Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Unit 1 Lesson 1 Philippine Politics and Governance
Unit 1 Lesson 1 Philippine Politics and Governance
POLITICS AND
GOVERNANCE
…introduces the students to the basic
concepts and vital elements of politics
and governance from a historical-
institutional perspective.
• According to the Course Description
mandated by the DepEd, this course
introduces the students to the basic
concepts and vital elements of politics
and governance from a historical-
institutional perspective.
• In particular, it attempts to explain how the
important features of our country’s political
structures/institutions, processes, and
relationships developed across time.
• In the process, the course helps the learners
gain a better appreciation of their rights and
responsibilities as individuals and as
members of the larger sociopolitical
community to strengthen their civic
competence.
UNIT I: CONCEPTS
OF POLITICS AND
GOVERNANCE
LESSON 1: THE MEANING OF
POLITICS
PLATO and ARISTOTLE
• Plato was considered the • Aristotle, his student, the
“father of rationalism and “father of empiricism
political philosophy” and political science”
(political idealism) (political realism)
• Idealism: Dealing with • Realism: Dealing with
things as they should be. things as they are.
• Political Philosophy: The • Political Science: The
philosophy of politics from science of politics, based
a metaphysic and reason-
on empirical evidence.
based perspective.
WHAT IS POLITICS
• Politics is the way in which we understand
and order our social affairs, and acquire
greater control over the situation.
• It is also the strategy for maintaining
cooperation among people with different
needs and ideals in life, or for resolving the
conflict within the group, whether this is a
family, a tribe, a village or a nation-state.
• According to Harold Lasswell, Politics is concerned with
determination, by official governmental decision making
and action, of:
• Who in political society receives what benefits, rewards,
and advantages and how much of them they receive,
• When they receive the benefits, rewards, and advantages,
and
• What are the methods by which they receive them.
• Conversely, politics is also concerned with determining, by
governmental decision making and action, (1) who in
society is denied what benefits, rewards, and advantages,
(2) when and how long they are denied them, and (3) the
methods by which they are subjected to such
deprivations.
POLITICS AND EVERYDAY LIFE
Politics is all about the way human beings are governed,
which involves order, power, and justice. It is not just an
abstract study.
• It involves the government’s day-to-day performance;
• It does not affect only one individual, but is inextricably
bound up with the perpetual quest for what is fair or just in
light of the interest of the entire community;
• Issue is more or less political based on the extent that the
use of political power affects the lives and well-being of
private citizens; and
• An issue becomes political when the government must
render a decision, which must always be for the common
good of the community.
POLITICS IN THE PHILIPPINES
• Takes place in an organized framework of a
presidential, representative, and democratic
republic
• It revolves around the three separate and
sovereign yet interdependent branches: The
Legislative branch (the law-making body, Article
VI, 1987 Philippine Constitution); The Executive
branch (the law-enforcing body, Article VII, 1987
Philippine Constitution); and The Judicial branch
(the law-interpreting body, Article VIII, 1987
Philippine Constitution).
PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE
• (1) Executive power is exercised by the
government under the leadership of the president
(Section 1, Article VI, 1987 Philippine
Constitution);
• (2) Legislative power is vested in the two-
chamber Congress — the Senate (the upper
chamber) and the House of Representatives (the
lower chamber), (Section 1, Article VI, 1987
Philippine Constitution);
• (3) Judicial power is vested in one Supreme
Court and such Lower Courts as may be
established by Law (Section 1, Article VIII, 1987
Philippine Constitution).
ACTIVITY 1
DEFINE THE FOLLOWING WORDS OR
PHRASES:
1. Politics _____________________________________
2. Political Science______________________________
3. Government__________________________________
___________________________________________
4. State________________________________________
___________________________________________
5. Sovereignty_________________________________
6. Nation_______________________________________
ACTIVITY 2
• Write an Essay on Philippine Politics
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________