POL-GOV

LESSON 1

INTRODUCTION
POLITICAL SCIENCE AS SCIENCE?

What is Politics?

• In its broadest sense, politics includes

the decision-making and decision-
enforcing processes in any group that
makes and enforces rules for its
members.
• By nature, politics everywhere involves
conflict.
• Politics technically exist everywhere,
e.g. organization like homeowner’s
association or student's organization.
POLITICS AS AN ART

• Art is a selective re-creation of

reality according to a person’s (or
artist’s) metaphysical value
judgement.
• Political arts means the power to
perform selective recreation of
reality inspired by experience,
study and observation.
• Political art stylizes man’s
consciousness to suit a person’s
political objectives.
IS POLITICS A SCIENCE?

YES!

• Science is a set of rules and methods for

investigating reality logically and
systematically.
• Political science is therefore a science to
the extent that it observes the cardinal
rules of scientific logic.
• Some political scientist s have in fact
attempted to become like natural
scientist.
• They building theories and test
hypotheses with using the principle of
scientific method.
MEANING OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

• It is the systematic study of the state and

government.
• POLITICAL - “POLIS” means “CITY” =
SOVEREIGN STATES
• SCIENCE – “Scire” means “TO KNOW”.
• Each city-state is a kind of association and that
“man by nature is a political animal”- Aristotle
• The provide frameworks from which journalists,
special interest groups, politicians, and the
electorate analyze issues.
• Primary objective of studying political science
and Philippine Constitution is to have better
understanding of the state, law, rights, principles,
and ideas of organization and activities.
 APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF POLITICAL
SCIENCE:

1. TRADITIONAL- is valued based and lays emphasis on the

inclusion of values to the study of political phenomena. It
believes that the study of political science should not be based
on facts alone since facts and values are closely related to
each other.
2. BEHAVIORAL- this approach shifts its emphasis from the
study of state and government to the day-to-day problems,
activities and behavior of individuals and groups.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF TRADITIONAL
APPROACHES:

1. Traditional approaches are largely normative and stresses on the

values of politics.
2. Emphasis is on the study of different political structures and
institution.
3. Traditional approaches made very little attempt to relate theory
and research.
4. These approaches believe that since facts and values are closely
interlinked, studies in political science can never be scientific.
 FORMS OF TRADITIONAL APPROACH
1. Philosophical - This approach firmly believes that the values cannot be
separated from the study of politics. Therefore, its main concern is to judge
what is good or bad in any political society. It is mainly an ethical and
normative study of politics and, thus, idealistic.
2. Historical -  Emphasizes on the study of history of every political reality to
analyze any situation. This approach strongly upholds the belief that the
thinking or the ideology of every political thinker is shaped by the
surrounding environment.
3. Institutional – This approach is concerned with the study of the formal
structures like legislature, executive, judiciary, political parties, interest
groups etc.
4. Legal - This approach regards the state as the fundamental organization for
the creation and enforcement of laws. Therefore, this approach is concerned
with the legal process, legal bodies or institutions, justice and independence
of judiciary. 
 CHARACTERISTICS OF BEHAVIORALISM
1. Regularities - Human behavior, despite its differences, shows some
remarkable uniformities in political behavior, which can be
generalized and formulated in a systematic theory. The
generalizations reached in Political Science can predict political
phenomena.
2. Verification – Includes testing and verifying everything. What
cannot be verified is not scientific.
3. Techniques - Put emphasis on the use of research tools and
methods which generate valid, reliable and comparative data.
4. Quantification – Precision in the recording of data and the
statement of findings require measurement and quantification. The
use of mathematical and statistical methods of data analysis has to be
made.
5. Values – Believes that to do objective research one has to be value-free.
6. Systematization – Research in Political Science must be systematic. Theory and
research should go together.
7. Pure Science – Believes that the study of Political Science should be verified by
evidence.
8. Integration –Political science should not be separated from various other social sciences
like history, sociology, economics, etc.
RELATIONSHIP
WITH OTHER
SOCIAL
SCIENCES
 1.HISTORY- the branch of knowledge that records
and explains the past events or the records of the
past.
2.ECONOMICS- concerned chiefly with
description and analysis of the production,
distribution, and consumption of goods and
services was formerly referred to as political
economy.
3.GEOGRAPHY- the geographical conditions,
which include soil, climate, vegetation, population,
land use, mountain and rivers, affect the political
development of a nation, not withstanding its
culture.

ECONOMICS
HISTORY
GEOGRAPHY
 4.SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY- it is the
study of society as a whole. It is a social science
course that enriches political science by its
contributions to the study of social problems, which
are also problems of the government.
5.PSYCHOLOGY- human behavior is naturally
caused by a phenomenon acceptable to both the
SOCIOLOGY AND political scientists and the psychologists.
6.PHILOSOPHY- man alternative visions of the
ANTHROPOLOGY state.
7.STATISTICS AND LOGICS- background and
knowledge of current political problems.
8.JURISPUDENCE- the science of law, is
STATISTICS
STATISTICS AND
AND
PSYCHOLOGY
PHILOSOPHY
LOGICS
concerning primarily with analysis of existing legal
systems a swell as the ethical, historical,
LOGICS
JURISPUDENCE sociological and psychological foundation of the
law.
AREAS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
1. POLITICAL THEORY
• It deals with the entire body of doctrines relating
to the origin, form, behavior, and purposes of the
state.
• It analyzes fundamental political concepts such as
power and democracy and foundation questions.
2. PUBLIC LAW
• It regulates the structure and administration of the
government, the conduct of the government in its
relations with its citizens, the responsibilities of the
government employees and relationship with foreign
investment
SUBDIVISION OF PUBLIC LAWS
a. Constitutional Law
b. Administrative Law
c. International Law
3. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION- houses the
implementation of government policy and an
academic discipline that studies this
implementation and that prepares civil servants
for this work.
4. POLITICAL DYNAMICS- concerned with the
interplay of different societal forces that influence
political decision and action.
5. GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS- emphasis
to government exercise of corporate, or business
function, as well as its regulatory function
affecting the national economy.
6. LEGISLATURES AND LEGISLATION- it
brings into the political limelight the vital role
that the legislature plays in making laws.
7. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,
INTERNATIONAL LAW, AND
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
-it involves inquires into the foreign policy of
nation-states in their mutual relationship on the
different forces- geographical, technological,
economic, demographic, psychological and
political which contribute to the shaping pf such
policy.
8. COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT- it uses
descriptive among states as regards their
executive, legislative and judicial bodies, etc.
THE CONCEPT
OF GOOD
GOVERNANCE
What is Governance?

• Refers to the manner of steering or

directing and controlling a group of people
or state.
• Establishment of policies, and continuous
monitoring of their proper implementation
by the members of the governing body.
8 ELEMENTS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

1. PARTICIPATION
• active involvement of affected and
interested parties in the decision-making
process.
• including freedom of expression and
assiduous concern for the best interest of
the organization and society
2. RULE OF LAW
• Democracy is essentially the rule of law.
It is through the law that people express
their will and exercise their sovereignty
• The government should also act within
the limits of the power prescribed by the
law.
• The absence of law is Anarchy.
3. EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY

• The government must fulfill the needs

of the people by managing
expenditures efficiently and
systematically
• It must, from time to time, make quick
decisions and can take effective
action.
• Anti-Red tape Act of 2007 (ARTA)
4.TRANSPARENCY

• The government should make its

decision and endeavors known to the
people.
• It also means that transaction
involving public interest must be
fully disclosed and made accessible
to the people.
5. RESPONSIVENESS

• The government should listen to the

voices of the people and take transparent
actions.
• The interest of the citizens must be well
protected in a prompt and appropriate
manner.
6. EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS

• All members of the society even to the

grassroots level must be considered.
• NO ONE MUST FEEL ALIENATED.
• Social equity refers to a kind of justice
that gives more opportunity to the less
fortunate members of the society.
7. Consensus-Oriented
• Decisions are made after taking into
consideration the different viewpoints of the
actors of the society.
• Promotion of consensus oriented governance
in the Philippines:
•
(1)creation of wide ranged representation in
the congress.
(2) a two- tiered legislature or bicameralism
which subjects legislation to the evaluation of
national and district legislators.
(3)necessity of public hearings or consultations
of various governmental policies and actions.
8.ACCOUNTABILITY
This is based on the principle that every person or
group is responsible for their actions most especially
when their acts affect public interest.

• Political Accountability - accountability of the

public officials to the people they represent.
• Hierarchical Accountability – refers to the
ordered accountability of the various agencies and
their respective officers and personnel in relation to
their program objectives.
• Managerial Accountability – refers to employee
accountability based on organization and
individual performance.
IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING GOVERNANCE:

• Governance is essentially related to politics. In that, politics is often defined as

art of governance.
• The importance of studying governance is we become aware of the need for
good governance.
“When the people fear the government there
is tyranny, when the government fears the
people there is liberty”
- Thomas Jefferson