POLITICAL

INSTITUTIONS
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Explain the concepts of politics, power, and authority
2. Define legitimacy and differentiate the types of authority
3. Distinguish the types of political structures or
organizations and institutions that have existed over time;
and
4. Cite concrete examples related to the political concepts
tackled.
POLITICS, POWER, AND AUTHORITY

• POLITICS – refer to activities through which people

make, preserve, and amend in the general rules under
which they live.
1. Dynamics of conflict resolution
2. Cooperation
3. Exercise of power
• POWER – refers to the ability to do
something in order to achieve a desired
outcome.
* Power involves a relationship, there is one
who exercise power and another who is subject to it.
• AUTHORITY – a legitimate power
- this means that a person who has
authority has the right to exercise power.
* the exercise of authority means that the person
who exercises power is obeyed by the people because he
or she is recognized as the rightful or legitimate ruler or
leader.
 TRIBES
BANDS /CHIEFDOMS NATIONS
(Families) (Larger
communities)

Leadership was no
longer based on skill.
Collection of food or Political structures and
finding a place to institutions evolved in
Comprised of clans
settle in. diff. forms.
Headman is the leader
of his relatives
 SEVERAL TRENDS THAT PERTAIN TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF POLITICAL STRUCTURES AND INSTITUTIONS
THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES

1. Increased in population density;

2. Large surplus of resources and wealth;
3. Greater social inequality;
4. Less reliance on kinship relations as basis of political structures;
5. Increased internal and external conflict;
6. Increased power and responsibility of leaders; and
7. Increased burden on the population to support political leaders.
 LEGITIMACY AND TYPES OF
AUTHORITY
• LEGITIMACY – derived from the Latin word “legitimare” meaning “to declare lawful,” and is
broadly defined as “rightfulnes”.
- confers an order or command an authoritative or binding character, thus
transforming power into authority.
- philosophers treat legitimacy as a moral or rational principle that is the
ground on which governments may demand obedience from citizens.
- political scientists, see legitimacy in sociological terms; that is, as a willingness
to comply with a system of rule regardless of how this is achieved.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUTHORITY
1. TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY – authority is based on a system that is believed to
have “always existed”
- authority which was passed on or inherited.
- authority is based on long-established customs and
traditions that do not need to be justified.
ex:
a. authority exercised by elders in a tribe or an indigenous people’s group
b. monarchs who have inherited their power and authority.
CHARISMATIC AUTHORITY
• Is based on the presumed special and extraordinary characteristics or qualities possessed by a
certain individual.
CHARISMATIC PEOPLE ARE:
1. Very popular
2. Highly persuasive
3. Inspire loyalty and obedience from other people
4. Born leaders and heroes

* charismatic authority is the most unstable type of authority as leaders may eventually “lose”
their charisma when people’s views regarding them change.
LEGAL- RATIONAL AUTHORITY
• Is the most typical type of authority in modern
societies.
• Legitimized by a clearly defined set of rules and
laws.
• Has the highest decree of authority
TYPES OF POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS
AND LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES
• POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS – “the groups
within a culture that are responsible for public
decision-making and leadership, maintaining social
cohesion and order, protecting group rights, and
ensuring safety from external threats.”
POLITICAL DYNASTIES
• POLITICAL DYNASTIES – are believed to have been always existed even in advance
democratic states.
- refers to a succession from rulers from the same line of descent that maintains power
for many generations.
ex: Relatives who stay in power , specifically, members of one family who continuously
hold elective political positions are considered members of a political dynasty,

POLITICAL CLIENTELISM (CLIENTELISTIC POLITICS) – is defined by Susan Stokes

as “giving material goods in return for electoral support.”
1. Patron (politician)
2. Client (voter)
*Political trends which continue to be a challenge to the Philippine political and leadership system/
NATION and STATE are often used interchangeably in everyday life,
• NATION – consists of a distinct population of people bound together by a common culture,
history, and tradition who are typically concentrated within a specific geographic region.
2 Aspects of a Nation
1. Cultural Community
2. Political Community
• STATE - a political unit that has sovereignty- the legitimate and ultimate authority of
the state over an area of territory and people within it.
- is not equivalent to a single nation and may in fact composed of several nations.
- a political unit that encompasses several communities, has a bureaucracy, and has
leaders that possess legitimate power.
ex: Kurdish people who compose a nation but are found in differ, states in the Middle
East such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
• Leaders of state have more responsibilities such as the maintenance of law and order,
securing state territory, engaging in international relations, and preserving social
control.

BUREAUCRACY – means “rule by officials.”

- characterized by “rationality, rule-governed behavior, and impersonal behavior.”

POLITICAL LIBERATION – significant process that happened in Europe.

- refers to the emergence of liberal-democratic regimes that are characterized
by a representative form of democracy where political office is gained
through formal, competitive elections in many Western Societies.
POLITICAL CULTURE – refers to the pattern of
orientation to political objects such as parties, government
and constitution, expressed in beliefs, symbols and values.

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION – is the process where

people acquire values and attitudes about politics and
political institution.
POLITICAL ALLIANCE
• (also called “political coalition” and “political bloc” in some states) is an agreement for
cooperation between or among various political parties anchored on shared political agenda,
usually for purposes of attaining an election result that is mutually beneficial to each party
involved.

THREE BASIC TYPES OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. Major parties, which normally correspond to the traditional national parties

2. Minor parties or party-list organizations, which depend on the party-list system to win
Congressional seats.
3. Regional or provincial parties, which refer to region-wide or province-wide organizations.
ACTIVITY:
Form a group of six members, Have each member identify a
person whom they recognize as a figure of authority. Discuss the
reasons why they chose these persons, and what characteristics
make them authority figures. Present the results of your discussion in
class.
THANK YOU!!!