Politics,

Governance
and
Constitution

for classroom discussion only

Politics
A. What is Political Science?
 the branch of knowledge that deals with
systems of government; the analysis of
political activity, thoughts and behavior.
 focuses on the practice of government
and politics at the local, state, national,
and international levels
Politics
B. Scope of Political Science
b.1 Political Theory – helps us better
understand the concepts that have shaped our
politics, including freedom, equality, individuality,
democracy and justice. Importantly, Political Theory
is the part of Political Science that explores what a
better political world would look like and how we
can create it.
Politics
B. Scope of Political Science
b.2 Political Philosophy – is the study of
fundamental questions about the state,
government, politics, liberty, justice and the
enforcement of a legal code by authority. It is
Ethics applied to a group of people, and discusses
how a society should be set up and how one
should act within a society.
Politics
B. Scope of Political Science
b.3 Political Institution – are organizations
which create, enforce and apply laws. They often
mediate conflict make (governmental) policy on
the economy and social systems; includes political
parties, trade unions and the legal courts.
Politics
B. Scope of Political Science
b.4 Political Dynamic – the forces and
processes at work in government and politics. They
influence and explain political action. Includes the
study of political parties, pressure groups, interest
groups, lobbies, public opinion, propaganda and
political semantics (meaning of words) which
influence and manipulate political behaviour and
attitudes of individuals and groups.
Politics
B. Scope of Political Science
b.5 Public Administration – helps improve the
management and improve policies so that
government can work better. Public administrators
manage public programs, translate politics into
the programs and services that citizens use every
day.
Politics
B. Scope of Political Science
b.6 International Relations and International
Law – is a body of general principles and specific
rules which regulate the relationship among states
and international institutions; covers such important
subjects as diplomacy, international politics, foreign
policies and international organizations; for world
peace
Politics
B. Scope of Political Science
b.7 Relation between the State and the
Individual – states may be held responsible for
breaches of their international/national obligations
and individuals may also face criminal trials for their
breaches of international/national law
Politics
C. Type of Political System
a. Democracy – a system of government by
the whole population or all the eligible members of a
state, typically through elected representatives.
b. Republic – a state in which supreme power
is held by the people and their elected
representatives, and which has an elected or
nominated president rather than a monarch.
c. Monarchy - a form of government in which
one person reigns, typically a king or a queen. The
authority, also known as a crown, is typically
inherited.
Politics
C. Type of Political System
d. Communism – a system of government in
which the state plans and controls the economy.
Often, an authoritarian party holds power and state
controls are imposed.
e. Dictatorship – a form of government where
one person makes the main rules and decisions with
absolute power, disregarding input from others.
Politics
D. Concepts of State and Government
 State – is a community of persons more or less
numerous, permanently occupying a definite
portion of territory, having a government of their
own to which the great body of inhabitants
render obedience, and enjoying freedom from
external control.
Politics
D. Concepts of State and Government
 Elements of State
a. People – refers to the inhabitants living within
the state. There is no requirement as to the
number of people that should compose a state;
it should be neither too small nor too large; small
enough to be well-governed and large enough
to be self-sufficing.
Politics
D. Concepts of State and Government
 Elements of State
b. Territory – it includes not only the fixed portion
of land over which the jurisdiction of the state
extends (territorial domain), but also the rivers
and lakes therein, a certain area of the sea
which abuts upon its coasts (fluvial and maritime
domain). Thus, the domain of the state may be
described as terrestrial, fluvial, maritime, and
aerial.
Politics
D. Concepts of State and Government
 Elements of State
c. Government – it refers to the agency through
which the will of the state is formulated,
expressed and carried out.
d. Sovereignty – the supreme power of the state
to command and enforce obedience to its will
from people within its jurisdiction and corollary,
to have freedom from foreign control.
Politics
D. Concepts of State and Government
 Elements of State
d. Sovereignty
d.1 Internal or the power of the state to rule
within its territory and;
d.2 External or the freedom of the state to
carry out its activities without subjection to or
control by other States
 GOVERNANCE

POLITICS CONSTITUTION

PEOPLE
Interpretation:
 People as the focal of all areas of Politics,
Government and Constitution because it
is the human individual who is the
revolving actor of the state, it is to people
why there is an existent laws. The right is
vested to and it simply denotes that the
he/she is the MAIN ACTOR.
Politics
E. Origin of State
1. Divine Right Theory – it holds that the state is
of divine creation and the ruler is ordained by God
to govern the people.
2. Necessity or Force Theory – it maintains that
states must have been created through force, by
some great warriors who imposed their will upon the
weak.
3. Paternalistic Theory – by natural stages, the
family grew into a clan, then into a tribe, into a
nation, and became a state.
Politics
E. Origin of State
4. Social Contract Theory – when the
government fails to secure their natural rights or
satisfy the best interests of society, citizens can
withdraw their obligation to obey, or change the
leadership through elections or revolt.
Politics
F. Difference between State and Nation

State Nation
a. Is a political concept a. Is an ethical concept

b. Is not subject to b. May or may not be

external control independent from
external control
c. May consist of one or c. May be made of
more nations or peoples several states
Politics
G. Government – is only the agency through
which the state articulates its will.
 Purpose and necessity of Government
1. Advancement of the Public welfare –
government exists and should continue to exists
for the benefit of the people governed.
a. the protection of society, security of persons
and property, the administration of justice,
preservation of the state from external danger
b. the advancement of the physical,
economic, social and cultural well-being of the
people.
Politics
 Purpose and necessity of Government
2. Consequence of absence – if government is
not well-governed, progress and development
will not be possible.
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 Form of Government
(1) As to number of persons exercising sovereign
powers:
a. Monarchy - in which a single person holds
supreme authority in ruling a country; the
monarch's position is inherited.
a.1 Absolute Monarchy - usually a king or a
queen; unlimited power
a.2 Limited Monarchy – the ruler rules in
accordance with a constitution.
Politics
 Form of Government
(1) As to number of persons exercising sovereign
powers:
b. Aristocracy – ruled by royal or privileged
class
c. Democracy - a system of government by
the whole population or all the eligible members
of a state, typically through elected
representative
Politics
 Form of Government
(1) As to number of persons exercising sovereign
powers:
c. Democracy
c.1 Direct or Pure Democracy – the will of the
state is formulated or expressed directly and
immediately through the people in a mass
meeting or primary assembly.
c.2 Indirect, Representative or Republican
Democracy – the will of the state is formulated or
expressed through agency of a relatively small
and selected person (representatives)
Politics
 Form of Government
(2) As to extent of power exercised by the central
or national government:
a. Unitary Government – the control of
national and local affairs is exercised by the
central or national government;
b. Federal Government – one in which the
power of government are divided between two
sets of organs, and the other for local affairs.
Politics
 Form of Government
(3) As to relationship between the executive and the
legislative branches of the government:
a. Parliamentary Government – In a
parliamentary system, the head of the
government is chosen from the parliament;
b. Presidential Government – is a democratic
and republican system of government where a
head of government leads an executive branch
that is separate from the legislative branch.
Headed by “President”
Politics
H. Function and importance of Political
science
1. To discover the principles that should be
adhered to in public affairs and to study the
operations of government in order to demonstrate
what is good, to criticize what is bad or inefficient,
and to suggest improvements.
2. Its findings and conclusions may be of immense
practical use to constitution-makers, legislators,
executives, and judges who need models or
norms that can be applied to immediate
situations.
Politics
H. Function and importance of Political
science
3. Deals also with problems of social welfare,
governmental economic programs, international
cooperation, and a wide range of other matters
that are urgent concern to public officials and to
private citizens.
Politics
I. Goal in the study of Political Science courses
1. Education for citizenship – the primary objective
of the political science curriculum is education for
citizenship. Preparation of students for careers in
politics, law, teaching, the civil service, and the
foreign service is secondary to the task of
equipping them to discharge the obligations of
democratic citizenship, which grow constantly
heavier in the modern world.
Politics
I. Goal in the study of Political Science courses
2. Essential parts of liberal education – study,
information, and understanding of the
complexities of modern government and politics
are necessary as eternal vigilance. Intelligence,
responsible citizenship can save democracy;
ignorance and negligence can lose it.
Politics
I. Goal in the study of Political Science courses
3. Knowledge and understanding of government –
the “good” citizen who behaves himself and votes
regularly is no longer enough. He must also be the
citizen who knows the answer. He must know how
his government really operates, what interests and
forces are behind particular policies, what the
results of such policies are likely to be, what his
rights and obligations are, who his elected
representatives are, and what they stand for.
MIDTERM
 Government during the
Spanish Period
1. Spain’s title to the Philippines –
Philippines was under in the arms of
Spain almost 4 centuries.
2. Spanish colonial government – from
1565 to 1821, the Philippines was
indirectly governed by the King of Spain
through Mexico.
 Government during the
Spanish Period
3. Government in the Philippines unitary
– government in Philippines was
centralized. Each town is headed by a
gobernadorcillo.
– Cebu (1565) was the first city and
Manila (1571) is second.
 Government during the
Spanish Period
4. The Governor-General – he exercised
executive, administrative, legislative,
and judicial powers, and Commander-
in-Chief.
5. The Judiciary – Supreme court of the
Philippines was Royal Audiencia in 1583.
It performed functions of executive and
legislative nature.
 Government during the
Spanish Period
6. Evaluation of the Spanish Government
in the Philippines – the government
which Spain established was defective.
It was a government for Spaniards and
not for the Filipinos.
 Government during the
Spanish Period
a. Slavery and tribal wars were
suppressed
b. brought unification of the Filipino
people and blossomed the spirit of
nationalism
c. uplifted Filipino from the depth of
primitive culture.
 Government during the
Revolutionary Era
1. The Katipunan Government – a secret
society that precipitated in August 26,
1896.
- It was organized by Andres Bonifacio,
who, together with Filipino patriots
signed the covenant of the Katipunan
with their own blood in July 7, 1892.
 Government during the
Revolutionary Era
1. The Katipunan Government
- The first clear break from Spanish rule.
- Tejeros Convention was the first Filipino
election whose officials were elected
by the people.
 Government during the
Revolutionary Era
2. The Biak-na-Bato Republic –
established by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in
Biak-na-Bato (now San Miguel de
Mayumo, Bulacan).
- It aim is “separation of the Philippines
from the Spanish monarchy”
- Lasted up to December 15, 1897.
 Government during the
Revolutionary Era
3. The Dictatorial Government -
established on May 23, 1898 because of
the outbreak of the Spanish-American
war on April 25, 1898.
- The most achievement is the
Proclamation of the Philippine
Independence at Kawit, Cavite on June
12, 1898.
 Government during the
Revolutionary Era
4. The Revolutionary Government –
established on June 29, 1898 by Gen.
Aguinaldo replacing the Dictatorial
Government.
- “to prepare the country for the
establishment of a real Republic”
- Wanted to be recognized from all over
the world as an independent nation.
 Government during the
Revolutionary Era
5. The First Philippine Republic
–the Malolos Congress formally ratified on
September 29, 1898 the proclamation of
Philippine independence made by Gen.
Aguinaldo
- It was inaugurated on January 23, 1899.
- It existed from January 23, 1899 to March
23, 1901