Essay about Politics

Introduction to Politics
The state of the natural politics in society today is that people feel a greater necessity to demand
the rightful and relevant information on the decisions and activities made by the leaders or the
parties who have power, so they may be able to question the morality and the interests of those
decisions, often with selfish reasons to protect the welfare of society or having the fear of the
decisions which could hinder their personal interests. With the development and use of mass
media in modern societies, politics has become a lot more transparent and observable activity for
society and even on the global scale. This is making a very important point for the understanding
of politics to be everyone's knowledge and activities.
Politics is a commonly used word in the world today. It is known by many, but understood by
few. In this essay, I will attempt to bring out the true meaning of politics and the many sides it
has. What is politics? On hearing the word, the first thought that comes to mind is government.
This is the basic idea of what the word means. But this word is so difficult to understand, very
complex. It’s not a word where one can say, “This is its correct definition.” In my attempt to
define what politics is, I will explain with the help of examples from our life. Any kinds of
competitions or conflicts in reasoning involving collective control and government or the gaining
of intended objectives in the presence of opposition or threats would be termed as politics.
Politics is a fundamental and vibrant force in today's world. Not only is it essential on the global
scale, nationally or in the community, but it is also an integral part of organizations and
businesses as well. It's important that we understand the force of politics in order to be aware or
to perceive and possibly take action to understand the decisions and activities in society today.
Politics is derived from the Greek word 'Polis' which means the organized society. It was
described as the art of government or the state craft. It is also defined by the activities of
cooperation, negotiation and brokering in the acquisition and use of power, which in turn is used
to determine the distribution of rewards or resources among people. Politics is most often
practiced by the interaction of those in power whether it is direct or indirect, through the
competition to achieve power, the making of decisions for society or groups, and for the
implementation of those decisions. These activities are always done with the aim of achieving
security, peace, order, and welfare for society. This terminology is more often associated with
political leaders and institutions, but it's not limited to the social or public activities of those
officers or parties.
Definition of Politics
It can safely be concluded that in its broad and general sense, politics is an activity through
which people make, uphold and amend the general rules under which they live. It is closely
linked to the well-being of a society, as a political act often tries to improve the general
conditions of people within a community, society or state. Therefore, politics is not only about
the actions of the government and the governing body, but it also involves various public groups
or individuals, who act as pressure groups while trying to improve the condition of the society
through amending the laws and statutes of the state.
The wide significance of the term can be traced from the fact that politics is, essentially, a
function of the state. In general, a state comprises of the government, the machinery of
government and the body of the citizens who compose it. Thus, politics is bound with the
structures and mechanisms of government in a state and it deals with issues of power and
authority, law and order, justice and right. It derives its meaning from the state, which it in turn,
reconstructs and develops. But politics is also said to be associated with the government and the
behavior of the state, within and outside the (though it has an entirely different meaning in the
field of international relations). It consists in the activities of conflict and cooperation, through
which the societies attempt to define and safeguard their interests. In the process, the various
societies have evolved many systems of different complexities that can be termed as political.
Therefore, politics has a very broad and extensive meaning, and it is evident in the issues and
events taking place in society.
The word politics comes from the Greek word "polis" meaning the state or community. It was,
therefore, a Greek word for affairs of the city-state. The city-state was the form of political
community in which political action was first born, and during the most brilliant epoch in the
history of Greece, Athens was its most highly developed embodiment. Within the city-state,
politics was in evidence everywhere. It centered around the council and the assembly, the law
courts and the popular juries; but it was also to be found in the narrow circle of the oligarchy, the
tyranny, and the "tyrant's killing".
Importance of Politics in the Society
Politics has come to be considered as not only an academic discipline for the systematic study of
government and the behavior of groups, but also a crucial activity in human life in every age. In
some way or the other, it has claimed the attention of reflective minds in all societies, ancient
and modern. It has been the preoccupation of thinkers and even the common men because it is
the way of improving the condition of human society. Aristotle called man a political animal
because he cannot fulfill his nature except in the common life of a state. In Plato’s words,
nothing more surely marks a man than his manifold activities, and nothing so surely marks a man
as a political or social being. This is why an eminent sociologist has argued that to be apolitical
is to be also anti-social and move to another planet. This assertion is certainly an exaggeration
but it does indicate the importance of politics in modern society. Politics is, as Harold Laski has
written, a pervasive force and it leaves no activities of man untouched. No doubt the word
politics is often associated with the sordid or selfish but that is due to the lower side of human
nature which political activity must also attempt to elevate. The root meaning of the term
“political” in fact indicates nothing more than the way of life of the city or community.
It has been said that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. This is truer today
than it was ever before. We live in an age of democracy when the common man feels that he too
should have a voice in the government. There are many movements and organizations which
agitate for various reforms and changes in government. All of these call for greater political
consciousness among the general public. Not only does it have a wide-ranging impact on our
lives, it is also an intricate subject. This again signifies its importance. Politics is the pursuit of
power. This sounds quite negative, but it actually is not much about this subject. Power is what
gets things done. Ancient civilizations like the Greeks, the Roman Empire, the dynasties in
China and Japan, and the Mahajanapadas in India all have their stories which are a part of world
history. All of these have politics as a common factor. They rise and fall, conquest and defeat,
and all of these are events of power transfer. Politics has been responsible for historic events.
This subject is coherent with the summary and is an important part of understanding the value of
politics.
Politics affects the lives of each and every one of us. We might not realize it, but if we actually
take a look at the things that happen around us, then we would find out the involvement of
politics. When we go to school, college, or office, the management of the place is politics.
Getting a promotion or a raise in salary again relies on politics. In fact, what is politics? It's
nothing more than a means to get things done. Politicians try to achieve what they desire by
using the authority they hold, and this is exactly what we do in our daily lives. When we want
something to be done, we try to do it through our position and authority. So even if we so often
criticize the nature of politicians and politics, this is something they cannot deny - that they are
no different from the rest of us. So politics is ubiquitous. It affects the old and the young, the rich
and the poor, of every race and religion. This makes it inescapable.
The first section of the essay introduces the reader to the importance of politics in society. It
highlights the role of politics in society and its influential value in our lives. It also goes on to
discuss the objectives of politics. This is an important point as it tells us what politics aims to do,
what the goals or objectives are. All this is significant in judging the value of politics. This
section touches on the key points and provides a small preview of the rest of the essay.