Basic Concepts of Politics and Governance.pptx

Politics

1. Basic Concepts of Politics and Governance

2. Politics Formulated during the 4 th and 5 th century. Polis – a place or state shared by a certain group of people According to Aristotle and Plato, humans are not self-sufficing so they find the need to come together as a community. From this union comes the need for politics and governance to maintain order within a society

3. Social Contract Theory Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke The state of nature is often violent and chaotic; therefore, people enter themselves into a social contract or a written or unwritten, binding agreement among people that bids the creation of government and the consequent use of politics for the achievement of peace and order.

4. Political Science Is the academic discipline that deals with key issues and concepts in politics. Niccolo Machiavelli is widely accepted as the father of modern political science.

5. Politics Deals with power in society in general

6. Governance Specifically deals with power in government and how this institution exerts power for the benefit of the society. Discussion of politics and governance is divided into: Political theory Political methodology Comparative politics International relations

7. Political theory Deals with the different perspectives and ideas regarding politics and governance of different political philosophers.

8. Political methodology Is more concerned upon the application of political concepts into research and policy making almost similar to the applied nature of public administration.

9. Comparative politics Is about comparing various political systems and different constitutions among different countries through time.

10. International relations Bear resemblance to comparative politics; but instead of comparing, It concentrates on establishing and maintaining relations among countries through time.

11. Law Basically, any written statement that limits or guides the behaviour of a certain group Politics highlights the role of law in organizing and stabilizing individual interests and promote collective gains in society.

12. The knowledge of politics and governance therefore is a critical attribute of a citizen belonging to a certain state.