EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT AND LAW

I. Activity 1: Arrange me!

The class will be divided into half, each group will be given scrambled words and
try to rearrange it to the exact word. The first group who will get the correct answer will
be the winner.
Scrambled words:
 U CAN DO IT E!
 COIL TIPS

II. EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT AND LAW

Education
 Education can be defined as a social institution utilized by the society to provide
its members necessary information, instruction, knowledge of facts, cultural
norms and values and skills needed to secure a job or career. It is through
education that the society informs its people the proper training they need to
succeed inside the society.
Functions of Schooling
 Socialization— Socialization of culture can also be traced inside academic
institutions. Schools are venues for learning culture and some of its elements
such language and conventional methods. Inside the school, students can also
interact with other people. In the process, students learn early in life how to
deal with outside world.
 Social Integration— The school is not only a place where one can learn cultural
norms and values from formal instruction. An academic institution is also a
community where many people who exhibit diverse cultural orientation come
and interact with each other.
 Cultural Innovation— An academic institution is an institution of learning and
research. Advances in the different fields such as the physical sciences, social
sciences and humanities often take place inside universities and colleges. The
innovations conducted in these fields also influence the conduct of the society.
For instance, if a particular scientific discovery is discovered, it can change the
societal outlook of individuals regarding their world. Thus, culture is innovated
because of schooling.
 Social Displacement— It is said that the school is place where dreams come
true. This happens through the efforts of academic institutions to provide for
special training for their students that are inclined to the natural propensities of
each student. Because of schools, people can direct their own social mobility
upwards.

Education in the Philippines

Educational system reflects the economic, political, social and religious
values of society. Philippine education has been influenced mostly by Spanish and
American systems. Early historians, however, maintain that before the coming of the
Spaniards, the Filipinos knew how to read and write. The Philippines system is a
bureaucratic structure under the supervision of the state. There are three coordinate
branches: The Bureau of Elementary Education, The Bureau of Secondary Education
and The Bureau of Higher Education

Government and Law

What is the Sociology of Politics?
For a long time, people have regulated, controlled, and directed their lives only
informally. Since the 15th century, some societies have spearheaded to move to
evolve formal political systems. Others have either adopted similar or modified
versions of such political systems. Other remains committed to such political systems
and adhere to traditional patterns.
People have constantly struggled against the use of political powers without some
degree of consensus and a pattern of shared norms and values that provides for the
basis of legitimate authority. Yet, a greater number of political systems today operate
with less consensus from governed or minimal consideration of civil rights. More than
four-fifths of the human race now lives under such political systems.
Politics is the “theory, art and practice of government”. Political institutions are the
societal arrangements of legislating and enforcing laws, and providing for social
services like education, public health and welfare, distributing public funds, collecting
taxes, conducting foreign affairs, and deciding on issues of war and peace. (Stewart
and Glynn 1985:486)

The State and the Political Systems

The concept of the state as distinct from society developed gradually. The need
for the state arose when groups within society realized that it was for their own welfare
to centralize authority, set up rules for settling disputes, and apply force to maintain
obedience and loyalty to the social norms and values of society.
The underlying fabric of authority is ideology. An ideology is a system of values,
ideas, beliefs and facts; it contains a set of attitudes toward the various institutions
and processes of society. An ideology is a set of interrelated beliefs that provide a
picture of the world as a whole, that furnish the believer with an image of the world
both as it is and it should be. Political ideology, therefore, is like a blueprint for the
good society, with practical instructions on how to attain and maintain it.
Different political ideologies originated from varied historical experiences such as
war, conquest, colonization, liberation, national consciousness, the increased size
and changes of population, ethnic diversity, regionalism, and the rise of social
problems requiring social action by society. (Barnes 1948)
Since Aristotle’s time, the forms of government envisioned by different political
ideologies are autocracy, oligarchy and democracy.
Autocracy – Autocracy is most directly opposed to democracy. It upholds that
government should be in the hands of one individual who has
supreme power over the people.
Forms of Autocratic government:
-Primitive kingships
-Despotism
-Tyranny
 -Absolute Monarchy

Oligarchy – is a form of government in which the power or authority resides in few

persons who govern for their own interests. It is also referred to as
elitism. C. Wright Mills was a prominent exponent of this view. He
believed that the most significant decisions, including those
concerning war and peace, are made by a handful of men who
represent the corporate rich, the military upper echelons, and the
political directorate.
Democracy – Democracy is a form of government where there is rule by the
people, either directly or representatives. This grew out constitutional
government. The principle of equal rights and privileges, universal
suffrage and the democratic regimes (Braingart 1976:20). It is
generally referred to as “government of the people, by the people,
and for the people.”

Functions of the State

The main functions of the state are the maintenance of peace and order and the
regulation and control of the lives of the people. The state is expected to answer the
need of the citizenry to a certain degree of social order. There are certain things
people must do and/or refrain from doing; not necessarily for ones’ individual benefit,
but of the entire group. Hence, people create norms and values that define what is
wrong and immoral, to make sure that important norms are upheld by laws, and to
settle numerous disputes that arise when people live together and to determine who
gets what in terms of rewards or punishment.
The increased complexity of society has caused the transfer of some institutional
functions to the state (Aron 1954):
1. From the family – the state has taken over the provision of protection for
home, the formal education of the youth, and the maintenance of public
welfare programs for the sick, crippled, feebleminded and insane, the
unemployed and underemployed, the widowed and orphaned, the aged,
abused and others.

2. From the economy – the economy has taken over the resolution of labor-
capital disputes, the limitation or regulation of production, distribution and
consumption of economic resources, goods, and services, the control
wages, prices, taxes, and savings, the operation of research, the
allowances of fringe benefits, and others.

3. From the church – the state has taken over the regulation of the conditions
for contracting and dissolving marriages, family planning, the moral or
spiritual training of the youth, the provision of relief for the poor, the disposal
of the dead and others.
In times of crisis, the state is vested with emergency powers, such as:
1. Regulation of manpower resources and the control and allocation of labor
during war and national disaster;
2. Mobilization of agriculture and industry, particularly the apportioning of raw
materials and other facilities;
3. Control of wages in collective bargaining contracts,
 4. Curbing of prices to subvert disastrous inflations;
5. Formation of capital and the control of investments to be made and profits to
be realized.

The Social Structure of Politics

The state is the formal structure of government. It is the institution whose functions
are carried out by the government. Government is the working active arm of the state
which provides social control through its political processes, the laws it establishes
and implements, and the work of its agencies. Although individuals and groups that
comprise the government change, the state continues to function.
The state represents a politically organized society functioning through a
government: Whereas, nation is a culture group of people residing within the territory
of the political state. The spirit of the nationhood makes a group of people a nation.
People unify into a nation through factors such as geographic boundaries (like
mountains or bodies of water), commercial ties developed throughout the
geographical area, the knowledge of a common language.

The Struggle for Power: Legitimacy and Authority

Political power is a basic force on the political process and in structuring society.
It is both compensation and a determinant in the distribution of wealth and prestige
in the stratification system. Weber (1957: 152) defined power as “the probability that
one actor within social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite
resistance.” The ability to sway decision-making is a significant gauge of power.
When power is held by an individual or group not accepted to members of society,
the power is illegal and illegitimate. Authority is the legitimate possession of power.
Power becomes legitimate authority when members of society accept its use as right
and proper.
When a government has legitimacy, its laws are followed and its officials respected
by a majority of people in the society, regardless of their feelings toward both the laws
and the enforcers.
The struggle for power includes the acquisition, exercise, and maintenance of
power. The political elite are the persons or groups who supply the political leadership
in society at a certain time.

Foundation of Power
Regardless of the structure and functions of the state and Government, the power that
emanates from it has foundations in legitimacy,authority and influence.
1. LEGITIMACY
 Weber (1957:154)
 points out that the state in any country has legitimacy " if and in so far as, its
administrative staff successfully upholds a claim to the monopoly of legitimate use
of physical force in the enforcement of its order"
 Provides the rationale of what the government does.
 May arise from the shared norms and values of the people
  Manifested as consensus, it refers to group decisions representative of every
individual's wish.
 Consensus maybe derived formally or informally, unanimously or by majority,
through voting, seeking political counsel, patronage, propaganda, or public opinion
formation.

a. Voting
 consensus through voting is represented by a majority of two-thirds or three-
fourths of all votes.
 implies in stipulation on who are qualified to vote, how potential voters are
contacted and encouraged to exercise their right of suffrage, what they are to vote
on why and how they are to vote.

b. Political counseling
 Sources of public information are prejudiced and loaded with emotional
appeal, partial truths, and total lies, the electorate tend to seek the opinion of
knowledgeable, trustworthy, respected persons of groups.

c. Patronage
 involves networking ingratiating personal favors, such as referrals,
recommendations, jobs, contracts,services, and so forth in exchanged of
personalized gifts, entertainment, vacations, reduced prices "kickbacks" and other
goods and services
 Consensus is imposed by the patrons.

d. Molding of Public opinion

 Public opinion maybe based on gossip, rumor, folk knowledge ,
superstitions, propaganda through the mass media.

2. AUTHORITY
 Legitimized and institutionalized power in a society.
 Weber (1957:329) identified three types of authority as the foundation of a
legitimate exercise of power.

a. Traditional Authority
 This is legitimized power that is handed down from the past.

b. Legal rational authority

 The bureaucracy is the end result.

c. Charismatic
 rests solely on the gift of graces.

3. INFLUENCE
 refers to the total means that a person has on hand to bring about the results he
or she desires in a decision-making situation.
The Power of Elite
The political elite may desire, acquire, exercise and maintain power as ends in
themselves, and as a means for achieving the ends for which they are iintended Being
subject to abuse and misuse, power should be limited through the following ways:
1. Theory of Checks and balances
 The establishment of political sub-system which are on equal level.

2. Political Pluralism
 The maintainance of the two-party system, the use of the countervailing force of
different power blocs, vested interest and pressure groups.

3. Popular sovereignty
 The exercise of voting , rreferenda,rights of assembly, petitions, demonstrations,
and other civil rights.

4. Theories on the supreme law or the natural law and;

5. Human factors- psychological, social and cultural patterns prevalent in a society at a
given time.
Basis of Power in Philippine Politics
1. Voting
2. Political counseling
3. Patronage
4. Molding of public opinion

MAKING, INTERPRETING AND ENFORCING LAWS

 Legal, quasi-legal, and extra legal forces have completed and conflicted in the
mmaking interpreting and enforcing of laws in the Philippines (Villanueva et al.
1996; Alfred 1962, Formalino 1960, Olivar 1966.

THE THREE BRANCHES OF THE PHILPPINE GOVERNMENT

Under the principle of co-equal and coordinate powers among the three (3)
branches, the officers entrusted with each of these powers are not permitted to
encroach upon the powers confided to the others. If one department goes beyond the
limits sets by the Constitution, its acts are null and void. The adoption of this principle
was motivated by the belief that arbitrary rule would result if the same person or body
were to exercise all the powers of the government.

1. LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
 Consists of a Congress
 The Congress is divided into two: Senate and The House of
the Representatives.
 It passes law.
 It defines and punishes crime against the state.
  It budgets the money to be spent for public purposes.
 It can create and abolish courts, except the Supreme Court.
 It is the only congress which has the power to declare war.

2. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
 Consists of a President, Vice-President, and Cabinet Officials.
 The power of the President is to:
 implement law of the country
 issue Executive Orders
 nominate and appoint the heads of the Executive
 veto any bill passed by the Congress
 The power of the Vice-President is to replace the President if he
resigns, die or is impeached.
 The power of the Cabinet is to advise the President on matters
relating to the duties of their respective officers.

3. JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT
 It usually consists of a Supreme Court, Regional Court, Municipal
Court, and Special Courts.
 It interprets law and applies it to the fact of each case.
 It has the power to determine whether the law is Constitutional or
Unconstitutional.
 Judicial power includes to hear and settle disputes:
 Private Person vs. Private Person
 Private Person vs. Government
 Government Agency vs. Government Agency

III. Activity 2: Ipasa mo baby with a twist! (Formative Assessment)

A plastic bottle containing some questions regarding the discussed topics will be
passed to the entire class while the presenters play a music. As the music stops, the
person who got the bottle will get a rolled paper inside and will answer the written
question on it. The game will continue until the questions inside are all answered.

IV. References:
Riodique III, et. al. Understanding Society and Culture (A Sociological and
Anthropological Approach). Mindshapers co., inc: 2016
Panopio, et. al. Sociology (Focus on the Philippines) Third Edition. Ken Incorporated:
1994
https://pia.gov.ph>branches-of-govt