What is Politics? Politics is the activity through which people make, preserve and amend the general rules under which they live.

What is Politics? Politics is inextricably linked to phenomena of conflict and cooperation. On the one hand, the existence of rival opinions, different wants, competing needs and opposing interests guarantees disagreement about the rules under which people live. On the other hand, people rcognise that, in order to influence these rules or ensure that they are upheld, they must work together with others.

What is Politics? The heart of the politics is often portrayed as a process of conflict resolution, in which rival views or competing needs and opposing interests are reconciled.

What is Politics However, politics in this broad sense is better thought of as a search for conflict resolution than as its achievement, as not all conflicts can be resolved. From this perspective, politics arises from the facts of diversity (we are not all alike) and scarcity (there is never enough to go).

The different definitons of Politics 1. Classical definition: Politics is associated with the art of government and the activities of the state. This definition of politics developed from the original meaning of the term in Ancient Greece. In this view politics is an essentially state-bound activity, meaning that most people, most institutions and most social activities can be regarded as being outside politics.

The different definitons of Politics 2. Politics as public activity: Politics is associated with the conduct and management of the community’s affairs rather than with the ‘private’ concerns of the individual. Such a view can be traced back to Aritotle’s belief that it is only within a political community that human beings can live good life.

The different definitons of Politics 3. Politics as particular means of resolving conflict: by compromise, conciliation and negotiation, rather than through force and naked power. This is what is implied when politics is portrayed as ‘the art of possible’ and it suggests a distinction between ‘political’ solutions to problems involving peacefull debate and arbitration and ‘military’ solutions.

The different definitons of Politics 4. Politics as power: Politics is associated with the production istibution and use of resources in the course of social existence. So, politic is about power the ability to achieve a desired outcome, through whatever means. Advocated in this view include feminists and Marxists, So, the focus of the politics shift from the state to society (the family, the workplace, schools, etc.)

Views of politics that emphasise the distrubiton of power and resources tend to based upon conflict models of society that stress structural inequalities of society that stress structural inequalities and injustices.

Marxists: Political power as “merely the organised power of one class for oppressing another” Feminists: politics as power structured relationships, arrengements whereby one group of persons is controlled by another

POWER Power can be broadly defined as the ability to achieve desired outcome. This notion of power includes everything from the ability to keep oneself alive to the ability of government to promote economic growth. In political analysis, power is usually thought of as a relationship; that is, as the ability to influence the behavior of others in a manner not of their choosing.

POWER It is reffered to in terms of having ‘power over’ others. Power thus exists when A gets B to do something that B wouldn’t otherwise have done. Power &Authority distinction: Power is based upon the ability to influence others Authority refers the ‘right’ to influence others.

Different Dimensions of Power Power as decision-making: Conscious judgements that in some way shape actions or influence decisions. This notion is analogous to the idea of physical or mechanical power, in that it implies that power involves being ‘pulled’ or ‘pushed’ aginst one’s will.

Three ways of influencing decisions: The use of force or intimidation (the stick) Productive exchanges involving mutual gain(the deal). The creation of obligations, loyalty and commitment (the kiss)

Different Dimensions of Power Power as agenda setting: The ability to prevent decisions being made, that is, in effect non decision-making. This involves the ability to prevent issues or proposals being aired. Power as thought control: The ability to influence another by shaping what she or he thinks, wants or needs.

There is a sense in which all politics is about power There is a sense in which all politics is about power. Students of politics are students of power: they seek to know WHO HAS IT? HOW IT IS USED? ON WHAT BASIS IT IS EXERCISED?

Power as decision-making is commonly linked to PLURALİSM (because it tends to highlight the influence of a number of political actors) Power as agenda setting is associated with ELITISM (Because it exposes the capacity of vested interests to organize issues of politics) Power as thought control is linked with MARXİSM (because it draws attention to forms of ideological indoctrination that mask the reality of class rule.