What Does Politics Mean
We explain what the policy is, its functions and characteristics. Also, what is a political system, political power and ideology.
What is politics?
Politics is usually defined as the set of decisions and measures taken by certain groups that hold power , in order to organize a particular society or group .
The term policy is very broad since it is possible to speak of politics in the strict sense (that is, applied to governments and nations ) or in other institutions when speaking of corporate and institutional policies , among others.
Many authors define politics as the "exercise of power", because politics is understood as one of the many ways of exercising power in order to mediate differences of interests between peers in a particular society .
The word politics comes from the Latin politicus , which comes from the Greek politiká and refers to public affairs, in the 5th century BC. Aristotle popularized the term with his work "Politics".
There are different branches that are derived from politics, such as political science, political philosophy, political economy, among others. It is important to distinguish between people who practice politics (political officials) and those who are in charge of studying it (political scientists).
It can help you: Political scientist
What are politics for?
Politics emerged as a need for individuals to organize themselves in order to make decisions , meet objectives, reach agreements and facilitate life in society by resolving conflicts in a democratic way.
It is believed that it has its beginnings in the Neolithic period, when society began to organize itself in a hierarchical way and some individuals obtained power over the rest, which is why it is argued that politics is as old as humanity itself .
In a system democratic , the citizens elect certain individuals to occupy key political positions and, from there, represent the face of conflicts or own situations of community life, both internally and externally (in relation to other countries).
Policy features
Some of the salient features of the policy are:
- It is a form of power.
- It is carried out by individuals elected by the citizens.
- It seeks to resolve conflicts within a society to guarantee the common good .
- It is made up of a set of activities and responsibilities.
- It is studied by political scientists.
- It is implemented both at the level of the States and of groups and institutions.
- It is embodied in different political systems and forms of government .
Political systems
A political system is a set of institutions, beliefs and values , generally under the command of one or more political parties that guide the direction of a government. Political systems vary in each State according to the relationship established between the powers that constitute it.
Political systems can be:
- Authoritarian systems. They are characterized by the suppression of individual freedoms , mainly that of expression and representation. All political activity is concentrated in the hands of a single party. These systems are characterized by excessive power attributed to a single person or leader for a prolonged period of time and a very weak or non-existent division of powers. Some examples of authoritarian forms of government are: tyranny, dictatorship , oligarchy and anarchy .
- Democratic systems. They are characterized by the division of powers. The people do not exercise power directly, but elect their representatives (who remain in office for a specified period of time) through free elections. Some examples of democratic forms of government are: the republic , presidentialism and the constitutional monarchy .
Political power
Political power is made up of the sum of responsibilities and actions exercised by individuals who have access to political office . In a democratic system, politicians are elected by citizens freely and by popular vote.
Power is handed over by the people to the representatives to act for the common good, respecting the functions assigned to each political office, advocating for the rights and freedoms of citizens, and guaranteeing the fulfillment of obligations.
Political power is considered abusive when it exceeds its functions and obligations, generally taking responsibility of other powers as its own. The abuse of political power has led, over the years and in many countries of the world, to the emergence of authoritarian figures and tyrannical systems of government that did not respect the popular will.
Political ideologies
When referring to political ideologies it is possible to make a division into two groups:
- Left politics. Such as socialism or communism, which primarily seek social equality .
- Right-wing politics. As is liberalism and conservatism, which abide by the right to private property and the free market.