CITIGOV & POLITICS

Objectives
1. Define politics and other concepts used in political science
2. Understand why it is important to study politics

KEY TERMS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

1. Politics 3. Authority 5. State 7. Governance

2. Power 4. Legitimacy 6. Government 8. Polity

POLITICS
➔ the way humans govern and are governed (Magstadt)
➔ study of who gets what, when, and how
➔ authoritative allocation of values
◆ authoritative because those making decisions are supposed to be legitimate
◆ they should have acceptance from the citizens
◆ people have different prerogatives and biases; these contending values need to
be reconciled and dominant values will be prioritized
◆ through politics, we harmonize these contending views
➔ exercise of power and authority (Easton)
➔ making of collective decisions
◆ representatives and institutions make the decisions for the entire society
➔ allocation of scarce resources
➔ process of conflict resolution in w/c competing view or interest are reconciled
➔ NOTE: diverse definition reflects that it’s still contested

FOUR VIEW OF POLITICS

Description:
➔ studying politics is, in essence, the study of government or more
broadly, to study the exercise of authority.

Politics as the art Weaknesses:

of government ➔ implies that politics is what takes place in cabinet rooms;
legislature, etc. meaning that most people, institutions, and social
activities are outside politics
➔ politics is essentially state-bound activity
➔ no recognition that managing society is not limited to government

Description:
➔ politics is an ethical activity concerned with creating ‘just society’
Politics as public
(Aristotle)
affairs
Public vs Private Activities
 Public: apparatus of government, Private: personal realm, family, and
commerce, work, etc. domestic life

restricted to the affairs of the state itself and responsibilities that are
exercised by public bodies

Weaknesses:
➔ delineating what is public vs what is private; politics at times
intervene to what maybe considered private

Description:
➔ politics is an activity by w/c differing interest within a given unit
are conciliated by giving them a share in power in proportion to
their importance to the welfare and survival of the community
Politics as
compromise and
Weaknesses:
consensus
➔ implies peaceful debate and arbitration
➔ assumes that society is characterized by consensus rather than
irreconcilable conflict
➔ how about intimidation and violence

Description:
➔ it views politics to exist in all social activities and in every human
existence—that people struggle for power and scarce resources;
thus in essence, politics is power
Politics as power
and distribution
Weaknesses:
of resources
➔ portrays politics largely in negative terms; that it is simply about
oppression and subjugation
➔ yet is also through politics that injustice and domination can be
challenged

POWER
➔ ability to achieve desired outcome (Magstadt)
➔ power to do something (Heywood)
➔ ability to influence the behavior of others in a manner not of their own choosing

Sources of Power (States)

1. Population size
2. Armies (threats of coercion and violence)
3. National Wealth
4. Leader’s personal charisma
5. Ideology; religion
6. Moral Standing
AUTHORITY
➔ legitimate power
➔ based on acknowledged duty to obey rather than on any form of coercion or
manipulation
➔ government power to make binding decisions and issue obligatory commands
➔ authority cannot be seized; it can only be asserted and claimed
➔ authority is power cloaked in legitimacy and rightfulness

LEGITIMACY
➔ recognized (accepted) power, the uncontested exercise of power
➔ a condition in which power is exercised through established institutions and embraced
(accepted) by the vast majority of society members

STATE
➔ a community with well-defined territorial boundaries administered by a single
government and exercises sovereignty
➔ make and enforce laws (police power)
➔ levies and collects taxes (taxation powers)
➔ has a monopoly of the legitimate use of violence

Elements of a State
1. People
2. Government
3. Territory
4. Sovereignty

GOVERNMENT
➔ structure and organization tasks in managing the affairs of the state
➔ different forms: e.g. presidential, parliamentary
➔ national or local
◆ national government: central level government of the state
◆ local government: particular levels and unit of political authority within the state,
namely, province, city and municipal, and barangay

GOVERNANCE
➔ the participation and sharing of power in society by various groups or actors, including
the state, civil society and market/private business
➔ interaction of government entities with civil society, corporate sector, and political parties
in order to craft state policy, implement programs, projects, activities, monitor, and
evaluate this, to approve policy formulation or implementation (IPG, 2000)

POLITY
➔ a society organized through the exercise of political authority
➔ a system of a social organization centered upon the machinery of government
Why study politics?
1. Self-interest
a. we all have a stake in understanding how our government works
b. be aware of our dependence on the political system and better equipped to
determine when to favor and when to oppose change
2. Public Interest
a. anything in which we are all affected
b. the community at large will have to act together: developing “civicness”
POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES

Objectives
1. Define what are political ideologies
2. Identify and discuss major political ideologies

POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES
➔ a more or less coherent set of ideas that provides the basis for organized political
behavior, whether this is intended to: PRESERVE, MODIFY, OR OVERTHROW an
existing power relation
➔ coined by French Philosopher Destutt de Tracy when he referred to “idea-ology” as a
new science of ideas set to uncover the origins of conscious thought and ideas
➔ assumed that political ideology displays high coherence, complexity, and salience
➔ can subscribe to by a single individual or a group of any size

Three (3) elements of Political Ideologies

1. Offer an account of an existing order
2. Provide a model of desired future; a vision of a good society
3. Outline how political change can be and should be brought about

Use of Political Ideologies

➔ the use of ideological labels in political discourses is a semantic convenience that allows
us to discuss various kinds of political orientation more easily

Three (3) groups of ideologies (based on Magstadt)

1. Anti-Government
2. Right-Wing Ideologies
3. Left-Wing Ideologies

LIBERALISM
➔ product of the breakdown of feudalism and the growth of the market or capitalist society

Elements of Liberalism
1. Individualism
➔ human individual is most important than any social group or collective body; the
goal is to build a society where individuals can flourish
2. Freedom
➔ core value of liberalism
3. Reason
➔ liberals believe that the world has a rational structure; individuals can make wise
judgments based on their own interests
4. Equality
➔ individuals are born equal; with equal rights and entitlements, but individuals do
not possess the same level of talent or willingness to work
5. Toleration
➔ willingness to allow others to think, speak and act in ways they disapprove
 6. Consent
➔ authority and social relationships are based on consent or willing agreement; with
the consent of the governed. Liberals prefer representation and democracy
7. Constitutionalism
➔ checks and balances in a written constitution since they believe in limited
government, bills of rights that define a relationship between state and the
individual

Classical vs Modern Liberalism

Classical Liberalism Modern Liberalism

places the highest value on individual more sympathetic towards state intervention
freedom ➔ freedom is linked to personal
➔ assumes each person is rational and development and flourishing of the
responsible individual; thus be individual
allowed to pursue self-interest ➔ state intervention allowed in social
➔ state is seen as a necessary evil; welfare
prefers minimal state

CONSERVATISM
➔ developed by those who want to preserve the status quo and resisted social change
➔ comes from Latin word conservare, meaning to save or preserve those appropriate to
depict the core beliefs
➔ emerged in late 18th and early 19th century
➔ Edmund Burke (1729-1797) was among the earliest figures. In his book Reflections on
the Revolution in France (1790), he argued against the dramatic break with customs and
traditions of the past

Element of Conservatism
1. Tradition
➔ the desire to conserve is closely linked to the perceived virtues of traditions,
respect for established customs, and institutions that have endured over time
2. Pragmatism
➔ unlike the liberals, they emphasized the limitation of human rationality. Instead,
faith is placed on experience, history, and pragmatism.
➔ Pragmatism implies that action should be shaped by practical circumstances and
practical goals
3. Human Imperfection
➔ believe that human beings are limited, dependent, and security-seeking creatures
drawn to familiar, tried, tested
➔ needing to live in stable and orderly communities. Also, individuals are corrupt,
selfish, and greedy; ORDER requires a strong state
4. Organicism
 ➔ society is an organic whole or a living entity, thus, structured by natural necessity
with different institutions contributing to the health and stability of society (shared
traditional values are vital in the maintenance of the community)
5. Hierarchy
➔ there are differences in social positions and status e.g. workers, employees, etc.
Society is bounded together by mutual obligation and reciprocity
6. Authority
➔ always exercised from above providing leadership, guidance, and support for
those who lack knowledge, experience, and education
➔ freedom must coexist with responsibility; there is acceptance of obligations and
duties
7. Property
➔ property ownership is vital because it gives security and a measure of
independence from government; encourages people to respect the law and
property of others
➔ compared with the liberals, where the liberals are suspicious of state power and
want to limit it; the conservatives believe that when it is properly arranged, state
power is necessary in order to achieve social order. (Burke defended the
aristocracy that they rightfully should have power but they did not have the right
to abuse it)
8. Paternalistic Stand
➔ consistent with principles of organicism, hierarchy, and duty (Disraeli; reform from
above rather than revolution from below); examples are the Tories in the UK,
CDU (German Christian Democrats) with their Christian democracy: prosperity
should be employed for the benefit of the whole society, thus, need for
institutions like the church, unions, business groups, etc.
9. New Right
➔ Neo-liberals and Neo-conservatives, especially after 9/11

Neo-Liberals vs Neo-Conservatives

Neo-Liberals Neo-Conservatives

updated version of classical economics: want to restore authority and the return of
➔ central pillars are the market and the traditional values, linked notably to family,
individual: “rolling back of the state” religion, and nation.
individuals shall be given back their ➔ authority guarantees stability, and thus
freedom and state should not generates respect, shared values, and
intervene common cultures for social cohesion.
➔ e.g. George W. Bush Presidency

SOCIALISM
➔ took shape as a political creed in the early 19th century
 ➔ first reflected the interest of the artisans and craftsmen threatened by the spread of
factory production, later gradually integrated the interest of the working class thinkers:
Robert Owen (1771-1858); Charles Fourier (1772-1837), Karl Marx (1820-1895)

Elements of Socialism
1. Community
➔ human being is a social creature
2. Fraternity
➔ human beings are bounded by a sense of comradeship or brotherhood;
cooperation and collectivism
3. Social Equality
➔ social equality and equality of outcomes not equality of opportunity
4. Need
➔ material benefits should be distributed on the basis of need
5. Social Class
➔ socialism is associated with form of class politics; bias to the interest of the
oppressed and exploited
6. Common Ownership
➔ state collectivization and selective nationalization
➔ socialism presented fresh answers to the problems caused by industrial
development in a capitalist system. At that time, workers were beginning to
congregate in towns and cities. Workers wanted help from the state, even for
most basic protection like protection against child labor, unsafe factories, and
long working hours

Elements of Marxism
1. Historical Materialism
➔ highlighted the importance of economic life; mode of production determines the
political superstructure that will be adopted
2. Dialectical Change
➔ process of interaction between competing forces that results in a higher stage of
development
3. Alienation
➔ process whereby under capitalism workers are reduced to mere commodities
4. Class Struggle
➔ capitalist vs proletariat
5. Surplus Value
➔ conflict between class is inescapable since capitalist has to derive value from
labor expended in the production of goods.
6. Proletarian Revolution
➔ capitalism is doomed and soon the workers will raise their class consciousness
making a revolution inevitable will be done through spontaneous uprising where
workers will capture the means of production
ANTI-GOVERNMENT
1. Anarchism
➔ they are opposed to any form of government no matter how limited (Mikhail
Bakunin: called for the violent uprising of society’s beggars and criminals)
2. Nihilism
➔ believes total destruction of all existing social and political institutions is a
desirable end in itself
3. Libertarianism
➔ stresses the PRE-EMINENCE of individual freedom
➔ believes that the invisible hand of the market can regulate the interplay of social
and economic forces better than the intrusive government and the individual right
to privacy should encompass a very wide range of economic and moral choices
➔ They oppose to policies that limit self-reliance and free choice

RIGHT-WING IDEOLOGIES
➔ emphasize the paramount importance of central authority and political order

1. Fascism
➔ at the extreme right, emphasizes the superiority of one race as well as
unqualified obedience to authority (it enjoyed much appeal in part due to its
ultra-nationalistic coloration [strong concept of the nation)
➔ it openly maximizes blatant appeal to popular prejudices and hatred
2. Religious-Right
➔ emerge as a political force in the 1980 US where they made use of modern
political techniques of mass mailing, extensive political fund-raising, and repeated
use of media for their call of:
a. restoration of traditional values
b. reinstatement of prayers in schools
c. campaign against pornography
d. importance of family
e. opposition to communism in every front
3. Key Figures
➔ Pat Robberson (700 Club) and Pat Buchanan (Crossfire); failed in their
presidential bids; composed of fundamentalist and evangelical protestants;
formed the Christian Coalition

4. Capitalism
➔ both an economic theory and ideology that extols the virtues of:
a. Individualism
b. hard work
c. independence and personal initiative
➔ as an economic theory
◆ espouse free market; opposes government interference and regulation
➔ as an ideology
 ◆ opposes social welfare; government give-aways (subsides)
➔ for conservatives
◆ wealth is a sign of success and virtue
ASEAN: SYSTEMS & STRUCTURES

Outline:
1. History of ASEAN
2. Fundamental Principles and Values
3. ASEAN Charter
4. ASEAN Structure
5. Engaging ASEAN
6. ASEAN Community and Regionalism
7. Three Blue Prints

Overview:
8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the singing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok
Declaration)

Founding Fathers of ASEAN (5 Foreign Ministers)

➔ Adam Malik (Indonesia)
➔ Narciso R. Ramos (Philippines)
➔ Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia)
➔ S. Rajaratnam (Singapore)
➔ Thanat Khoman (Thailand)

The Context: 1960s

➔ Conflict:
◆ Indonesia-Malaysia (Konfrontasi 1962-66)
◆ Philippines-Malaysia (over Sabah)
◆ Singapore secession from Malaysia
◆ Mindanao, Southern Thailand
◆ Thailand was brokering reconciliation among Indonesia, the Philippines, and
Malaysia
➔ Poverty
➔ Communism
◆ Cold War, arms race, proxy wars
◆ Indochina War: Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
◆ Burma: 1962
➔ Club of Dictators
◆ Marcos, Suharto, Thanom, Lee Kwan Yew, Abdul Rahman

Bangkok Declaration
➔ cooperation in the economic, social, cultural, technical, educational, and other fields
➔ promotion of regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule
of law and adherence to the principles of UN Charter
➔ representing the collective will of the nations of Southeast Asia to bind themselves
together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and sacrifices, secure for
their peoples and posterity the blessings of peace, freedom, and prosperity.
Fundamental Principles
February 1967 - Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC)
➔ mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and
national identity of all nations
➔ the rights of every state to lead its national existence free from external interference,
subversion, and coercion
➔ non-interference in the internal affairs of one another
➔ settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner
➔ renunciation of the threat or use of force
➔ effective cooperation among themselves

ASEAN Today: 2000s

➔ Diversity
◆ Political Systems: Democracies, Dictatorships, Monarchy
◆ Economic Development
● HDI (2004): Rank 25 to 133
● GDP (2006): $208 to $29,499
◆ Economic Systems
➔ Power Dynamics
◆ Traditional most influential member - Indonesia
◆ The shift of power from ‘older 5’ to ‘newer 4’ (CLMV)
➔ Shift from state-centric to people-oriented

ASEAN in the last four (4) decades

➔ a state-led project driven by the region’s elites (top-bottom) - exclusive club for
Southeast Asian foreign ministers
➔ a tool to advance the political-security interests of its member states, but later expanded
to economic and socio-cultural co-operation
➔ developed norms and values: ‘ASEAN Way’ - diplomatic norms that encourage the
member countries of ASEAN to seek an informal and incremental approach to
co-operation through lengthy consultations and dialogues (consensus, least common
denominator, non-interference, etc.)
➔ ‘National interests’ and ‘sovereignty’ still prevails despite the deepening of
regionalization process
➔ limited participation of civil society in its decision-making processes

ASEAN Charter
➔ ratified by 10 ASEAN member states
➔ came into force: 15 December 2008, Jakarta
➔ gives legal personality to ASEAN
➔ clarifies common objectives and principles
➔ defines structure, mechanisms, operations

What’s new in the Charter for ASEAN?

1. The Charter
2. Regional Vision
3. Blueprints of Cooperation
4. Human Right Commission

Charter: ASEAN Objectives

➔ enhance peace, security, stability ➔ alleviate poverty, narrow development

gap

➔ political, security, economic, ➔ strengthen democracy, protect and

socio-cultural cooperation promote human rights

➔ preserve as nuclear weapons free ➔ respond to common threats

zone

➔ peace with the world, harmonious ➔ promote sustainable development

environment

➔ single market and production base ➔ develop human resources

Charter: ASEAN Principles

➔ respect for independence, ➔ respect for fundamental freedoms,

sovereignty, territorial integrity protect and promote human rights,
promote social justice

➔ shared commitment: peace, security, ➔ respect UN Charter, international law,

stability IHL

➔ renounce use of force ➔ abstain from participation in activities

which threaten members

➔ peaceful settlement of disputes ➔ respect cultures, religions, languages

➔ non-interference in internal affairs ➔ centrality of ASEAN in economic,

political, social, and cultural relations

➔ freedom from external interference, ➔ adherence to rules towards

subversion, coercion integration, and market driven
economy

Charter: Critics

➔ market-oriented language ➔ codifies past agreements

➔ does not acknowledge the centrality of ➔ all about government and not
redistribution and economic solidarity interaction with the people
 to the goals of poverty eradication, ➔ unclear spaces of how civil society
social justice and lasting peace can participate

➔ non-participatory drafting process ➔ Lack of disciplinary and dispute

resolution mechanisms

Charter: Positive Values

➔ legal personality: more accountable, For CSO Strategic Values:

stronger

➔ human rights, democracy as ➔ a space to stake claims and

principles accountability

➔ human rights body (article 14) ➔ an anchor to discuss ASEAN

➔ recognition of civil society participation ➔ possibility to transform ASEAN to

work for the mutual benefit of the
governments and the peoples

New Charter: New ASEAN

➔ legal, (rules based) therefore accountable
➔ greater recognition
◆ within ASEAN (leverage against governments)
◆ regional partners (international leverage)
➔ mechanisms to address regional issues: human rights, migrant workers, women and
children
➔ recognition of civil society - the right to participate

ASEAN: Stages of Development

➔ first 10 years (1967-1976): establishment, solidarity, dialogue partners
➔ the next 20 years: (1977-1997): expansion - Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Lao PDR
and Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999)
➔ the next 10 years: (1998-2007): vision, formalization
➔ the next years: (2008-present): community building