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Political Aspects

Political aspects have a kind of double meaning. The more narrow definition is
referring to activities concerned with achieving and using power in a country or
society. The mechanism and decision making rules that exist in a country, how
to govern the country and how to exert power.
In broader definition the term is used in companies to refer to the power aspect
within a company. How power is shared across the company, how important
decisions are made and how certain power relationships (alliances, special
relationships) affect decisions.
Who is a political person?
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking
an elected seat in government. Politicians propose, support, reject, and create
laws that govern the land and, by extension, its people. Broadly speaking, a
"politician" can be anyone who seeks to achieve political power in
the government.

The Five Most Common Political Systems Around the World

When we speak of political systems, it’s difficult to determine what the most
common types are. After all, many political systems are similar, or have similar
roots. Many countries actually have republics of some kind — variants of
democracy. As you study political science, it can be helpful to understand
some of the most common types of political systems from around the world.
Understanding different political systems is important. Each political system
has its advantages and disadvantages. It is worth considering the merits of
other political systems, and perhaps incorporating some of the ideas into your
own system. Some of the five more common political systems around the world
include:

-Democracy
-Republic
-Monarchy
-Communism
-Dictatorship
Here are some overviews of these five fairly recognizable political systems:

1. Democracy
We often hear the United States referred to as a democracy. Indeed, many refer
to the U.S. as a representative democracy. A democracy in a more traditional
sense is a political system that allows for each individual to participate. There
are two rather popular types of democracy:

Direct Democracy: Many scholars point to Athens as an example of direct


democracy. Technically, every citizen has an equal say in the workings of
government. (The qualifications for being considered a citizen are completely
different.) Citizens could show up at a meeting, and then directly participate in
the governing process, and the process of making laws.

Representative Democracy: In a representative democracy set-up, citizens


elect representatives who actually make the law. The United States operates
similarly to this principle. Citizens elect legislators who, in turn, make laws. In
the U.S., even the president isn’t elected directly; representatives called electors
make the decision (although designated electors usually vote according to the
wishes of the citizens in their states).

Other types of democracy include versions known as deliberative democracy, in


which citizens approach decision making by considering different viewpoints
and options, as well as democratic socialism, in which citizens help make
decisions or vote for policies that are socialistic in nature. There are other types
of democracy as well. The defining characteristic is some level of citizen
participation in the political system

2. Republic
In theory, a republic is a political system in which the government remains
mostly subject to those governed. Some scholars define any political system in
which the citizens legitimize the government. As such, some
(including Montesquieu) consider the U.S. a republic. Indeed, there are those
that believe that any form of government that is not based on heritage or
authoritarian governance. In some cases, a representative democracy (or any
form of democracy) might be considered a republic. Some of the types of
republics that you might see include:
Crowned (a constitutional monarchy might be considered a crowned republic)
Single Party
Capitalist
Federal (the United States is often referred to as a federal republic)
Parliamentary
The main characteristic of a republic is that the government is subject to the
people, and leaders can be recalled. Some even make the argument that
an oligarchy, which is rule by a few citizens, or a group of citizens, is a form of
republic, since the government is subject to some of the wishes of some of the
governed.

3. Monarchy
When most of us think of a monarchy, we think of the political systems of
medieval European countries. In a monarchy, a ruler is not usually chosen by
the voice of the people or their representatives. Often a monarch is the head of
state until he or she abdicates or until death. In many cases a monarch is the
final word in government. There may be functionaries to make decisions and
run the political system, but the monarch has discretion with the laws, and
how they are enforced. 

However, as with other political systems, there are different types of


monarchies. The type that many of us think of as common is the absolute
monarchy, in which the monarch truly has the ultimate say in matters of
government. However, most monarchies in political systems today do not follow
this method. Many of them, especially in the developed world, have limits.
Constitutional monarchies fall into this category (and are sometimes
considered republics as well). In this type of monarchy, the ruler is the head of
state, but a constitution limits the power, and others make laws. The U.K.,
Denmark, Kuwait, Spain, Sweden, Tuvalu, and many more are examples of
constitutional monarchies.
Other types of monarchies include duchies, grand duchies, elective
monarchy (where the monarch is actually elected), and non-sovereign
monarchy. 

4. Communism

In most cases, a communist state is based on the ideology of communism as


taught by Marx and/or Lenin. However, some argue that these political
systems are not true to the ideals espoused by these revolutionary thinkers.
Communist states are often dominated by a single party, or a group of people.
A planned economy is often part of the governing class, and in many cases
resources are taken and then redistributed to others, at the top of the system.
Sometimes communists call themselves “workers’ states” or “socialist,” but
there are very real differences in their operation. In a lot of cases, citizens are
required to do certain jobs, or have some of their life decisions — especially
concerning where they can live and what jobs they can do. Communism is
often considered an authoritarian political system. 
5. Dictatorship

Another authoritarian form of government is the dictatorship. Normally, a


dictator is the main individual ruling the country. While there are lackeys and
others who work for the dictator, he or she makes most of the decisions, and
usually has enforcers. In some cases, the political system is run by a small
group of people. Dictators are not restricted by constitutions or parliaments.
The governed are usually not consented in any way. Elections held are usually
affairs in which the dictator is the only candidate. 

One of the more common types of dictatorship is the military dictatorship, in


which a military organization governs, running the political system.
Sometimes, the military just exerts a great deal of pressure on the government,
running the country de facto. In many cases, very few benefit from the
decisions made in a dictatorship.
While authoritarian political systems have the advantage of quick decisions
being made, many citizens prefer other forms of government — those that allow
them greater participation in the political process.

What is a politician?
A politician is someone who holds a government office or finds other ways to
influence law and public policy. Politicians can work on a local or national
scale and have influence over various bureaucratic processes and government
decisions on behalf of the community they represent.
In the United States, politicians are usually elected officials or people seeking
election to a leadership position where they can influence public opinion and
shape laws and policies. Politicians build relationships with constituents and
advocate for certain core beliefs that they plan to uphold through their
decision-making. 
 
Types of politicians
Politicians in the United States can work in the legislative, executive and
judicial sectors of the government. They are generally aligned with a political
party that helps them connect with voters and work toward common goals.
Depending on the office they hold, some politicians work part-time in addition
to another job while others known as "career politicians" work full-time. Some
of the office positions a politician can hold include:
 
Councilor
City councilors, also known as aldermen, work on a local level to distribute the
city budget and develop laws and ordinances that reflect the needs of
constituents. City councilors are generally focused on community issues and
involved with improving public services and supporting local schools.
Councilors may focus on one particular aspect of public services, such as
education, transportation or housing.
 
Commissioner

County commissioners enforce local laws, codes and ordinances. They oversee
the sheriff’s department and allocate money within the budget for maintaining
infrastructure and unincorporated areas. Some areas have both a council and
a commission, while others incorporate the responsibilities of both roles into
one position.
 
Mayor

Mayors are the head of a city and are generally part of the city council or
commission. Some cities elect the mayor separately, while others have
councilors appoint the mayor from the council on a rotating basis. Mayors
oversee a city’s administration and city planning.
 
Governor

A governor is the highest-ranking official of a state’s government. Governors


collaborate with state legislators to distribute funds and enact changes to the
law. They have the power to appoint judges and other government positions
and veto legislation. 
 
Representative

Legislators in the state or national House of Representatives, also known as


congressmen or congresswomen, serve two-year terms proposing bills and
serving on government oversight committees.
 
Senator

Senators review bills submitted from the House of Representatives and decide
whether to pass them into laws. They also have the power to confirm federal
appointments like Supreme Court Justices. Senators are up for re-election
every six years.
 
President 

The presidency is the highest elected office in the United States. The president
is in charge of the military and can approve or veto laws. Politicians pursuing
the presidency may meet with current elected officials and foreign leaders. The
president works with members of Congress to meet certain policy goals.
 
Cabinet members

Cabinet members are not elected but are instead appointed by the president to
give advice to the president on various policy areas. There are 15 cabinet
secretaries including the secretary of state, secretary of education and
secretary of defense.
 
What do politicians do?
Politicians organize their daily responsibilities depending on the level of
government they work with. A local politician will likely spend more time face-
to-face with community members solving local issues than a national politician
who spends time traveling to different states campaigning and meeting with
community leaders. Politicians at any level will generally have a combination of
these duties and tasks:

 Interact with constituents


 Listen to concerns about public issues
 Serve on committees
 Write laws
 Create and approve budgets
 Campaign for votes
 Give speeches

 
Jobs on a politician’s staff
Politicians often have a staff of employees to help them manage their
responsibilities, especially during election season. They rely on people who
believe in their candidacy and are willing to provide professional expertise and
network on their behalf to reach voters and policymakers. People who are
interested in building a career in politics but do not want to be politicians
themselves often work as an employee of a politician affiliated with their
political beliefs. A politician’s staff is made up of several key roles, including:
 
Campaign manager

A campaign manager, also known as a campaign director is responsible for


coordinating all elements of a politician’s election plan. Their ultimate goal is to
get their candidate elected through public outreach and fundraising. The
campaign manager collaborates with a political candidate to decide on their
policy focus and strategy for earning votes.
 
Communications manager
The communications coordinator on a politician’s staff handles all of a
politician’s communications including press releases, social media posts,
speeches and interviews. They have a strong influence over the image a
candidate projects to the public and work to show a consistent and likable
sense of character to appeal to voters.
 
Public relations manager

Candidates may hire a PR manager to gain public support for their policy
goals. PR managers collaborate with communications managers to strategically
release statements and respond to challenges from political competitors.
 
Chief of staff

The chief of staff is a consulting and administrative role that keeps track of


every member of a politician’s staff. They report directly to a politician and
make key decisions about hiring, budgeting and organizational policies. A chief
of staff solves problems and mediates issues to allow a candidate to stay
focused on getting elected or creating policy.
 
Finance director

Running for office generally requires a large amount of fundraising, so


politicians hire finance directors to oversee revenue streams and handle
financial reporting. They create fundraising goals and plan events to generate
enough donations to reach a wider audience.
 
Field organizer

Field organizers create a plan for directly contacting voters through grassroots
methods like canvassing and phone banking. They are the point of contact for
volunteers and schedule large-scale campaign events to connect a candidate
with their constituents. Field organizers have an in-depth understanding of a
candidate’s policy stances and train volunteers and employees on various
talking points.

Economics
Economics is "the social science that studies the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services." Economics focuses on the behaviour and
interactions of economic agents and how economies work
The economic aspect refers to the importance of social responsibility, broad
consideration of society and businesses, contribution to public interest, and
corporate voluntary participation
Why is economic important?
Economic issues influence our daily lives. This includes issues such as tax and
inflation, interest rates and wealth, inequality and emerging markets, and
energy and the environment.
Biodiversity as an economic good
Economic science studies the satisfaction of human needs by scarce means
which have alternative uses. Hence, biological diversity can be considered an
economic good provided it can be used to satisfy human needs, is scarce, and
has alternative uses. A few selected examples will be presented in the following
to demonstrate to what extent the above-mentioned criteria can be applied to
biodiversity.
Biodiversity Underpins Economic Activity
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries products, stable natural hydrological cycles,
fertile soils, a balanced climate and numerous other vital ecosystem services
depend upon the conservation of biological diversity. Food production relies on
biodiversity for a variety of food plants, pollination, pest control, nutrient
provision, genetic diversity, and disease prevention and control. Both medicinal
plants and manufactured pharmaceuticals rely on biodiversity. Decreased
biodiversity can lead to increased transmission of diseases to humans and
increased healthcare costs. The outdoor tourism industry relies on biodiversity
to create and maintain that which tourists come to see, as does the multi-
billion dollar fishing and hunting industry.
Satisfaction of human needs
On the one hand, biological diversity provides mankind with essential
resources for sustainable food security, for the development of new medicines
and for the discovery and development of industrial raw materials. On the
other hand, biodiversity plays a major role in the fields of bionics and
bioindication.
Furthermore, the so-called ecosystem services are of major direct or indirect
importance for agricultural and industrial production processes. In addition to
its being utilised for economic purposes, biodiversity is also associated with
aesthetic and recreational values, which are difficult to measure in a
commercial sense. The beauty of plants and animals, for example, is
appreciated by many people who enjoy nature to go on trips or on holiday.
However, which components of biodiversity are necessary for the
aforementioned uses is a controversial topic and partly unknown. The decision
to conserve biodiversity as fully as possible can be justified with reference to
the aim of a long-term satisfaction of basic human needs, for example by
strengthening the resilience and functionality of ecosystems. (2) Scarcity and
(3) alternative uses In economics, scarcity of a good basically means relative
scarcity compared to other goods, supposing that the goods are, to a limited
extent, substitutable. Against this background, scarcity always has to be
considered as a problem of exchange: in order to obtain an additional unit of
one good, a certain amount of other goods must be spent (money, consumer
goods, time etc.). The focus of economic science on the problem of relative
scarcity has also influenced the way in which biodiversity is perceived in
economics: in this context, relative scarcity means that the provision or the
conservation of biodiversity necessarily involves (opportunity) costs. Thus, the
creation of additional biodiversity, e.g. by setting up biotopes, requires the
renunciation of other goods, such as money or alternative uses of the area
where the biotope is established. The economic approach reveals possible
paths to an efficiently organised use of biodiversity conditioned by a scarcity of
goods. Economics and biodiversity conservation The increasingly publicly
known rapid loss of biodiversity has caused the available options for the
conservation of biodiversity to progressively be examined economically. A
comprehensive conservation of biodiversity is not feasible given natural,
scientific, legal and political restraints. The creation of justified priority lists of
the areas of biodiversity that should be protected thus plays an important role.
These priority lists are based on the economic value of biodiversity. The
economic valuation of biodiversity is carried out following a series of various
types of values: On its outermost layer, total economic value of biodiversity is a
result of combining use and non-use values. Use values are generated from the
actual or potential use of an economic good and can be broken down into
direct use value, indirect use value, and option value. The attribution of non-
use values to a good, on the other hand, is not related to a potential use; non-
use values include: perceived use value, bequest value, and existence value.
Cultural Aspects
What Are Cultural Aspects?
Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics
common to the members of a particular group or society.
Thus, culture includes many societal aspects: language, customs, values,
norms, mores, rules, tools, technologies, products, organizations, and
institutions. This latter term institution refers to clusters of rules and cultural
meanings associated with specific social activities.

What are some cultural aspects?


The major elements of culture are symbols, language, norms, values, and
artifacts. Language makes effective social interaction possible and influences
how people conceive of concepts and objects. Major values that distinguish the
United States include individualism, competition, and a commitment to the
work ethic.

Cultural Aspects Examples: What is an example of a cultural aspect?


Customs, laws, dress, architectural style, social standards, religious beliefs,
and traditions are all examples of cultural elements.
What social aspect means?
Social aspects are the commonalities among people within a specific culture.
Social aspects may include the following: language. norms. rules.

What is the most important aspect of culture?


Language is one of the most important parts of any culture. It is the way by
which people communicate with one another, build relationships, and create a
sense of community. There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world
today, and each is unique in a number of ways.

Why is cultural aspect important?


In addition to its intrinsic value, culture provides important social and
economic benefits. With improved learning and health, increased tolerance,
and opportunities to come together with others, culture enhances our quality
of life and increases overall well-being for both individuals and communities.

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