Definitions of politics

How we define politics?Social-political science definitions

Is politics everywhere? What is non-political sphere?1) Politics is “Acta Vita” (H.Arendt)!2)Politics is derived from different interests,values,

preferences. It is expressed on state, group and individual level.

3)Politics is the natural reflection of diversity in a society4)Politics presumes a choice among alternative

options.Aristoteles:The choice should be practical and ethical.Non-democratic regime might be even more efficient economically, but it,s unethical.

Definitions of Politics,universal versus specific,(comparison)

5)Politics presumes open political decisions on state and local level (municipality)

6)Politics is a distribution of values

7)H.Lasswell:Who gets what, when and how?

8)P presumes power and power relations

9)N.Machiavelli: P is the art of possible

10)P is the art of compromises

Game theory

• Politics is zero-sum game

(Winners,Losers)

• P is zero-zero sum game

• War is the continuation of politics by other means(Clausewitz)

Poliitika avaldumise 3 taset

• Indiviidi tasandil-võtab osa demonstratsioonist

• Sotsiaalse grupi tasandil-liitub partei, huvigrupiga

• Riigi tasandil-maksu,välis,julgeolekupoliitika

Poliitika professionaalsuse eeltingimused

• Eeldab haridust, haritust, poliitilist kogemust, intelligentsust• P tegemine algab faktide tundmisest, mis

tegelikult toimub ühiskonna tasandil• Tuleks teada oluliste tegijate seisukohti antud

küsimuses• Ratsionaalne P eeldab kompromisse-st. mõlema

või mitmepoolseid järelandmisi• Peale poliitilise otsuse langetamist tuleks jälgida,

kuidas see toimib praktikas

Six Generalizations of Politics(importance) First world

1)Poltical issues have low salience to other concerns in people,s lives. Although Aristioteles termed the citizen “homo politicus”,or political man, most people do not locate political issues in the center of their interest and attention.

2) People tend to focus on concrete issues and have minimal grasp of the abstract political concepts and theory.

3) Interest and knowledge are greater on short-term issues rather than longer-term ones

4) While peoples fundamental belifs are relatively stable, there can be considerable volatility in their short-term political opinions, which tend to shift when subjected to modest changes in political information.This volatility might be due to the limited interest or to the sheer difficulty of trying to understand complicated political questions.

Generalizations of politics (importance)

5) Significant inconsistencies can exist across political beliefs in a sense that individual can hold contradictory positions.

Freedom of speech, for example, the communists and other extremes are denied to speak,in internet slogan “jews into the oven.”

6)The content of beliefs are aften inaccurate.

People tend to know something, political facts, etc.…

What affects political orientations of individuals(Left-right political

scale)?• Gender

• Age

• Ethnicity

• Profession

• Income

• education

Birth of Universal Suffrage

• 1893-New Zealand• 1902-Australia• 1906 Finland• 1917 Russia• 1918 Estonia• 1919,Germany,Sweden,US,UK• 1928 UK full universal suffrage• 1945-1948 France,Italy,Spain• 1971 Switzerland• 1986 Liehtenstein

Old versus new understanding of poltics

Old Politics New Politics

Views about political system

Loyal,

supporting

critical

Forms of participation parties Interest groups(single-issue)

motives interests Values usually post-material

Participation styles Ortodox

through legal structure

Non-conventional

Participation ends Change of politics protest

Av.age Middle-age Younger generation

Tänapäeva poliitika iseärasused, nn.” uus poliitika”

Vaated poliitilise süsteemi suhtes- kriitilineOsalusvormid - ainuprobleemsed huvigrupid

(single-issue)Motiivid- pigem post-materiaalsed

väärtused, eesmärgiks on jätkusuutlik valitsemine (sustainable development)

Osalusstiilid- protest, kiirema efekti (tulemuse) taotlemine

Keskmine vanus - nooremapoolne

Institutional variety cross different states (Comparison)

Party-system Two versus multiparty

Electoral system Proportional versus majoritarian

Legislative Assembly One versus two-chambered

Structure of government Unitary versus federal

Central Authority Parliamentary versus presidential

Local municipality Weak-strong autonomy

Connection between state and economy

Liberal vs. corporatist