Politics: The Art of Government - Essay Example

Politics, the art of government Politics and the government are two of the most common terms that we hear each day. Most of us take for granted the existence of politics and government as if it is something that we all have tolerate in society. However, politics as the art of government is not just something we all have to merely tolerate as a form of structure nor is politics limited to the politicians that we often hear arguing their points of view against their opponents. According to Aristotle, politics is a way of life and that since it is closely connected with ethics, the only way for a person to live an ethical life is to get involved in politics. Of course the views of Aristotle on politics are a kind of utopia. He would probably not say such thing if he had seen how politics had evolved in our present society. Does politics really exist only in government? Politics is everywhere and it is not just limited to the government. If take a closer look at the relationships of people in different types of organizations, you will notice that there is as much politics in there as there is in government. However, since the government, has the broadest reach in a given society, it is "the chief arena of politics, in the modern world”(Miller, 1987), and is therefore the best seat for serious political discussions. Note that the government possesses authority over a mass of people and it has the power to compel obedience among its subject1. Since a legitimate government has the innate power to regulate and control the activities of the state and its people2, it is considered as the most fitting arena for politics thus the definition that politics is the art of government. In order for us to understand why politics is considered as the art of government, let us first take a closer look into the definition of politics. Politics comes from the Greek word "polis" which can be roughly translated into the word “city-state” or “community”. The very basic concept of politics involves the norms of “social relationship and power”(Plato 360 B.C.E.). Note that when we talk about politics and government, we always have to deal with the word power as the government is considered as the seat of power of the nation. It is in the context of power and influence that politics plays a vital role in the government. In his book, the Republic, Plato discussed how the state relates to the people and how power is wielded by people in government. Technically, Plato’s idea of politics revolves around the concept of creation on an ideal society. He sees that the society is imperfect and the powers that it yields in not properly harnessed and put to use. For Plato, a fragmented society needs to be governed in order to achieve harmony. Since the society is imperfect and that harmony could not be achieved where people do not work for a common goal, a political government which makes common decisions and exercise common powers is needed. In other words, where there is a necessity for the people to create something that can control and regulate the acts of its members to preserve their way of life. For instance, Plato believes that the distribution of resources in a given society should be regulated by the government and such regulation may only be enforced if the government has the political will. In the areas of governance, the word government comes from a Greek word which can be translated into the English language as “to govern” or “to steer” or “to control”. When we say that politics is the art of government, we therefore mean that politics is the means by which we steer or control society. According to Leftwich (1984) the political process can be described as “all the activities of co-operation and conflict, within and between societies” (Leftwich 1984). This means that everything that has something to do with the act of steering the government towards a certain direction may be considered as political. Leftwich (1984) said that the process by which the people in a given society organize themselves to facilitate the “use, production and distribution of human, natural and other resources” (Leftwich 1984) is still part of the political process thus there is need to establish certain social structures that are necessary for the equitable if not equal distribution of resources3. For instance, in our present society, the government is given the task to find ways and to come up with rules and regulations which shall govern the economic activities of the people. These rules and regulations are means creating order in society. The importance of political structures in the government cannot be overly emphasized. Since a human being is “by natural a political Animal” Aristotle (350 B.C.E.), and needs to relate to others, the political structures of powers and government need to be established to govern the relationship of human beings. Without any government structures that will define the rights of the citizens towards the government and to each other, a society will not be able to function well. Chaos would ensue if there are no laws and rules that will govern the actions of human beings. It is therefore the role of the government to ensure that such structures, rules and laws are established and enforced to protect the rights of the people under its jurisdiction. In practice today, politics is closely related to the regulation and governance of a nation and other political units as well as the means and methods being used by the state in the processing of formulating and applying the policies thereof (Black’s Law Dictionary). Often times we hear the world “political will” which is associated with the state’s capacity to “enforce its rules upon its people”. According to Weber4 political will power is the ability of the government to “impose its will” upon its subject even in the face of opposition. On the other hand, Arendt (1970) defined political power as the “human ability not just to act but to act in concert”. Consequently, this brings us to the idea that politics and government has a systemic relationship where one complements the other. Politics is the tool towards governance and the government is the vehicle which carries with it the will of the sovereignty. How does politics as the art of government promote the stability of the system? According to Dahl, the establishment of a political system could enhance the stability of a government. He describes the political systems as “any persistent pattern of human relationships” where to a certain extent, allows for “control, influence, power or authority" over its subject (Dahl, 1984). As human beings socialize with each other and establish a kind of norm upon which they follow, there is a need for certain members of society to be under the authority of the others. The very nature of the government dictates that there should be people who will rule and there should be a group of people which shall be subjected to such rule. It is therefore imperative that in a structure such as the government, there must be certain members of society who shall be considered as the governed body. The hierarchy of the people within a society helps facilitate civil discussions and promote development. However, in a democratic society such as ours, it seems to follow that for a person or a group of person to have more power they should have the support of the people over which they will exercise the authority or the power to govern. Given the need to govern and be governed in a government structure, we now come to the effect of the natural instinct of human beings towards self preservation. As human beings succumb to the lures of power in the government, many politicians begun to see politics as something that they can use to enjoy influence and control over their subject. As the idea of politics evolved in out modern times, we begin to see another face of politics which gives us a picture of people and organizations through the party system to struggle for ascendancy. (Rajan C. 2006). Politics now turn into a battle between people or organization who would like to take the reign of government. Politicians coming from different groups and with different views about development, now come into the political arena to push for their own agenda. Technically, the diversity of opinion is to be welcomed. Diversity of opinions can be a potent tool for progress. Besides, according to Miller (1987), if we can “agree spontaneously on a course of action” there would be “no need to engage in politics”. Of course it is impossible to live in a society where there is no conflict. As human beings are unique in themselves, they will forever have conflicting opinions thus the need for a tool for harmonization. The solution therefore to keep the integrity of politics in government is to create a system of balance of power5. In our present society, the balance of power hinges on diversity and in the structures of government. According to Miller (1987) "Politics presupposes a diversity of view, if not about ultimate aims, at least the best ways of achieving them". In other words, politics is something that is supposed to thrive is the face of diversity of opinions in governance. Even though politicians may not agree on a certain development process, as long as they have same goals, there is always a way to work together. Miller cited that there are at least three ways for politicians to come to an agreement in revolving some issues and concerns of government. These means of resolving conflicts according to Miller (1987) includes persuasion, bargaining and the setting up of mechanisms in order to reach a final decision. The exercise of these tools of resolving conflicts can be observed in the way our legislators and other government agencies function in our modern day society. In the United Kingdom, we can observe the healthy exchange of ideas in the Parliament and other government agencies as these agencies implement their government functions. Politics exist in our modern day society primary because of the broad spectrum of ideas and opinions of the people. Since there are many conflicting views in society, naturally, one may view politics as either good or detrimental to the government. Where the politicians use the ideals of politics to promote their own interest, then it becomes evil and a source of conflict. Note that when a human being succumb to his basal nature and act selfishly, he or she is most likely to view politics as a tool to further his or her ambitions to hold power and influence. There have been cases where people in power ceased to be reasonable and would cling to their position for as long as they can. On the other hand, if we take a positive approach to politics and governance, we can say that since politics is a tool for resolving conflicts and a way for the majority to express their collective views in the form of an election or referendum, it is therefore a potent tool to empower people to participate in the government. Note that in order for some people to be in power, they must have the support of the vest majority of the people whom they intend to govern. Another positive aspect of politics in government is that it gives venue for discussions and conflict resolution. Given the premise that politics is a tool for resolving conflict, we can therefore say that it is a way to create a more organized and peaceful society. Bibliography 1. Arendt H. (1970) On Violence. A Harvest Book 2. Aristotle (1996) The Politics and the Constitution of Athens (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) 3. Dahl, R (1984) Modern Political Analysis (New Jersey: Prentice Hall) 4. Dahl, Robert. (1957)"The concept of power." Behavioral Science 2. 5. Hobbes T. (1651) Leviathan 6. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/authority/#1.1 7. Hurd Heidi 2001 Moral Combat Cambridge University Press 8. Leftwich, A (1984) What is Politics? (Oxford: Basil Blackwell) 9. Machiavelli N. (1532) The Prince 10. Miller, D (1987) The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Political Thought (Oxford: Basil Blackwell) 11. Plato (360 BC) The Republic http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.html retrieved 9 March 2007 12. Rajan, Chella. "Global Politics and Institutions” Frontiers of a Great Transistion. Vol. 3. Tellus Institute, 2006 13. Roberts and Hogwod (1997) European Politics Today, mnachester University Press 14. Weber M., Politics as a Vocation http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/weber/lecture/politics_vocation.html retrieved March 9,2007 15. Black’s law Dictionary 6th ed. (1990) West Publishing Read More