1.

According to Robert Dahl, politics refer to any activity that involves human beings that
are associated together in relationship of power and authority where conflicts occur. I
think this could be the easiest and specific definition we can have for politics. Power and
politics always go together; politics without power is not politics at all. If we look at our
government, our political leaders such as the president, we can see that he uses authority
to implement the projects. And government officials abide because of the power that
comes to the position of the president which is also the Chief Executive of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines. In a more local concept, especially in school, there are also
politics. The power play of our student governments where they can establish mandates
for the school is an example of politics. Sometimes, this said power is not used properly
therefore, conflicts occur. Some groups are not satisfied with the leadership so they try to
retaliate. With that, ideas are not lining up well therefore, they argue and fight for their
own ideologies.
2. The focus of the Philippine politics course will be in these three aspects: power,
government, and public affairs. Power is a topic that should not be taken for granted
when we study politics in the Philippines. We should be discussing politics in the lens of
how did the Spaniards, Japanese, and Americans colonized us and gave us the freedom
that we fought for. We should be discussing that we need power to establish order; the
leader should learn how to handle the power that was given to him. Next, as the concept
of power is already established, we should understand as well the government and its
officials. The officials are powerful as they are seated to their position but we also have
to understand that they have responsibilities to fulfill. They are voted for the seat, so they
have to do their responsibilities as well. And lastly, the public affairs. This is where the
“who gets what” in the society belongs.
3. According to Bernard Crick, politics is a way of ruling in divided society without
violence; and the only state of government that doesn’t use violence is democracy. The
concept of democracy deals with equality, liberty, and respect for differences, and
resolving a conflict through compromising; therefore, if we use violence, it is not
democratic at all as it will affect the other concepts. If we will see it in this lens, politics
is equals to non-violent solutions and methods which is only present in democratic
countries like Philippines. Authoritarian governments, especially the totalitarian ones,
 control the people by using either physical violence or verbal violence by the use of arms
and also threats. Therefore, if you commit a mistake, the government will punish you
severely without any compromising the punishment unlike in democratic states where
there is a proper process.
4. Politics is the study of the state affairs. It basically studies and analyzes how each human
being interacts with each other with the use of power and authority and without the
presence of violence. Politics is relatively close to democracy as it gives affair and just
use of power and responsibility from the leaders and the importance of these leaders to
resolve the conflicts that are within the states in a diplomatic way and also to address the
issues in the country.