What is Politics?
Produced by Dr Peter Jepson with materials from ‘AS UK Govt
& Politics’ by Mark Garnett and
Philip Lynch (2005).
1
What is expected?
• Before the class you should have read
and précised Chapter 1 of the textbook
(précis notes will be checked).
• Turn off your mobile.
• Raise your hand to ask a question.
• Annotate your notes.
2
What is politics?
•
•
•
•
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Politics is about government?
Politics is about public affairs?
Politics is about compromise?
Politics is about power?
3
(1) Politics is about government?
• Closest to the everyday definition concentrates on specific people and
institutions (MP’s, parliament and civil
servants).
• Problem is that it limits politics to
decision makers.
4
(2) Politics is about public affairs
• Voting is undertaken by citizens - so
they are also part of the political
process.
• We have what is termed office politics
- all this suggests that politics is
broader than government - it involves
you, me - all of us. But, is this solely in
relation to our public activities?
5
(3) Politics is about compromise?
• Aristotle - a man is a political animal?
What does he mean by that?
• What Aristotle means is that we live in
association and man prefers to
compromise than to have conflict.
Hence, politics is about man (woman)
compromising on private and public
matters.
6
(3) Politics is about compromise?
• A problem with the compromise definition is
that it fails to deal with imposition. Say the
govt impose a tax without consultation there is no compromise but politics has
taken place.
• Also, what if the govt use force to impose its
tax? Does that mean it has abandoned
politics? Obviously not - hence is politics
about compromise?
7
(4) Politics is about power?
• This is the most far reaching definition - man
has power over woman in the household. The
boss at work, teacher at College.
• On this view conflict is unavoidable - man v
woman (feminist) or owner v worker
(marxist). This definition includes force - it
is about the use of power.
8
Which definition do we choose?
• It is something from all. Do pressure
groups fit into the first definition? Is
the second definition better or too
inclusive?
• The third and fourth definitions are
more about how decisions are made
and not by who. Needs to reflect both.
Is politics about community?
9
Approaches to the study of politics …
• Political science - facts such as govt,
elections, parties - describing activities
rather than what people ought to do.
• Political theory - more to do with
values and theories of politics.
• AS Politics is more about political
science than theory.
10
Key Terms …
• Define the following key terms (see
page 6 of the textbook UK Govt &
Politics - Garnett/Lynch) …
• Civil society
• State
11
Break into Political Groups
• Define what is politics and what is not
politics.
• List items that are not and cannot be
influenced by politics.
• Report back to the whole class.
12