BASIC CONCEPTS OF POLITICAL

SCIENCE AND PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION

PRESENTED BY: ALFRED V. RIGOR, DPA

TSU-CPAG FACULTY
 Political Science

 The nature of social existence is politics.

 Where two or more men interacting with one another are
involved in a political relationship. This relationship may be called
“rule, authority, or power.”
 Such power is exercised by its political machinery, the
government and its various institutions. Therefore, the government
is at the very center of politics and that of political science.
 Political Science

 The state is designed to resolve social conflicts and set collective goals that
would attain and promote the good life.
 In a broader sense, politics can be define as “distribution of advantages and
disadvantages among people through interaction with each other to satisfy
their different wants and needs.
 Their interaction produces competition deriving from opposition or
preferences.
 Attempts are made to reach some sort of compromise and accommodation
to reconcile differences.
 Political Science

 Man by nature has dual tendencies – one towards the good and
another towards the bad. Likewise, politics is either good or bad.
No human being can escape politics. Politics is the essence of
democracy.
 Thus, political science is concerned to have a basic knowledge
and understanding of the state and of the principles and ideals
which underlie its organization and activities.
 Public Administration

 Public Administration – focuses on how the bureaucracy

implements governmental policies.
 Students of public administration seek to understand what helps
as well as what hinders the bureaucracy in carrying out its
assigned functions.
 Public Administration

 Bureaucratic structures, and processes are examined in an attempt to

improve efficiency, reduce waste, and promote development.
 Political scientist who study public administration frequently concentrate on
case studies.
 They pay attention not only to the ways which governmental powers is
exercised but also to whether power is exercised in a manner consistent with
the public interest.
 In that sense, public administration shares the concerns of political science
as a whole.
 How do political scientists do their work?

 They read or listen to what other people have to say;

 They follow current events;
 They note what appears to them to be certain interesting
tendencies;
 They wonder why such things are happening;
 They wonder what will happen next.
The Nation as a Political System
 Inputs:
Public demands
and or supports
expressed via
individuals or
organizations;

Process:
Feedback; Conversion of
(Members of a inputs by
polity); authorities in the
government;

Outputs:
(decisions,
policies, actions,
and information);
 Role of Citizens to the State

 Loyalty to the Country – it implies that the citizen must have faith and
confidence in his government and requires recognition that the government
is the central authority to administer his rights and liberties, protect his life
and property, and regulate his conduct in relation with others.
 Defense of the State – it implies that the citizen must render military and
even civil or personal service.
 Participation in the Development and Welfare of the State – it implies that
the citizen possesses discipline and the willingness to develop his
potentialities to the fullest as an act of contribution for his country.
 Role of Citizens to the State

Upholding the Constitution and Obedience to the Law – The constitution should be considered
as the supreme law. To violate the authority of the law would mean disobedience and is
punished by sanctions or penalties.
Exercise of Suffrage and Participation in the Electoral Process – This means that it is
compulsory, that all citizens who are qualified voters shall register and cast their votes during
elections.
Good citizen participate in the electoral process by seeing that the elections are conducted in
clean, orderly and peaceful manner.
 Democratic Electoral Process – where the individual citizen is not afraid to vote for the right
candidate – a choice which is dictated by his conscience and free will.
 
 Role of State to Society

 Domestic order and security

By providing laws to regulate peoples conduct and an effective
system of law enforcement.
 Common defense
To defend the state from internal and external aggression.
 Role of State to Society

 Blessings of liberty and justice

Liberty/freedom – citizens has not only the legal right but the moral
responsibility to exercise these rights with “right reasons”, and
within limits prescribed by law.
Legal justice is administered by the courts under the law.
Social justice is concerned with the sharing of the economic wealth
of the state through equitable distribution of opportunities.
 Role of State to Society

 Promotion of the general welfare

By performing service functions and other governmental activities
relative to the care of the general interests and well-being of the
state.
 Promotion of public morality
Concerned with value judgments and moral standards which aims
at the highest good to attain the good life.
 Normative Versus Empirical- Political Puzzles

 
 A normative puzzle is a puzzle about values.
 Decisions will depend on what standards, or norms (desirable
characteristics) an individual, a group, or a social system apply to
the facts uncovered.
 WHAT IS MY MISSION?

 “If I can help at least one person to have a

better life, that already justifies the offering of my
life!” (Pope Francis)
END OF LECTURE

THANK YOU!