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