PHILIPPINE POLITICS

AND GOVERNACE
IDEOLOGIES AND THE
PHILIPPINE SOCIETY
INTRODUCTION
One may ask how political ideologies have
affected Philippine politics and society.
According to Buendia (1992), ideologies are
critical in a country’s political life as they
make and unmake regimes and governments.
He continued, “in the Philippines, ideologies
remain to be sharpened and fashioned to the
country’s needs and demands for
development. Many of the solutions proposed
by various ideologies are shaped by the way
the national problems are defined or seen”
Which values and beliefs materialized in the
course of Philippine political history? Has
liberalism triumphed over other beliefs in the
country? Or has communism weakened in the
Philippines? Is feminism present and how has
it influenced our society?
While the larger portion of the Philippine
society is not motivated by any ideology,
several groups, political parties, and sections
of the country espouse certain ideologies. As
Buendia (1992) claimed, these organizations
and their ideologies continue to compete in
offering solutions and programs of government
to respond to the nation’s problems.
POWER
INTRODUCTION
It is thus seen as the exercise of authority in
the state. Personal relationships are also
characterized by power, whether you are
conscious of this or not. You can notice how
power is practiced in everyday life, even in the
most ordinary situations.
You will be introduced to the nature and
types of power, and analyze its relevance and
consequences in shaping the structure of
different organizations and situations.
DEFINITION OF POWER
In its broadest sense, power is one’s ability to
achieve a desired outcome. However, in
political terms, power is the ability to
influence another—the way one thinks or
behaves—in a manner not of his or her own
choosing (Lasswell 1936).
It thus involves one’s capacity to get things
done, and to make someone do something he
or she would not otherwise do.
DEFINITION OF POWER
Political power involves three interrelated
concepts: legitimacy, authority, and
sovereignty. According to Roskin et al. (2012),
legitimacy refers to the people’s perception
that their government rules rightfully, and
thus must be obeyed. Sovereignty, on the
other hand, speaks of the ability of a national
government to be the sole leader, which has
the last word of law in that society. Lastly,
authority is seen as the political leader’s
ability to command respect and exercise
power.
DEFINITION OF POWER
Power comes in different faces or dimensions. It
can be considered as decision-making, agenda
setting, or thought control.
DIMENSIONS OF
POWER
(HEYWOOD 2013)
POWER AS
DECISION-MAKING
Power is perceived as the influence on the
content of decisions. Who decides, what to be
made, and how to execute such decision all
involve power.
POWER AS AGENDA
SETTING
Power involves the ability to set or control
political agenda, highlighting one at the
exclusion of other issues.
POWER AS THOUGHT
CONTROL
Power is seen as an ideological indoctrination
or a psychological control where one has the
ability to change or shape how another thinks
or behaves.
POWER AND
AUTHORITY
While power is defined as the ability to
command obedience and is rested on
coercion, most political systems have
developed mechanisms by which people obey
orders. Power is considered as authority
when it is recognized as legitimate.
Max Weber (1922) distinguished three types
of authority: traditional, rational-legal, and
charismatic.
 TYPES OF
AUTHORITY
TRADITIONAL
Authority is based on acceptance of and high
regard of traditions. Monarchies are examples
of this type.
RATIONAL-LEGAL
Authority is based on impersonal rules and
regulations. People obey through a legitimate
command from the leader.
CHARISMATIC
Obedience is based on personal
characteristics of a leader, whose qualities
are considered to be exceptional.
MAJOR TYPES OF
POWER
In their attempt to classify and better
understand power, Barnett and Duvall
(Pallaver 2011) created the taxonomy of power
with four major types
Compulsory Power- direct control of
one actor of the conditions and actions
of another.
Institutional Power- the indirect ways
in which an actor affects another
Structural Power- the position and the
roles of various actors in relation to
each other
Productive Power- how the roles affect
the actors’ perceptions and actions.
THE EXERCISE OF
POWER AND ITS
CONSEQUENCES
Power defines social and political
relationships. Who gets what, when, and how
much are usually determined by power. From
political systems characterized by democratic
institutions or dictatorships, down to
interpersonal relationships between and
among individuals, the struggle for power is
ever present.
In the system of governance, power relations
determine how resources are distributed. For
instance, the relationship between the leader
and the governed is shaped by inequality in
power.
Such is likewise evident in the global order.
In world politics or international relations,
according to realists, power relations decide
the type of relationship between states.
Realists maintain that economic, political,
and military powers usually dictate the
influence of one country over the affairs of
another—if not the global order.
However, liberals argue that the adverse
effects of inequality of power are mitigated by
a rules-based world order. Either way, there
is a common recognition of the existence of
power even at an international scale.
NATURE/SOURCE OF
POWER
Expertise Power derives from the
power holder's specific skills or
expertise.
Coercion Power springs from the
power holder's ability to punish or
penalize others
Formal authority Power comes from
the power holder's position and duties
within an organization.
Persuasion Power flows from the power
holder's ability to persuade or influence
others.