PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND

GOVERNANCE
THE CONCEPTS OF POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE
POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES
MODULES 1-3
 COVERAGE

1. Concept of Politics and Governance

2. Ideology
3. State
4. Powers of the Government
5. Branches of the Government
6. Local Government
7. Election or Suffrage
8. Citizenship
9. Bill of Rights
POLITICS
 Derived from the Greek word polis which
means city-state.
 Politics is the study of “who gets what, when,
and how” – Harold Laswell
 Politics is the activity of people where they Source: voicesofyouth.org

create, preserve and amend laws under which

they live.
 Politics is the science of power, the science
of government, the making of collective
decisions, the allocations of scarce resources
and the practice of deception and
manipulation. Source: 123rf.com
Political Science

 Defined as the systematic study of political and

governmental institutions and processes.
 It is a discipline that seeks to understand the relationship
between individual and political institutions.
GOVERNANCE

 The process of decision-making and the process by which

decisions are implemented (or not implemented).
 Governance can be viewed in the following context:
corporate governance, international governance, national
governance and local governance.
 Characteristics of Good Governance (UNESCO for
Asia and the Pacific)
 Participation requires that all groups, particularly those most vulnerable, have direct or
representative access to the systems of government. This manifests as a strong civil
society and citizens with the freedom of association and expression.
 Rule of Law is exemplified by impartial legal systems that protect the human rights and
civil liberties of all citizens, particularly minorities. This is indicated by an independent
judicial branch and a police force free from corruption.
 Transparency means that citizens understand and have access to the means and manner
in which decisions are made, especially if they are directly affected by such decisions.
This information must be provided in an understandable and accessible format, typically
translated through the media.
 Responsiveness simply involves that institutions respond to their stakeholders within a
reasonable time frame.
 Characteristics of Good Governance (UNESCO for
Asia and the Pacific)
 Consensus Oriented is demonstrated by an agenda that seeks to mediate between the
many different needs, perspectives, and expectations of a diverse citizenry. Decisions needs
to be made in a manner that reflects a deep understanding of the historical, cultural, and
social context of the community.
 Equity and Inclusiveness depends on ensuring that all the members of a community feel
included and empowered to improve or maintain their well being, especially those
individuals and groups that are the most vulnerable.
 Effectiveness and Efficiency is developed through the sustainable use of resources to meet
the needs of a society. Sustainability refers to both ensuring social investments carry
through and natural resources are maintained for future generations.
 Accountability refers to institutions being ultimately accountable to the people and one
another. This includes government agencies, civil society, and the private sector all being
accountable to one another as well.
 IDEOLOGY
 An ideology may be considered as a
lens through which we interpret
reality. It may either guide or
misguide us in understanding reality.
IDEOLOGY

 “ideology” was coined by the philosopher Destutt de Tracy in

the late 18th century. Etymologically, ideology came from the
Greek words ideo (form/pattern) and logos (study/science).
 De Tracy called this as “science of ideas”
 Ideology is a set of related ideas or systematic group of
concepts and beliefs about culture, society and human life.
 Ideologies influence how society, culture and government
should be structured.
CHARACTERISTICS OF POLITICAL
IDEOLOGY
 It provides guidance for political actions.
 It must be logically coherent.
 It offers a worldview. It is like a lens by which a person
interprets reality or social order. It provides a sense of
meaning and explanation
 It provides a vision or goal for the society.
 Ideologies provide an explanation for problems that
confronts modern societies.
 Imagine by John Lennon
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today... Aha-ah...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace... You...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
 Imagine by John Lennon

Imagine no possessions You may say I'm a dreamer

I wonder if you can But I'm not the only one
No need for greed or hunger I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world... You...
 1. Communism

 Communism may be described as a socio-

economic structure which aims to establish a
society that is classless, egalitarian, and
stateless.
 Equality and fairness are its principal goal.
 In actual practice, however, a group of ruling
elite decides for the public. The power of this
ruling elite is somehow considered absolute
since anyone who questions them may be
imprisoned or persecuted.
 1. Communism as a Social Model: First
version
 A communist society under the blueprint of Marx and Engels would
have the following features:
 It would be a classless society because there would be a common ownership of
wealth.
 After the class system is abolished the state would gradually disappear and the
society would be stateless.
 The society would be geared toward production for the use and the satisfaction
of human needs instead of the market.
 Since technology would be liberated from the constraints of class-based
production, the forces of production would further develop.
 Human potential would fully develop as creative energies are released by
unalienated labor.
 1. Communism as a Social Model: Second
version
 The other version of communism as a social model drawn from
experience is based on what was established when the communist
parties rose to power in the 20 th century.
 This was the form of communism in the old USSR, China, Cuba,
Vietnam, and North Korea. It is now described as ‘actually existing
socialism’ or ‘orthodox communism.’
 Orthodox communism is a hybrid of state socialism: a monopolistic
and hierarchical communist party has political control and calls the
shots.
 Under this system, state collectivism and central planning
characterizes the economy.
 2. Socialism

 It came out in response to capitalism which

favors the rich or the owners of big industries.
 Under capitalism, one becomes rich while
others, especially the workers, become poor.
 2. Socialism

 Socialism aims to minimize or abolish

competition or class struggle.
 What it promotes rather is cooperation.
 It believes that humans are social
creatures who survive not by
competition but through cooperation.
 It is not individualism but collectivism.
 2. Socialism: Elements
Community
 Socialism sees human beings as social creatures linked by a common humanity.
Human behavior is explained according to social factors instead of innate qualities.
The emphasis is placed in what can be nurtured.
Fraternity
 Cooperation is preferable to competition; individualism is shunned in favor of
collectivism. Socialists think that cooperation is necessary so that people can fully
utilize their collective energies for the common good.
Social Equality
 To socialists social equality, which is equality of outcome as opposed to equality of
opportunity, is important. It guarantees stability and cohesion in society and
encourages empathy among human beings.
2. Socialism: Elements
Need
 Socialists believe that the basis of distribution of material benefits should be need rather than
merit or work. The state distributes goods to people based in their need, and not on what they
want. In theory at least, this would achieve equality for everyone, in that no one would be more
than what is needed.
Social Class
 Socialism is often associated with a form of class politics. The socialist goal is to eradicate
economic and social inequalities. Nevertheless, because the elimination of inequalities is not
realistic and more of a pipe dream, socialists are content with chipping away at the economic and
social inequalities in society.
Common ownership
 Some socialists see common ownership as the end of socialism itself, while others see it simply
as a means of generating broader equality. Common ownership enables material resources to be
harnessed for the common good. In contrast, private property allows selfishness, acquisitiveness,
and social division to thrive.
 Liberalism

 Liberalism safeguards liberty or the freedom of an individual.

 It believes that a human person possesses reason and will by which
he or she can direct his or her life.
 It is through reason and will that an individual satisfies his or her
desires and achieve his or her full potential.
 Nonetheless, it recognizes that there might be some who might not
exercise well his or her reason and will, to which liberals believe
that equality may not really be achieved. However, what is
achievable is to give every person the equal opportunity to exercise
one’s freedom.
Liberalism

 This does not mean, however, that a person may just do

whatever he wants under the excuse of exercise of one’s
freedom.
 The government should ensure that in the exercise of one’s
freedom, the rights of the other should not be violated.
 One’s right to exercise one’s freedom ends where the right of the
other person begins.
 As Justice Holmes said, “The right to swing my fist ends where
the other man's nose begins.”
 Liberalism

 Further, it believes that at some point the government may violate one’s
rights.
 This is the reason why countries like USA, South Korea, Japan, and the
Philippines, whose form of government is inspired by this ideology, have
enshrined in their Constitution the Bill of Rights.
 It is here where one finds a list of the rights of a citizen which includes
but not limited to freedom of speech and of the press, freedom of religion,
freedom of association, liberty of abode, and rights of the accused. Bill of
Rights is also said to be the limitation of the right of the state to prosecute.
 The rights of a person or accused are paramount to the rights of the state
to prosecute.
Conservatism

 Conservatism, as the name implies, aims to preserve or conserve

something, that is, the existing status quo or social order.
 It developed in response to French Revolution which brought rapid
economic and political change that somehow disrupted the existing
social order.
 In a sense, conservatism resists change. What it upholds, rather, is
tradition.
 In here, tradition means the accumulated wisdom of the past, the
best that has been in existence since the beginning of time.
Conservatism

 The logic of conservatists goes this way – it is better to cling to

that which has worked before, even if it did not work well,
rather than experiment on something that has never been tried.
 Nonetheless, this does not mean that Conservatism rejects
change altogether. Conservatists understand that, as time passes,
social institutions change in response to their needs. However,
change should not be abrupt, but it should be slow and gradual,
yet still upholding tradition or the wisdom of the past.
Fascism

 This is an ideology which makes an individual insignificant compared to

the state.
 A fascist government demands its citizens to submit to the wills of the
state. This submission entails the willingness to sacrifice and offer even
one’s life to advance the goals and ideals of the state. The life of an
individual finds its meaning and purpose by offering it to the state.
 Here, freedom and democracy are rejected. Freedom here means
submission and it is not democracy but dictatorship. The will of the
leader is not viewed as a subjective will of an individual person, but the
collective will of the people. This makes the will of the leader absolute.
 Anarchism

 It believes that government or political authority is not needed.

 It even claims that government is the cause of disorder. The state is
evil as it violates freedom and equality of individuals.
 Anarchists put high regard to the natural order and spontaneous
social harmony. Somehow it believes on the natural goodness of
every person. By means of voluntary agreement and cooperation,
society may achieve order and stability.
 In a way, Anarchism promotes freedom of individuals arguing that
man would be better in taking care of his own affairs rather than
having the government dictate or limit man’s actions.
In your opinion, what is the ideology used as guide in
the Philippines?