What is Politics?Produced by Dr Peter Jepson - with materials from ‘UK Govt & Politics’ by Philip Lynch & Paul Fairclough + ‘The Essentials of UK Politics’ by Andrew

Heywood.

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What is expected?

• Turn off your mobile.• Raise your hand to ask a question.• Annotate your notes.

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What is politics?

Here are some possible answers• (1) Politics is about government.• (2) Politics is about public affairs.• (3) Politics is about compromise.• (4) Politics is about power.

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(1) Politics is about government?

• Closest to the everyday definition - concentrates on specific people and institutions (MP’s, parliament and civil servants).

• Problem is that it limits politics to decision makers.

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(2) Politics is about public affairs

• Voting is undertaken by citizens - so they are also part of the political process.

• Participating in society is one of our rights/duties. Politics, therefore, means we take an active part in society. This can include things like office politics. 5

(3) Politics is about compromise?

• Aristotle - a man is a political animal? What does he mean by that?

• What Aristotle means is that we live in association and this causes conflict, however people prefer compromise. Hence, politics is about people compromising on private and public matters. 6

(3) Politics is about compromise?

• A problem with the compromise definition is that it fails to deal with imposition. Say the govt impose a tax without consultation - there is no compromise but politics has taken place.

• Also, what if the govt use force to impose its tax? Does that mean it has abandoned politics? Obviously not - hence is politics about compromise? 7

(4) Politics is about power?

• This is the most far reaching definition - man has power over woman in the household. The boss at work, teacher at College.

• On this view conflict is unavoidable - man v woman (feminist) or owner v worker (Marxist). This definition includes force - it is about the use of power.

• 3 Types of power: decision-making, agenda setting and thought control. 8

Which definition do we choose?

• It is something from all. Do pressure groups fit into the first definition? Is the second definition better or too inclusive?

• The third and fourth definitions are more about how decisions are made and not by who. Needs to reflect both.

Is politics about community? 9

Approaches to the study of politics …

• Political science - facts such as govt, elections, parties - describing activities rather than what people ought to do.

• Political theory - more to do with values and theories of politics.

• AS Politics is more about political science than theory. 10

Key Terms …

• Define the following key terms (see pages 8-9 of the textbook ‘The Essentials of UK Politics’ – by Andrew Heywood) …

• Civil society• Hard power• Soft power 11

Break into Political Groups

• Define what is politics and what is not politics.

• List items that are not and cannot be influenced by politics.

• Report back to the whole class.

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