Lesson 1.

Politics and Political Science

Philippine Politics and Governance

General Academic Strand | Humanities and Social Sciences
Politics affects
our daily lives.
It changes the
way people live.

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Many distance
themselves from
discussing politics
for fear of getting
into emotional
disagreements.

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Is there a way to
approach politics in a
scientific and level-
headed manner?

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 Political Science

Definition

● Study of state and

government affairs

● Examines human behavior

and relationships

● Combines findings from

history, economics,
geography, psychology,
among others 5
 Political Science

Focus on the study of ‘power’

● How it is gained, used, and controlled in society

● How it is accumulated and controlled by the
state
● How individuals and groups struggle to forward
their interests

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 Political Science

Definition of Power

Power is having the ability to make others

do what they would otherwise not do.

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Political Science

Traditional View Modern View

● “Science of state” ● “Study of shaping

and sharing
● State-centered power”

● Focused on the ● Includes those

affairs within the who struggle with
state and its power to influence
government policies
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 Political Science

“It is not merely a study of state and government. It is the study

of power, its exercise, and the struggle for its sake.”
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 Political Science

Approaches and Methods

Normative Empirical
● “What should be” ● “What is”

● Ethical questions ● Observable and

and value measurable
judgement

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 Political Science

Normative Approach

● What should be the ideal society, the

distribution of power, the limits of freedom, etc.
● Concepts of justice, human rights, moral
obligation, etc.

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 Political Science

Empirical Approach

● Provides scientific character

● Gathers quantitative and qualitative data
● Applies statistical and mathematical analysis to
political phenomena

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 Connection of Politics and Political Science

Similarities

Both concerned on the same things:

● Human interaction

● Cooperation and conflict resolution

● Government decision and allocation of resources

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 Connection of Politics and Political Science

Differences

Politics Political Science

What is it? ● Phenomena ● Method of inquiry

● Actual conduct of ● The mass of
state affairs knowledge derived
● Actual political from studying politics
activities of the
people

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 Connection of Politics and Political Science

Differences

Politics Political Science

Where does ● Occurs in daily lives ● Concerned mainly on

it happen? ● Public and private the relationship of
spheres state and its people

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 Connection of Politics and Political Science

Differences

Politics Political Science

Who ● Everyone ● Fewer people

participates ● Fixed, popular, ● Objective, complex,
and how? simplified scientific analysis
opinions

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 Connection of Politics and Political Science

Differences

Politics Political Science

What it ● Its dynamism ● It provides

provides provides a living, theoretical
the other? breathing, ever- foundation and
evolving subject of scientific method to
study. understand state
affairs and political
behavior.
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The Value of Politics

What is at stake?

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 The Value of Politics

Achievements of Politics

● Right to suffrage
● Reduction of work hours
● Freedom of speech
● Freedom of belief and religion
● Right to peaceably assemble

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 The Value of Politics

Shortcomings of Politics

● Dependence on foreign influence

● Domination of political clans
● High poverty rates and inequality gaps
● Issues on the credibility of democratic institutions

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 How Political Science Helps Politics

Citizenship Education and

Rights Awareness

● Learn constitutional rights

● Recognize abuses and
violations
● Raise quality of political
participation

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How Political Science Helps Politics

Electoral Participation

● Learn to analyze electoral

system and processes
● Make informed decisions
when voting
● Be able to weigh record,
platform, and visions of
candidates
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 How Political Science Helps Politics

Civic and Social Consciousness

● Learn about power
relations and inequality
● Know who are
underrepresented,
marginalized, and
vulnerable
● Identify ways to help them
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How Political Science Helps Politics

Lobbying and Advocacy

● Learn about political

processes and dynamics of
political actors
● Know how campaigns and
advocacies can become
successful

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 How Political Science Helps Politics

Effective Governance

● Learn the true state of things

● Know the opinion of the
public and impact of policies
to improve governance

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How Political Science Helps Politics

Lifelong Values

● Learn intellectual values

● Know how to become open
to different perspectives
while being firm with one’s
own principle

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 ● Political science is a branch of social science that
Wrap-Up focuses on the study of power relationships in
society.

● It is the mass of knowledge derived from studying

state and government affairs, considering the
political participation of non-state agents who
seek power to influence policy decisions.

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 ● Political science tackles both normative (“what
Wrap-Up should be”) and empirical (“what is”) questions.

● Politics is the actual conduct of power struggle in

the course of resolving conflicts.

● Political science is the method of inquiry that

seeks to understand politics and foresee political
behavior.

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 ● Politics is important because the quality of life in
Wrap-Up society depends on its outcome. Political science
helps improve politics by providing the
knowledge needed for citizenship education,
electoral participation, civic and social
consciousness, and effective governance.

● It helps develop intellectual values of openness to

different perspectives while being firm with one’s
own principles and values.

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