Notes on Poligov

Notes on Poligov

Objectives
1. Know and understand the essentials and requisites of politics;
2. Appreciate the value of politics for the positive growth of individuals, groups of individuals, government and society;
3. Participate meaningfully in Philippine public affairs.


Politics
- is the study of power and the powerful, of influence and influential, of rulers and the ruled, and of authority and authoritative.
- As the art of compromise to achieve certain ends (Maceda).
- The capacity to say no to something dangerous and inimical to public interest (Salonga).
- Lasswell defined politics as “who gets what, when, and how”.

Essentials of Politics
Power
Organization
Leadership
Influence
Timelines
Issues
Communication
Security
Process
Opportunity
Laws
Impact
Team
Intelligence
Costs
Strategy
People
On-line
Liberty
Inventory
Training
Integration
Creativity
Style
Purpose
Opinion
Listening
Innovation
Trustworthiness
Integrity
Charisma
Space


Approaches to the Study of Politics

1. Traditional/Historical Approach – concentrated on legal/formal description of government.

2. Scientific/Behaviorist Approach – this seeks to understand how individuals behave within political institutions, and how informal behavior contributes to policy making.

3. General Theory Approach – identify all the critical structures and processes of society, explain their interrelationships with politics, and predict a wide array of governmental outcomes.

4. Systems Approach – study of interaction between societal environment and the processes that produces the outcome.

5. Structural-Functional Approach – structure and function

6. Political Economy Approach – study of the relationship between the government and economics.


Power
- refers to the ability or the right to do something, the ability to exercise authority over others.
Expert Power
Referent Power
Reward Power
Legitimate Power
Coercive Power

Sources of Power
1. Authority
2. Human resources
3. Skills and knowledge
4. Intangible factors
5. Material resources
6. Sanctions


10 Point Prescription on Effective Political Leadership
by Niccolo Machiavelli

1. The good prince (i.e. the leader) must avoid being despicable and hated.
2. The best fortress for a state and its prince is the love of the people.
3. It is safer to be feared than loved, but it is best to feared as well as to be loved.
4. The “good” prince should abstain from taking the property of others, for men forget more easily the death of their father, than the loss of their patrimony.
5. It is better to trust in your power than in the goodwill of others.
6. Legislate good laws and back them with good arms.
7. Laws are the ways of men and force is the way of the beast, but you cannot rely on law only.
8. Imitate the fox and the lion. The fox is shrewd and cunning, the lion is strong and brave. If you want to be one or the other, it is better to be a fox.
9. Do not put your trust on mercenaries, for they can easily be bought by your adversaries.
10. Be prudent. Prudence is the ability of knowing the nature of difficulties and making that which is least harmful as good.


48 Laws of Power by Robert Green

1. Never outshine the master.
2. Never put too much trust in friends.
3. Conceal your intentions.
4. Always say less than necessary.
5. So much depends on reputation – guard it with your life.
6. Court attention at all cost.
7. Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit.
8. Make other people come to you – use bait if necessary.
9. Win through your actions, never through argument.
10. Infection: avoid the unhappy and the unlucky.
11. Learn to keep people dependent on you.
12. Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim.
13. When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude.
14. Pose as a friend, work as a spy.
15. Crush your enemy totally.
16. Use absence to increase respect and honor.
17. Keep others in suspended terror; cultivate an air of unpredictability.
18. Do not build fortresses to protect yourself – isolation is dangerous.
19. Know who you are dealing with – do not offend the wrong person.
20. Do not commit to anyone.
21. Play a sucker to catch a sucker – seem dumber than your mark.
22. Use the surrender tactic; transform weakness into power.
23. Concentrate your forces.
24. Play the perfect courtier.
25. Re-create yourself.
26. Keep your hands clean.
27. Play on people’s need to believe to create a cult like following.
28. Enter action with boldness.
29. Plan all the way to the end.
30. Make your accomplishments seems effortless.
31. Control the options; get the others to play the cards you deal.
32. Play to people’s fantasies.
33. Discover each man’s thumbscrew.
34. Be royal in your fashion; act like a king to be treated like one.
35. Master the art of timing.
36. Disdain things you cannot have; ignoring them is the best revenge.
37. Create compelling spectacles.
38. Think as you like but behave like others.
39. Stir up waters to catch fish.
40. Despise the free lunch.
41. Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes.
42. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.
43. Work on the hearts and minds of others.
44. Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect.
45. Preach the need for change, but never reform too much.
46. Never appear to perfect.
47. Do not go past the mark you aim for; in victory, learn when to stop.
48. Assume formlessness.


Is politics dirty?

“Men by nature have dual tendencies – one towards the good and another towards the bad.” Duality is likewise true in politics. Elect good men and good politics becomes inevitable. Bad politics is the way of bad politicians.


State

A state is a community of persons, more or less numerous, permanently occupying a definite portion of a territory, independent of external control, and possessing a government to which a great body of inhabitants render habitual obedience.

Elements of State

1. People. The people in a state must be sufficient in number capable of maintaining its existence permanently. While there is no fixed number required, the people as an element requires the presence of both sexes for purposed of procreation, it must be sufficient for self governance and capable of defending itself in order to maintain its permanent existence under the principle of state continuity.

2. Territory. No specific area is required but the territory must be sufficiently adequate to provide for its maintenance, development and growth.

3. Government. The agency or instrumentality, through which the will of the state is formulated, expressed and realized.

Classification of Government According to their Legitimacy

· De Jure. A government established by authority of the legitimate sovereign.
· De Facto. A government established in defiance of the legitimate sovereign.

Forms of Government
Governments have three major forms, namely: Autocracy, Oligarchy and Democracy.

A. Autocracy – The power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual. Sovereignty is exercised by one person usually a king, queen, tsar, dictator, etc. Autocracy has two types: Absolute Monarchy and Totalitarian Dictatorship.

a. Absolute Monarchy – is usually headed by a king, queen, emperor, or tsar exercising the supreme power of government. Their power is usually inherited and they exercise absolute power to rule. Countries like China during the Dynastic period. France until the French Revolution and Russia until the Communist Revolution have this type of government before.

b. Totalitarian Dictatorship – is characterized by having a leader who exercises authoritarian power over every aspect of human affairs. Power is usually not inherited, but it is acquired by force and often reinforced by propaganda. Countries such as Germany under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini and Soviet Union under Stalin possessed this type of government during those periods.

B. Oligarchy – A small group holds the power to govern. The power is derived from wealth, military power, social position, education, or some combination of these. It is regarded as the government ruled by the privileged few. Oligarchy has three classifications: Aristocracy, Military Junta and Communist Totalitarianism.

a. Aristocracy. A type of oligarchy where power is derived from virtue, age and experience, wisdom and education, or religious leadership. Ancient Sparta under the rule of Dorians and Ancient Rome under the rule of Patricians have this type of government.

b. Military Junta. A type of oligarchy where power is consolidated under military force. Haiti after the coup of Aristide, Chile under Pinochet, Greece under Papadopoulus has this type of government.

c. Communist Totalitarianism. A type of oligarchy where small group of government leaders claim to derive power from the people. This small group adopts the communism as their form of economics. All opposition is suppressed. Total control over all aspect of human affairs is exercised and reinforced by propaganda. Countries like the former Soviet Union, China, Cuba and Laos have experience this type of government.

C. Democracy – A government in which the people hold the power to rule, either directly or through elected officials, i.e., “rule by the ruled.” Sovereign power is vested to the people. Democracy has five types: Direct Democracy, Indirect or Republican, Presidential Democracy, Parliamentary Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy.

a. Direct Democracy. Also called pure or absolute democracy. The will of the people is translated into public policy (law) directly by the people themselves in mass meetings. All citizens have the chance to participate in running and managing the affairs of the state. Direct democracy does not exist in its pure form as any nation’s government today. But it is revealed through the exercise of initiative, plebiscite, referendum and recall.

b. Indirect or Republican Democracy. The people elect their chosen representatives and give them power to govern. Agents of the people are responsible for carrying out the will of the people. Examples of countries that have this type of democracy are Japan, Jamaica, Taiwan and New Zealand.

c. Presidential Democracy. The President is elected directly by the people. The president is the head of state and the head of government. The people elect members of the legislative branch of government. Laws are enacted by legislature and enforced by the President.

d. Parliamentary Democracy. The members of the parliament elect a Prime Minister. The people through a popular suffrage elect members of the parliament. The elected representatives enact laws. Countries like France, India and Canada have this type of government.

e. Constitutional Monarchy. The monarch shares governmental power with elected legislature or serves a ceremonial leader of the government. A constitution, usually written, exists as the rule of law of the state. The power of the monarch is defined and limited by the constitution.

Essential Powers of the State

1. Police Power
2. Power of Eminent Domain
3. Power of Taxation

Distinction between the Three Essential Powers

Basis
Police Power
Power of Eminent Domain
Power of Taxation
Rights Regulated
Liberty and property rights
Property rights only
Property rights only
Exercised by
Government
Government, Private entities
Government
Property taken and purpose
Usually noxious, noxious purpose
Wholesome, public purpose
Wholesome, public purpose
Compensation
Intangible, altruistic feeling of contributing to the public good
Full and fair equivalent of the property taken
Protection given/or public improvements

References:
1. Politics, Governance and Government with Philippine Constitution 2nd Edition (2004) by RR Dannug and MB Campanilla.
2. 1987 Constitution (2007) by Ronald M. Corpuz, Ronan S. Estoque, and Lorna V. Wy.