Governance and Politics

Sir Ernie Belaro

Lesson 1

At the end of this lesson, the students are able to:

1. Define politics and governance and understand the rules of the game.
2. Develop a critical way of thinking and in interpreting Politics and Governance.
3. Recognize the value and evaluate the importance of politics in their everyday dealings.
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THE MEANING OF POLITICS

In every aspect of man’s life, there is always a conflict and disagreement. They disagree
about the distribution of powers and resources as well as how to resolve such disagreement.
Questions such as “Why is there war?” What are the necessary and sufficient conditions of
poverty? How do we account for intolerance? How do we avoid ecological catastrophes? Broad
agreement that it is advantageous to avoid devastating wars, enhance prosperity, protects human
rights and guard against environmental disasters. This is where politics comes in.

Politics is the study of “who gets what, when and how” as Harold Laswell states. Who
gets power, authority, and leadership? When they are able to get such and how they able to get
it? This is linked to the idea that politics is “the master science” as called by Aristotle (Roskin,
et.al., 2012). He further elaborated that politics is present in all our daily dealings in the Polis
(the Greek city-state). This leads to the concept that Politics indeed could also be viewed as
social activity – there is always an interaction between and among the members of the society to
resolve disagreement and conflicts to attain common solutions. Also, the politics is said to be a
natural outgrowth of human development having capable of reasoning that named man as a
political animal (Dooley et, al., 2013).

Politics is the exercise of power, the science of government, the making of collective
decisions, the allocations of scarce resources and the practice of deception and manipulation.
Moreover, Politics is consists of people acting politically, by organizing political interest groups
and trying to induce governments to act ways that will promote their interests over those
opponents. To further understand politics, it must start by knowing something about how people
acquire their political beliefs, values, and notions how they act and should act politically. Politics
could also be viewed as “the process of making government policies.” Thus, it comes to the
study of political science. The development of political science as a discipline could be traced
from the time of Aristotle when he wrote the first systematic work focused on political affairs
known as the Politics that named him the Father of Political Science. The Father of Modern
Political Science, Niccolo Machiavelli, wrote “The Price” a handbook for rulers in the art of
government. Thus, in contemporary time Prof. Francis Lieber also wrote “Manual of Poltical
Ethics”; the first systematic treatise on political science that gives as well thorough
understanding of the discipline. In the Philippines, Department of Political Science was
established in the College of Liberal Arts in 1915, University of the Philippines. Teodoro M.
Kalaw is the first Filipino student of politics and defined political science in his Manual Ciencia
Politica in 1918 as, “the nature and organization of the State, the structure, and functions of the
high branches of government, and the theory of political and civil liberties (Agpalo, 1998).”
 Political Science is defined as the systematic study of political and governmental
institutions and processes (Ranney, 1995). It is a discipline that seeks to understand the
relationship between individual and political institutions. Political institutions defined as
collections of relevant rules and routines that determines appropriate actions regarding
relations between roles and situations involving the determination of what the situation is, what
role is being fulfilled, and what obligation of that part in that situation is (Peters, 2012).
Bluntschli, a Swiss scholar, defined political science as “the science, which concerned with the
state, which endeavors to understand and comprehend the state in its fundamental conditions, in
its essential nature, its various form of manifestation, its development (Moten and Islam, 2011).
To Paul Janet as cited by Moten and Islam (2011, a French scholar, political science is, that part
of science which treats the foundations of the state and the principles of government.” Thus, the
other definitions clearly indicate that political science is not only limited to the study of the state
and government, but it also includes the society in macro perspective in so far as various
institutions of the state are interrelated with one another.

CHARACTERISTICS OF POLITICS (Shievely, 2013)

1. Politics always involves the making of collective decisions for group of people;
2. Those decisions are made by some members of the group exercising power over other
members
of the group.

THE SCIENCE OF POLITICS

1. It is the basic knowledge and understanding of the state and the principles and ideals which
underlie its organization and activities.
2. It is primarily concerned with the association of human beings into ‘body politic’ or in a
political
community.
3. It deals with those relations among men and groups which are subject to control by the state
with
the relations of men and groups to the state itself and the relations of the state to another state.

STAGES IN THE STUDY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

1. Religious Stage – the government, its leaders and laws was considered as divine or divinely
inspired.
2. Metaphysical Stage – the state was considered as a human institution, and it is, therefore,
absolute (cannot be changed).
3. Modern Stage – the state was deemed capable of being improved by rulers and subjects
according
to certain principles and laws.

APPROACHES TO DEFINING POLITICS

In Heywood citing Hay (2002) and Leftwich (2004) identified two broad approaches:
a. Politics as an Arena or location – In here, politics is associated with an arena or area, in
which
case behavior becomes ‘political because of where it takes place. This includes the art of
 government and public affairs.
b. Politics as a Process or mechanism – In which case ‘political’ behavior is behavior that
exhibits
distinctive characteristics or qualities, and so can take place in any, and perhaps all, social
context. It includes compromise and consensus, and power and the distribution of
resources.

THE MEANING OF GOVERNANCE

The concept of “governance” is as old as human civilization. Governance was defined as
“the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not
implemented)”. Governance can be viewed in the following context: corporate governance,
international governance, national governance and local governance (UNESCO for Asia and the
Pacific). Good governance assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are
taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-
making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society.
Good governance entails sound public sector management (efficiency, effectiveness, and
economy), accountability, exchange and the free flow of information (transparency), and a legal
framework for development (justice, respect for human rights and liberties) (Wyatt, 2005). Good
Governance is defined focusing on legitimacy (government should have the consent of the
governed), accountability (ensuring transparency, being answerable for actions and media
freedom), competence (effective policy making, implementation and service delivery), and
respect for law and human rights (Wyatt, 2005).

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE (Unesco for Asia and the Pacific)

• Participation
Participation as one the aspects of good governance, by both men and women, must
partake directly or indirectly (having a representative) in every governmental process. This is
because participation is an essential cornerstone of good governance.

• Rule of Law
The rule of law means to say that good governance manifested thorough the impartiality
of fair legal framework such as the promotion of a full protection of human rights and dignity
especially those members of minorities.

• Transparency
Transparency means that decisions were taken, and their enforcement are done in a
manner that follows rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and
directly accessible to those who will be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also
means that enough information is provided and that it is provided in easily understandable forms
and media.

• Responsiveness
 Good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders
within a reasonable timeframe.

• Consensus oriented
Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad
consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be
achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable
human development and how to achieve the goals of such development.

• Effectiveness and efficiency

Good governance means that processes and institutions procedure results that meet the
needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of
efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources
and the protection of the environment.

• Accountability
Accountability is a crucial requirement for good governance. Not only governmental
institutions but also the private sector and civil society organization must be accountable to the
public and their institutional stakeholders.

Name: _________________________________________________ Score:

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Course: ________________________________________________ Date:
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Directions: List in the circles below what you have learned about Politics and Governance. On
the oberlapping parts, write your ideas on how both topics are interrelated.

Name: ________________________________________________ Score:

______________________
Course: _______________________________________________ Date:
_______________________

Direction: Form group with three members. Draw a political cartoon of what good governance
would look like.
1. Make it unique and eye catching
2. Creatively and humor help
3. Using familiar figures also helps dramatically
4. Present in class and explain
5. Then, the class will vote for the best cartoon.

ACTIVITY 1
Activity 2
1.The resources of an economic system, called Factors of Production are grouped into four
categories which are
a. traditional, command, market, and mixed.
b. land, capital, labor, and entrepreneurs.
c. monopoly, oligopoly, private, and government.
d. local, central, national, and global.
2.
Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism are:
a. social systems.
b. cultural systems.
c. political systems.
d. economic systems.
3.
An economic system that is based on a society's values, customs, and traditions.
a. Command Economy
b. Traditional Economy
c. Market Economy
4.
In this economic system, the government owns all the property and controls all resources.
a. Free market economy
b. Capitalism
c. Communism
d. Traditional economy
5.
is an economic system in which the government owns most basic industries. Non
basic industries are owned by private citizens.
6.
What is an economic system in which private business operates in competition and largely free of
state control called?
a. Free enterprise
b. market economy
c. capitalism
d. scarcity
7.
What would not be an example of a factor of production?
a. A factory worker
b. Lumber used to make a chair
c. Training for a new employee
d. A new Xbox
8.
What are natural resources?
a. shelter, food,
b. something found in nature that people can use
c. goods and services
9.
Which of the following is not a natural resource?
a. water
b. soil
c. trees
d. workers
10.
Oil is a natural resource.
a. True
b. False
11.
What is specialization?
a. When individuals and businesses do what they do best
b. When individuals and businesses do what they can’t do well
c. When individuals and businesses do what they do poorly
d. When a person is really, really, really, terrible at what they do
12.
What is not an advantage of specialization?
a. Workers can be trained better
b. Production increases
c. Workers learn their skills better
d. Less good are produced quicker
13.
This does not affect wages.
a. Experience
b. Age
c. Education
d. Height
14.
This is an example of semiskilled labor:
a. Lifeguard
b. Teacher
c. Doctor
d. The President
15.
This skill level of labor requires some training.
a. Unskilled labor
b. Semiskilled labor
c. Skilled labor
d. Professional labor
16.
This level of labor requires the highest amount of education.
a. Unskilled labor
b. Semiskilled labor
c. Skilled labor
d. Professional labor
17.
A factory is an example of a capital resource.
a. True
b. False
18.
Capital is:
a. The effort people devote to tasks for which they are paid
b. Any human made resource used to produce goods and services
c. All natural resources used to make goods and services
d. Washington D. C.
19.
Entrepreneurs are motivated mainly by
a. a need to be in charge.
b. the desire for risk.
c. the hope of making a profit.
d. the need to repay their loans.
20.
A person who takes a risk, or a chance, and starts a business is called a(n)
a. entrepreneur
b. producer
c. benefit
d. resource
\

Activity 3
Factors of Production NAME:____________________
After reviewing the factors of production notes on the back of this paper, complete the following
activities.
Read each item AND decide which of the four factors of production it would be classified as:
• LD – Land
• LR – Labor
• C – Capital
• E – Entrepreneur

1. School ________
2. Money ________
3. Books _________
4. Teachers __________
5. Principal __________
6. Paper _____________
7. Athletic Fields ___________
8. Desks ________
9. Dry Erase Boards _________
10. Buses _________
11. Gas __________
12. Custodians __________
13. Students ____________
14. Superintendent _________
15. Computers ______________
16. Asst. Principals __________
Activity 4

1. A garbage truck driver is an example of which Factor of Production?

labor
land
entrepreneurship
capital

2. Iron, minerals, coal and plants are examples of which productive resource?
land
labor
entrepreneurship
capital

3. Which factor of production would you consider a lawn mower?

Land
Labor
Capital
Entrepreneur

4. Which factor of production would you consider a cow?

Land
Labor
Capital
Entrepreneur

5. The term used to describe the way a nation provides for the needs and wants of its people
resources
economy
factors of production
Infrastructure

6. Land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship

Economy
Infrastructure
Factors of production
Capital

7. Everything contained in the earth or found in the sea ex: coal and crude oil
Land
Labor
Resources
Infrastructure
8. The goods used in the production process such as factories, machinery and equipment
Land
Labor
Resources
Capital

9. The people who work in both the public and private sector
Land
Labor
Entrepreneurahip
Capital

10. The skills of people who are willing to invest time and money to run a buainess
Labor
Land
Capital
Entrepreneurship

11. Difference between wants and needs and available resources

Economy
Factors of Production
Resources
Scarcity