UNIT 1

POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE

 When laws and policies are being made in the government, there are politics, whenever
politicians’ squabble in one another to get the all-important votes in an election, there it exists.
Whenever debates ensue over let say regulations to be imposed in a certain homeowner’s
association, politics is there or whenever states try to resolve conflicts that may be military,
political or economic in nature, still politics is present.

CHAPTER 1: POLITICS, ANALYZING A MULTIFACETED PHENOMENON

 Politics generally refers to the practice and theory of influencing other people, directed towards
decision making or family formulation but at times results in conflicts or conflict-ridden
situations. Uniform decision applying, achieving and exercising positions of governance-
organized control over a human community, particularly a state.

ETHYMOLOGY
 Politics emanates from the word “polis” which means city, state in as much as politics
historically refers to the activities that resolve within a city state. Turn from Latin
“politicus”, (politikos).

DEFINITION OF POLITICS

1. POLITICS- Guiding or influencing governmental control over a government. Politics as the art of
government “politics is not a science……. but an art”.

CHANCELLOR BISMARCK OF GERMANY- the art Bismarck had in mind was the art of government

2.Political actions, practices, or policies or political affairs or business; especially, competition

between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership, political life