PHILIPPINE POLITICS

AND GOVERNACE
REVIEW
The individuals’ satisfaction with their government is a
determinant of governance.
Governance, as a prospect of modern states,
demands both the political will of policy
officials and the participation of citizens. This
only means that you are also part of
governance.
To study politics entails using different
approaches or perspectives.
REVIEW
A political scientist also uses tools in
understanding the political world, just like
how chemists or physicists use a set of tools
in their own fields.
Politics is a social activity through which
people make and amend the general rules
that guide their political life.
As a phenomenon, politics is studied using
different theoretical perspectives.
The connection between political theory and
practice is established by ideologies, among
many others.
POLITICAL IDEAS
AND IDEOLOGIES
INTRODUCTION
Following Aristotle’s contention that man is
by nature a political animal, all individuals
are, in essence, political thinkers.
Have you heard your parents express their
opinions on an issue of political relevance?
How about you?
Have you not noticed that individuals use
political ideas and concepts when they share
their opinions or whenever they speak their
mind?
THE ROLE OF IDEAS
THINK ABOUT IT
Why did the Filipinos march against the
dictator Ferdinand Marcos in what became
known as the 1986 EDSA People Power
Revolution?
Why did people do the same during the time
of former President Joseph Estrada in 2001?
What are the reasons behind the Million
People March in 2013?
There must be some motivating ideas
behind their actions.
IDEAS
Ideas, however abstract they may seem,
govern individual behavior. While they are
not ideologies by themselves, they constitute
a part of the raw material needed to create
one coherent doctrine.
How did the individuals who participate in
rallies and protests illustrated and perceive
the existence of inequality and injustice
during their time?
IDEAS
How did they look at equality? What for them
is justice? Surely, these political ideas are not
merely a passive reflection of their personal
interests because these inspired and guided
them in their political action.
IDEAS
As what has been highlighted earlier, political
theory and political practice are inextricably
linked. Political ideas did not come out of
nowhere. They are shaped and continuously
reshaped by current socio-historical,
economic, and political circumstances.
Whether you are conscious or not, your
behavior is guided by a set of ideas, beliefs, or
value systems you adhere to. At a more
general level and at a definitely larger scale,
political ideas shape the nature of political
systems and serve as glue that binds societies
together.
THE NATURE OF
POLITICAL
IDEOLOGY
IDEOLOGY
An ideology is more or less a coherent set of
ideas that direct or organize a specific
political action (Heywood 2013).
It consists of belief and value systems, a
discussion of existing power relationships, an
exploration of how political change is
achieved in line with these power relations,
and an illustration of a desired future. The
following are several definitions of political
ideology according to Heywood (2013).
IDEOLOGY
A political belief system
An action-orientated set of political ideas
The ideas of the ruling class
The world-view of a particular social class or social group
Political ideas that embody or articulate class or social
interests
Ideas that propagate false consciousness amongst the
exploited or oppressed
Ideas that situate the individual within a social context and
generate a sense of collective belonging
An officially sanctioned set of ideas used to legitimize a
political system or regime
An all-embracing political doctrine that claims a monopoly of
truth
An abstract and highly systematic set of political ideas
LEFTIST OR RIGHTIST
Before focusing on the major political
ideologies, it is important to present first the
spectrum of political attitudes. Whether an
individual is radical, liberal, moderate,
conservative, or reactionary is largely
represented by his or her political values and
beliefs in political change. You must have
heard before the terms leftist or rightist, and
you might have wondered what they really
mean in political discourse.
LEFTIST OR RIGHTIST
Each of the political attitudes mentioned are positioned in a
linear spectrum either on the left, on the middle, or on the right.
Thus, to be a leftist means being supportive of the values on the
left of the spectrum, while being a rightist means espousing the
value of those on the right.
LEFTIST OR RIGHTIST
Each of these is an advocate of a particular
political value and possesses a political
attitude about changing the status quo, or
the existing conditions.
Given the illustration to be considered a
leftist means supporting the causes of those
on the left of the spectrum, where the
radicals and the liberals are located. These
groups advocate changes in the status quo.
LEFTIST OR RIGHTIST
The conservatives and the reactionaries, on
the other hand, are located on the right side.
The conservatives are the most supportive of
the status quo, which lies between the
conservatives and the reactionaries. The
reactionaries, like the conservatives, are
reluctant to progressive change. Therefore,
the farther one is from the status quo, the
more dissatisfied he or she is with it, and
hence more likely to be supportive of
fundamental changes. The closer a person to
the status quo, the less likely he or she is
going to call for change.
LEFTIST OR RIGHTIST
Regarding values, people on the left of the
spectrum emphasize political liberty, social
change, human equality, and human rights;
while those on the right revere authority,
tradition, elitism, and property rights
(Baradat 2012).
With these values and attitudes about
change, the different major political ideologies
can be positioned in the spectrum and be
labeled as radical, liberal, moderate,
conservative, and reactionary.
LEFTIST OR RIGHTIST
This linear spectrum of political attitude is
criticized for not being able to accommodate
other groups. What are the other ways by
which attitudes are presented in a political
spectrum?
Who are those considered to be part of the
“center”? Where do terrorists, religious
fundamentalists, and military adventurists
fall? Share your thoughts with the class.