The Nature of Politics

 In the context of Philippine governance,

politics means the pursuit of local or
national goals or of the advancement of
one’s personal or group’s interests.
Strategies, employed include formation or
joining political parties, the use of media,
propaganda, mobilization of mass actions
and civil disobedience.
 In many instances, power players have
chosen violence by perpetrating heinous
crimes either openly or covertly.

 Occasionally, the radical-pacific means is

also employed. These are just a few of the
many interesting characteristics of Filipino
politics which are worth studying.
Conflict and Tactics in Politics
 A person cannot live in isolation. He is
inherently a social and political animal, and his
gregarious instinct explains his strong inclination
to seek the company of other human beings.
 As a consequence, he lives in a community
bound by culture where people virtually share
common sentiments and aspirations. This
community is governed by laws and there exists
likewise, a governing body and the masses, as
the governed.
 In Ancient Greece, they called their small
community “polity”, from which the word
politics was coined.
 As a starting point in our study of politics
and governance we need to understand
the political and psychological nature of
man, how he deals with his fellow human
beings, how he pursues his goals and how
he averts actions or events detrimental to
his interests or existence.
 Politics in the context of governance
consists of national and local policy-making,
implementation and interpretation of laws
which may result to loss or gains of interests
protected by stakeholders through
governmental actions or inaction.
 Politics includes ways and means of
transforming perceived or identified needs
into laws favorable to the proponents or the
interest groups and ideally for public welfare
while opposing party may work for
legislation of laws or policies.
 Politics therefore, is synonymous to “who
gets what and how”. Robert Dahl defines
politics as an art of manipulating,
influencing or controlling act or acts to
achieve the purposes of one or some
against the opposition of the other or
others.
Power and Politics
 What lies in the heart of politics? Power
 Power is the alpha and omega of politics.
 Power is the capacity to compel or influence
others to alter their behavior or to do what
they would not do otherwise.
 Power is one of the scarce resources because
not everybody has the power or has access to
power.
Language of Politics
 Affinity – is a connection existing in
consequence of marriage or relationship
established by operation of law.
 Authority – is one’s right to exercise power and
influence which emanates from being placed in a
particular position through legal or widely
accepted set of procedures.
 Consanguinity – is kinship or blood relationship
who descended from the same stock or
common ancestors.
 Compadrazgo system – is extending family
ties either by consanguinity or by ceremonial
or religious affiliation. In weddings, baptism
and confirmation for instance, relationships
are established between and among the
couple, god-children, their parents and the
sponsors.
 Electorate – refers to a person or persons
qualified to vote during election.
 Ideology – literally means ideas and logic.
These are logical ideas that justify the
maintenance or abolition of the existing set
up or the status quo.
 Institutions – are structures which are
organized to meet the basic needs of society.
 Legality – is founded on human positive law.
It pertains to the valid use of power and
authority or even coercion or violence as
warranted, founded on law.
 Legitimacy – is a condition where one is
perceived correctly placed in a particular
role and properly positioned for carrying
out the functions as expected of him/her by
society.
 Organization – is a body of persons working
together in a structural way to achieve
specific purposes. Interest groups, political
parties, campaign organizations,
revolutionary movements are examples of
political organizations.

 Power – is a term used to describe the

strength or weaknesses of a state. This is the
strength or capacity that a sovereign state
can use to protect its national interests.
Three subdivisions of power:
 Influence – refers to the unconscious use
of power. It also pertains to the effect of
one’s power on another state without any
deliberate use of it.
 Pressure – is the conscious use of power
short of force.
 Force – is the use of physical or military
sanctions to demand performance or
nonperformance of certain act/s.
 Politicking – is the act of engaging in
political discussion or activities with the
endview of garnering votes or support
during election or even in the usual
dealings we have with others to achieve
our goals. This includes the act of empty
promises, bootlicking (sip-sip) to outright
bribery (lagay).
 Radical-pacific means – is a peaceful but a
disturbing way of accepting unjust
punishment to magnify injustice
committed and to generate strong public
reaction, like voluntarily going to jail or
accepting cruel punishment. The ultimate
act is martyrdom by public execution.
 Regime – is a term used to denote a
particular type of government, as military
or democratic regime.
 System – is a structure whose parts are all
interrelated. Whenever there are changes, all
these parts are affected since they function
interdependently.
 State – is a community or persons more or
less numerous, occupying a definite portion
of territory, free from external control and
having an organized form of government to
which a great body of inhabitants render
habitual obedience.
 Structure – is a concept that denotes a set
of patterned role relationship brought about
by interactions of human beings.
Political Philosophy
 Is a reflection about man, politics and
governance. It is making sense out of
political life or of life itself.
 Political philosophers ponder on the
nature of man, the power which created
them, the laws that govern society, how
man relates with others and to his
country and how his country relates with
other nations.
 Philosophers theorized on the social and
political nature of man such as his
inherent goodness and evil nature. They
studied how man shapes society and how
society shapes man. They explained why
one is subordinate to or superior over
others, and why must one sacrifice one’s
self for others or sacrifice others for
one’s personal interest.
Democracy, the worst kind of Government

 The Greek philosophers disliked

democracy because for them, the masses
can easily be manipulated or deceived.
 The ancient philosophers were also right
to foresee the possibility of democratic
practices such as free press, free speech
and public assembly escalating into a mob
like the case of “People Power 3”.
 In the Philippines, we have seen how an
incompetent leader could easily
manipulate others and how he was used
by others as well. The masses have been
misled by some political elites who
indulged their excessive appetite and
passion for worldly pleasures.

 The first Philippine dictator, former

president Ferdinand Marcos, proved that
indeed, power tends to corrupt and
absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Political Theories
 Divine right theory
 Economic theory
 Instinctive theory
 Matriarchal theory
 Necessity and force theory
 Social contract theory
Divine right theory
 Was the favorite basis of absolute
monarchies in Europe and Asia. This theory
used to keep supremacy of monarchs
beyond question.
 This was a kind of politics founded on
religious beliefs, customs and tradition, or
charismatic personalities.
 Leaders, rulers, kings, monarchs, emperor,
etc. are perceived to derive their authority
on godly origin, divine vocation or
inspiration.
Economic theory
 Originated from a notion that governance
springs from the aspiration of a ruler to
achieve equality, peace, order and
harmony in a polity where there is
scarcity of resources.
Instinctive theory
 Is Socrates’ favorite theory on man and
politics. Socrates claimed that man by
nature is a social and political animal.
Educated or unlettered, man interacts
with others. Aristotle believed that man
can be fulfilled only in a large group or in
a community.
Matriarchal theory
 Claims the superiority of women where
the oldest, perhaps the strongest or the
widest of all women in the community
rules.
 Patriarchal theory on the other hand,
pertains to the supremacy of the eldest,
the widest, or the strongest male member
of a community.
Necessity and force theory
 Was brought about by the earliest people
who realized the need to pool their
resources for common benefits and
protection against the forces of nature or
man-made calamities. They realized that
there is strength in unity and
collaboration.
Social contract theory
 is a theory or model, originating during the
Age of Enlightenment, that typically
addresses the questions of the origin of
society and the legitimacy of the authority of
the state over the individual.
 Social contract arguments typically posit that
individuals have consented, either explicitly
or tacitly, to surrender some of their
freedoms and submit to the authority of the
ruler or magistrate (or to the decision of a
majority), in exchange for protection of their
remaining rights.
 Hobbes asserted that humans consent to
abdicate their rights in favor of the absolute
authority of government (whether
monarchial or parliamentary)
 Locke believed that natural rights were
inalienable, and that the rule of God
therefore superseded government authority;
and
 Rousseau believed that democracy (self-rule)
was the best way of ensuring the general
welfare while maintaining individual freedom
under the rule of law. The Lockean concept
of the social contract was invoked in the
United States Declaration of Independence.