

9. Engaging in protest demonstrations.

10. Writing to or otherwise contracting

members of the legislature or other
political interests of group.
 Examples of Political
Behavior/Political Activity
11. Disseminating political propaganda.

12. Writing letters to newspaper and

magazine editors.

13. Writing and publishing books,

periodicals, articles, and other
literature dealing with public issues.
 Examples of Political
Behavior/Political Activity

14. Running for government office.

15. Government activity.

Political Power and Public Policy
The ultimate purpose of acquiring
political power is to use it to shape
and control public policy- public policy
in general or some aspect of public
policy.

Political power is acquired and

exercised in order to significantly
affect the governments authoritative
decisions and actions on public policy.